Last December, the UCL inaugurated new clean rooms for micro and nano-production and christened them WINFAB (Wallonia Infrastructure Nano FABrication). This infrastructure, built at the cost of 3 million euros, was co-financed by the university and the Walloon Region as part of the NANOTIC Programme of excellence. This programme is aimed at achieving convergence, in terms of applied research on nano-technologies, telecommunications, and medical diagnostics. A recently created MEMS chair appointed to promote micro-systems and to develop innovative sensors and actuators, also participated in this new adventure.

more information

In 2006, the Brussels Region set up ‘booster programmes’ in order to fund interuniversity research projects – over a period of 3 years, and renewable for 3 years – which offer the potential of developing into a business opportunity in the medium-term. These projects are based on specific themes that are of interest to the Region and predefined by the latter (ICT in 2006, health in 2007, environment in 2008).

The NATHYPOX project, co-ordinated by Professor O. Feron, Associate Professor and Head of Research of the National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS) at the pharmacotherapy laboratory (FATH) at the UCL, is one of the two projects co-ordinated by the UCL, the latter having obtained funding within the framework of the Brussels-based booster programme focused on health: 4 researchers and 1 technician will be funded for a period of 3 years as part of this programme.

more information

Three fundamental questions of law are now pending before the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the EPO, all three are in the area of Life Sciences.

more information

Capitalising on research by creating spin-off businesses has really taken off at the Catholic University of Louvain over the last 10 years. Each year, on average 3 spin-off companies are born from the UCL research laboratories, in sectors varying from IT, telecommunications, nano-technologies, bio-technologies, renewable energy, or the environment. This is thanks to support programmes being put in place by the regional authorities to assist start-up spin-off companies.

more information

Cissoid was founded in 2000 by three engineers - Laurent Demeûs, Pierre Delatte and Vincent Dessard – together with their thesis promoter, Denis Flandre, Professor in microelectronics at UCL.

This spin-off, which benefits from over 20 years research at UCL in the area of Silicon on Insulator, specializes in development and sales of electronic components meant for extreme temperatures, from -200°C to +300°C. Amongst other applications, Cissoid’s components are embedded in Oil&Gas drilling equipment as deep as 3000 meters, in electronic control for aircraft engines and breaks, or in automotive engines. High Technology and prestigious customers in Oil&Gas and Aerospace markets.

more information

Founded in 1904 by the Hamon brothers, the family company got a worldwide reputation in cooling towers for industrial waters. At that time, those cooling towers – the one in Drogenbos is an example – were mainly used by coal mines and steel mills. In the ‘90s, Hamon diversified its activities and became a major player in air pollution control through its Hamon Research-Cottrell subsidiaries. In dedusting, they sell (among others) electrostatic precipitators whose principle was invented by Professor Cottrell in 1907. On top of those two activities, Hamon also builds industrial chimneys – up to 300 meter tall – and heat exchangers. The group main customers are power plants and the oil & gas industry.

more information

The "Little Breakfast Meetings" of Sopartec were born in December 2007. The purpose of these meetings is to promote reconciliation between the people involved in the process of upgrading academic research and create synergies within the project spin-off from the UCL by the establishment of a platform for informal contacts. The success of "Little Breakfast Meetings" shows a need to exchange ideas and experiences to build on them.

Its history is absolutely subjective, but objective in its creation and in its evolution. The company’s background history, as one can well imagine, was far from being plain sailing. Even if in 2008 IBA is indeed the world leader in each of its four activities (radio-pharmacy for medical imaging, particle laser treatment, dosimetry, sterilisation and ionisation), this is due to the perseverance of the strong core team (Yves JONGEN, Pierre MOTTET and Eric de LAMOTTE) and the will to bring a project to fruition, which, 22 years later, looks nothing like the original.

more information