Belgium Biotech Pioneers

26 November 2026 - Ghent

Young biotech companies can present themselves and their innovations, thereby inspiring and interesting participants in a career in Life Sciences.

Emile Redant | Co-founder and CEO | Zymofix

Emile Redant holds an MSc in Industrial Engineering and is co-founder and CEO of Zymofix, a Belgian fermentation CDMO. With 12+ years scaling biochemical processes at Renasci, Biotalys, and Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, he leads teams in taking biotechnology innovations from lab to industrial scale.

About Zymofix

Zymofix scales the production of beneficial microorganisms for agriculture and technical applications by fermenting biomass residues. We are on a mission to create macro solutions that rebalance ecosystems and play a key role in improving planetary health. We explore new frontiers in industrial biotechnology. ‘Talk less, do more’ could have been the Zymofix credo. We will always choose realistic, scalable solutions that deliver tangible impact.

Bernard Sagaert | CEO | etherna

Bio, Bernard Sagaert - Bernard is a highly accomplished strategic leader with over 30 years of experience in the biotech and life science sectors. He has demonstrated expertise in governance, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and innovation. Bernard excels in driving organizational transformation and fostering sustainable growth. He has a proven record of success in executive roles, including CEO and COO positions, and is a trusted advisor and board member in prominent biotech organizations.

About etherna

etherna is a leading RNA/LNP platform technology provider, developing innovative technologies to support the advancement of nucleic acid-based therapeutics. Our proprietary platforms span across RNA chemistry, LNP formulation, process technology and GMP manufacturing. We work with partners to advance innovative RNA programs, support pipeline development and address the manufacturing challenges from promising constructs to clinical development.

Veerle de Schepper | Head of R&D | Rainbow Crops

Veerle De Schepper is the Head of R&D at Rainbow Crops, an innovative ag-biotech spin-out from the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology. Bringing significant expertise in genome editing, GM applications, and agricultural R&D, she leads the translation of scientific discoveries into commercial crop products.

At Rainbow Crops, Veerle directs the development of the Trait Foundry™ platform. This integrated technology combines continuously trained AI models, multiplex genome editing, and automated phenotyping to engineer complex traits. Under her scientific leadership, Rainbow Crops aims to accelerate the deployment of climate-resilient, high-performing crop varieties to strengthen global food security.

Prior to her role at Rainbow Crops, Veerle spent several years in commercial agricultural research across different scientific roles at Bayer CropScience, BASF, and Inari. Her background in plant ecophysiology was built on seven years of academic research at Ghent University.

Areas of Expertise

● Ag-Biotech R&D: Directing cross-functional research in genome editing and GM applications to translate scientific breakthroughs into commercial products.

● Complex Trait Engineering: Leveraging AI-driven modeling and automated screening to engineer high-resilience crop varieties.

● Plant & Ecophysiology: Specialization in whole-plant functioning, environmental stress responses, and physiological modeling.

About Rainbow Crops

About Rainbow CropsRainbow Crops is a next-generation Agtech company developing climate-resilient, highperforming crop varieties through its proprietary Trait Foundry™ platform. By integrating multiplex genome editing, artificial intelligence, precision breeding, and automated phenotyping, Rainbow Crops enables the simultaneous enhancement of multiple complex agronomic traits such as yield, input efficiency, and stress resilience. Founded in 2025 as a spin-off from the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, Rainbow Crops builds on research supported by an ERC Advanced Grant and benefits from strategic infrastructure at VIB, including the VIB AgroIncubator. The company collaborates with seed and breeding partners to co-develop advanced plant genetics tailored for sustainable agriculture and global food security

FULL PROGRAMME HERE