UGent IOF Business Development Centers (Industrial Liaison Network).

What is this?

The IOF Business Development Centers are thematic clusters within the UGent Association that bring together complementary research groups by application domain. Together with the IOF platforms, they form UGent TechTransfer’s Industrial Liaison Network.

For researchers, these are the first points of contact (business developers / liaisons) to:

• explore a valorisation pathway,
• build collaborations with industry,
• and (where relevant) move toward a spin-off.

When do you use this overview?

• You want to quickly know who to contact within UGent TechTransfer for your domain.
• You are looking for the right business developer for an initial intake regarding valorisation/spin-offs.
• You want to be referred to the right IOF platforms or partners.

How do you find the right liaison?

1. Look for the domain that best matches your research (e.g., Engineering/Energy/Materials, Health Tech & Pharma, Electronics/Photonics/Digital, Agro/Vet/Food, Social Sciences & Humanities).
2. Click through to the relevant center or platform.
3. Contact the listed business developer(s) for an intake.

All 27 Business Development Centers by domain

As listed on the UGent TechTransfer page on 13 October 2026. Names and contact details of the business developers are on that page itself.

Engineering, Energy & Materials

• ChemTech: chemistry and water technologies. csc.ugent.be
• CleanChem: clean technology for sustainable chemical production. research.ugent.be
• Composites: technology platform for composites. research.ugent.be
• DuraBUILDmaterials: durable building materials and structures. durabuildmaterials.ugent.be
• EnerGhentIC: energy research and innovation community. energhentic.be
• Machineries & Factories: machine and factory design and optimisation, Industry 4.0. ugent.be/m-f
• Metals: metals research platform, from nano to macro scale. ugent.be/metals
• TEX IS MORE: sustainable textile innovation. texismore.be (see also TEX IS MORE (sustainable textile innovation bridge))

Health Tech & Pharma

• ACT-T: advanced cell and tissue engineering. research.ugent.be
• Biomarked: preclinical biomarker -omics, BioIT, diagnostics and RNA-based therapies. crig.ugent.be
• ChemTech Life Sciences: chemistry technologies for the life sciences. research.ugent.be
• DISCOVERE: drug discovery, delivery and manufacturing. research.ugent.be
• HyCT: hybrid CT imaging for materials and life sciences. hybridct.com
• MedTeG: valorisation of medical devices and technologies. ugent.be/medteg
• Victoris: technological optimisation and innovation in sports. victoris.be

Electronics, Photonics & Digital

• e-Poly: polymer-based microsystems and applications. research.ugent.be
• i-Know: intelligent information management. iknow.ugent.be
• INDATA: internet and data lab. idlab.ugent.be
• NB-Photonics: photonics components, systems and applications. ugent.be/nb-photonics

Agro, Vet & Food

• Biomolecules: bio-based molecule production and engineering tools. research.ugent.be
• BIOREFINED: value creation from organic waste and residues. ugent.be/biorefined
• BLUEGent: aquaculture and blue life sciences. bluegent.ugent.be
• CropFit: biostimulants and biocontrol for plants. ugent.be/cropfit
• Food2Know: feed, food and health. research.ugent.be
• PROVAXS: animal health innovation. provaxs.com

Social Sciences & Humanities

• i4S: smart solutions for secure societies. i4s.eu
• SHAPE: social sciences, humanities and arts. No separate website; contact via the UGent TechTransfer page.

IOF platforms

Besides the centers, the Industrial Liaison Network includes eight IOF platforms. The UGent TechTransfer page does not name them; ask TechTransfer or the business developer for your domain.

Tip for spin-offs

If you are considering a spin-off, it is usually efficient to:

• first clarify your valorisation case and potential applications,
• then review with your liaison which route (licensing, collaboration, spin-off) fits best,
• and only then go deeper into conditions/structures.

Source

• https://techtransfer.ugent.be/en/collaborations/iof-business-development-centers

Related articles

• UGent TechTransfer (Technology Transfer Office)
• TEX IS MORE (sustainable textile innovation bridge)
• Fast Lane UGent: setting up a spin-off faster (Fast Lane & Fast Lane Mini)
• The Research Track (track for researchers)