When

27 October 2026
Tuesday - 14:00

Where

The Nucleus
Tech Lane Ghent Science Park
Campus Eiland Zwijnaarde
Suzanne Tassierstraat 11
9052 Ghent

Picture courtesy of Ghent University

BJA Premier Member Networking Event – Discover. Connect. Collaborate.

Tuesday, 27 October 2026 - The Nucleus, Tech Lane Ghent Science Park

The Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce is pleased to invite you to an exclusive Meet & Greet Event celebrating our newest members and bringing together BJA members, business leaders, and innovators for an afternoon of discovery, connection, and exchange.

Hosted at The Nucleus, a state-of-the-art innovation and business hub at Tech Lane Ghent Science Park that serves as a central hub for pharma, biotech, cleantech, and healthtech innovation, the event offers an opportunity to:

Meet our newest BJA members through short introductions and company pitches: Ghent University, Helicus, STVV, Lean Institute Belgium, Excellence Squad (XSQ), K. Beerschot V.A.
Connect with professionals from across the Belgium–Japan business community.
Exchange ideas and explore potential partnerships during an informal networking reception.

This event will also give you the great opportunity to discover The Nucleus, the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Pharmaceutical Engineering & Manufacturing (CESPE) and the wider Tech Lane Ghent Science Park ecosystem, where research, entrepreneurship, and industry come together. Tech Lane Ghent Science Park is already home to a strong international community, including five Japanese companies alongside university research teams, international R&D centres, research institutes, and high-tech growth companies.

We look forward to welcoming you for an inspiring afternoon of new introductions, meaningful connections, and fresh opportunities.

Program

14:00	Registration & Welcome Coffee
14:30	Welcome words by Philippe Borremans, BJA Membership Committee Chair, and Petra De Sutter, Rector, Ghent University
14:40	Guided tour of The Nucleus & the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Pharmaceutical Engineering & Manufacturing
	(CESPE), including a view of the pharmaceutical clean rooms by Christoph Portier, Business Developer Science
	Parks, UGent Science Parks
15:30	Meet Our Newest BJA Members
	Elisabeth Velle, External affairs and community building, Ghent University TechTransfer Office, UGent Science Parks
	Mikael Shamim, CEO, and Josh Deweerd, Business Development Manager, Helicus
	Daisuke Sugimoto, Business Development Manager, and Stan Niesen, Commercial Director, STVV
	Pierre Masai, President, and Haiyan Bai, COO, Lean Institute Belgium
	Murat Aydin, Co-Founder & CEO, and Bert Van Aerschot, Co-Founder, Excellence Squad (XSQ)
	Simon Van Kerckhoven, Chief Commercial Officer, K. Beerschot V.A.
16:00	Meet, Connect & Discover – Networking Reception
17:00	Closing

Venue

Tech Lane Ghent Science Park - Campus Eiland Zwijnaarde
Suzanne Tassierstraat 11 - 9052 Ghent

Participation Fees

BJA Members: 25 €
Non-members: 75 €

Please make your reservation latest by 19 October 2026. Registration may be closed before this date once it is full.
Registrations are made automatically upon completion of the online form, on a first come, first served basis with limited capacity.
Cancellations are accepted until 21 October 2026. After this date, the fees will be charged and cannot be reimbursed.