Biotech company ZhenGe invests 1 million in Limburg

POM Limburg brings fifth player to Health Campus

Chinese-American company ZhenGe Biotech is opening a European branch for the first time, and it is doing so in Limburg. POM Limburg is bringing the company to the Health Campus in Diepenbeek. ZhenGe will invest one million euros there, and initially hire five people.

ZhenGe Biotech is a so-called CDMO (Contract Development Manufacturing Organisation), a company that provides services to more than 100 other pharma companies. Specifically, it is involved in the development and production of biologics. The fast-growing pharma player has offices in Shanghai, China, and Maryland, USA, and recently raised more than 90 million euros from a series of investors. In recent years, ZhenGe has mainly built expertise in various forms of biologics such as monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, which are essential for the treatment of various diseases. The company currently employs some 600 people.

EUR 1 million
ZhenGe Biotech had wanted to expand into Europe for some time, and now explicitly chose Limburg. The company will start its European branch on a small scale with about five employees, and initially wants to gain insight into the Belgian market mainly with a view to launching a new production unit. To this end, the company is investing one million euros in Limburg. CEO Jianxin Chen: "Belgium is in the heart of the European market, with access to all major economies and a highly skilled, language-savvy workforce. But the presence of our global partner Amador Bioscience is also an important driver. An expansion into that European market means a lot of growth potential for our company. We would therefore like to explicitly thank POM Limburg for the support and guidance we have received so far in setting up our Belgian branch." The agreement for the branch was signed at the BIO International Convention in San Diego, where POM Limburg joined the delegation of Flanders Investment & Trade and flanders.bio.

Strong ecosystem
ZhenGe's arrival fits within the ecosystem that POM Limburg is building on the Health Campus. Commissioner for Economy and chairman of POM Limburg Tom Vandeput: "Thanks to triggers such as the arrival of global player Amador Bioscience and the solid reputation of UHasselt in the field of biostatistics and biomedical science, already the fifth promising company confirms its establishment on campus, and the second international pharmaceutical player. These companies do not decide to do this lightly. The innovative environment we create, and the strong healthcare ecosystem we are building on the Health Campus, play a crucial role here. As a service pharmaceutical company, ZhenGe complements the ecosystem perfectly. Their arrival is yet another confirmation of the campus' position, in Flanders and beyond." In 2023, incubator BioVille is already expanding by 2000 m², further, POM Limburg is betting on the Health Campus to develop 15,000 m² additional operating area for the life sciences-sector by 2024.