Leuven Mindgate: putting Leuven on the map as an expert in life sciences

With Leuven Mindgate, a brand-new initiative of the knowledge industry in Leuven is officially launched. By supporting existing initiatives and encouraging collaboration, Leuven Mindgate wants to enhance economic growth in the region. The long tradition of international high-tech business development in Leuven provides this latest project with three important fields to focus on: Health, High-Tech and Creativity.

Leuven is a city in Flanders located at only a stone’s throw from the capital of Europe, Brussels. With a population of 98 000 inhabitants and more than 50 000 students, it is a lively, fresh and young city. Leuven is the hometown of the renowned KU Leuven (catholic university of Leuven) and IMEC (innovative nanotechnology research centre) and most of their 140 spin-offs. The city also houses some 300 high-tech companies and the University Hospitals Leuven, which are among the most modern and well-equipped in Europe and still growing.

The encouraging business climate makes of Leuven the centre of an international, fast-growing and innovative region. The world’s leading anti-HIV drug, refined cochlear implants and Belgium having the highest number of clinical trials per capita in the world are only a few examples of our cutting-edge developments. In other words, Leuven is a real life science hub.

However, the competition of other European regions is increasing very rapidly and it was about time that we enforced our international position as an expert destination for health, high-tech and creativity. Several of our leading companies and research centres believe that the Leuven-based companies are too humble about their accomplishments. To be internationally successful we need to be proud of our products, show the world our groundbreaking developments and collaborate closely. Therefore, companies and researchers joined forces with the city of Leuven and developed the Leuven Mindgate brand. With this new economic development platform we intend to attract international funds and investors, but also top scientists and researchers.

Leuven already is a knowledge centre for health, high-tech and creativity. Leuven Mindgate is there to broadcast this message into the world and attracting conferences about health care and technology, welcoming delegations and organising missions are important components of its strategy. This is a great asset for the meeting industry as well as for the CVB. The groundbreaking research, the potential partnerships and the abundance of researchers in Leuven create the ideal setting for conferences and other business events in the (para)medical sector.

More information about Leuven Mindgate: www.leuvenmindgate.be

More information about organising meetings and conferences in Leuven: www.meetingleuven.be