Jo Bury

Dr. Jo Bury has a Master’s degree in Pharmacy and is PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (University of Gent). He obtained an MBA degree at the Vlerick School for Management in Gent. After performing scientific research in the field of atherosclerosis during several years, he has made a career in science policy. He previously held the post of Operational Director of VLAB (Flanders’ Action Programme on Biotechnology) and science advisor at federal and regional granting bodies (IWONL-IRSIA, IWT). He is the director and founder of VIB (Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie) and member of the European Innovation Council (EIC). Under his leadership, VIB has become one of the leading life sciences institutes in Europe. VIB is widely recognized as an established and world-leading knowledge center in life sciences and biotechnology with an excellent reputation in technology transfer. The unique combination of strategic basic research and a clear focus on innovation & business is one of the major contributors to its success. VIB actively develops technology platforms and asset portfolios as a basis for starting up new biotech companies in the close proximity of its research centers. These companies employ about 1.000 employees in Flanders. In 2015 VIB was co-founder of the VIB-linked venture capital fund V-BIO (76 M€). Moreover, due to an innovative biotech ecosystem, foreign biotech companies are attracted to the biotech cluster in Flanders employing another 800 employees in Flanders. VIB pro-actively communicates about life science research and its biotechnology applications to a wide audience in Flanders and beyond.