flanders.healthTech turns into MEDVIA

Press release: Spearhead cluster flanders.healthTech becomes MEDVIA and is ready to make a change in healthcare innovation

Gent, Belgium, 17/05/2022 – flanders.healthTech turns into MEDVIA. With a strong new name and a sleek website, the industry-driven network MEDVIA aims at expanding its impact as an overarching hub in the fields of medical biotechnology, medical technology, and digital technology. The Flemish spearhead cluster focuses on catalyzing technological progress in healthcare by feeding innovative ideas and enabling collaboration.

MEDVIA, previously flanders.healthTech, was founded in September 2021, in partnership with the Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship network (VLAIO). As the youngest spearhead cluster of seven in Flanders, it currently overarches more than 100 members, which all have committed to jointly support innovation for better health.

The needs are high, the ambition even higher

Flanders is home to a strong healthcare system and the development of pioneering technological innovations is firmly embedded in our research and development ecosystem. MEDVIA will be boosting the competitivity of Flemish companies, by stimulating unique innovations in healthcare, facilitating and supporting collaborations between companies, knowledge centers, universities, and healthcare institutions. MEDVIA nurtures solutions for the many unmet medical needs and challenges that patients face, connecting innovators with caretakers and patient organizations.

MEDVIA provides earmarked funding and tailored services to Flemish innovators

In 2021 14 consortia received a total of EUR 4.7 million supporting their innovation projects in healthcare. This year we opened a new call together with VLAIO, providing EUR 8 million earmarked non-dilutive funding for innovation projects combining biotechnology, medical technology, and digital technology.

Ann Van Gysel, CEO of MEDVIA: “Our new name MEDVIA symbolizes the exciting journey we are on, together with our members. By embracing new technologies and engaging with all stakeholders, we move toward a better healthcare. To support our members even better, we will leverage and provide tailored services.”