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The Department of Plant Systems Biology, and the VIB as a whole, have a long standing tradition of converting basic science into successful industrial entities: Plant Genetic Systems (now Bayer Cropscience), CropDesign (now BASF Plant Science), Devgen and more recently SoluCel.
Today, these companies together with our department form the largest European Plant Biotechnology campus, employing approximately 670 persons dedicated to plant biotechnology. The bulk of this workforce has been established because of the department's outstanding scientific achievements and its remarkable ability to identify opportunities for building on scientific results for the exploration of industrial applications. The Department has ongoing collaborations with each of these companies on campus. |
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 The Bayer plant biotechnology innovation center, part of the Bayer Cropscience, is located in Ghent, Belgium. It is the largest and most modern research facility of Bayer's business group for developing plant biotechnology and seed products. Together with other BioScience research sites in France, the Netherlands, Germany and numerous development sites around the world, Bayer's Ghent site develops plant-based solutions for agriculture, nutrition, health and biomaterials.
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 CropDesign is a biotechnology company delivering traits for the global seed market and for plant-based products. CropDesign uses its proprietary TraitMill™ platform to discover genetic traits for the improvement of corn, rice, and other plants. Founded in 1998, CropDesign employs approximately 80 people at its research facilities in Gent, Belgium and has an extensive network of research and commercial partners. CropDesign was acquired in 2006 by BASF as part of the research company BASF Plant Science. |
 Devgen is a biotechnology company focused in part on developing and commercializing a novel generation of biotech and chemical solutions for crop protection. Each of these solutions is developed on a platform of in-house designed R&D programs and technologies. Devgen's core technology edge includes powerful RNAi tools to discover pest control and human drug targets, proprietary solutions for compound screening of targets, and proprietary RNAi-based, protein-based and chemistry-based platforms to generate crop protection traits and human drug candidates. |
 SoluCel offers proprietary technology via research contracts for the development cost-effective and reliable production of plant-based molecules. SoluCel also offers tools to explore the potential of plant cell cultures to synthesize entirely novel lead molecules. Its technology is based on genome-wide identification and functional analysis of genes involved in the production of molecules in plant cell and tissue cultures. SoluCel possesses the largest collection of novel and known gene sequences isolated from medicinal plants and is the world leader in the field of plant secondary metabolite profiling. |
 VIB's bio-incubator is a fully licensed, up-to-date building available for housing R&D driven life sciences companies. Their origin can vary from start-ups, spin-offs from existing companies or fast-growing young companies with quick expansion need to divisions of foreign companies.
VIB’s bio-incubator is a multi-user area including meeting room, reception area, canteen, kitchen and lavatories. It also offers fully licenced laboratory and office facilities with flexible renting terms. Units are available on an individual basis, each unit consisting of laboratories, conform biosafety class 2 activities and easily upgradable to biosafety class 3 activities, offices, incubator and cold room, separated air purifier and drainage of water, and internet connection. |
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Tech transfer 
