Strongest year yet: €12 million awarded in VLAIO project funding

Last year, VLAIO approved 10 projects that applied for funding via Biovia, involving seven companies, four hospitals, three research institutes and seven universities & colleges, for a total of €12,192,080. Biovia actively guided the consortia through every step of the process, from fine-tuning the initial idea to submission of the full proposal. 

Biovia’s 2026.1 project call is under way. Our second project call of the year will be announced this summer. Check out these 10 approved projects for inspiration to develop your own consortium and apply for project funding that offers a solution for the future of healthcare!

The 10 approved projects 

Alga-Care

Consortium: ILVO / UAntwerp / VUB
Grant type: Intercluster cSBO with Blue Cluster
Grant amount: €2,026,113
Alga-Care is focused on the untapped potential of microalgae. The bioactive compounds found in microalgae are screened, selected and characterized, then applied as nutraceuticals to prevent liver diseases, specifically metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic and alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD). This project strives to bridge the gap between marine biotechnology and medical application and innovation.

CareAIgent

Recipient: PXL University College
Grant type: TETRA
Grant amount: €431,517
CareAIgent aims to relieve caregivers of time-consuming administrative tasks by implementing AI technologies—such as Large Language Models (LLMs) —in the healthcare sector. The project provides practical solutions, such as an implementation framework specifically tailored to the needs of the care sector, to lower both technical and organizational barriers. For tech companies, the project offers the opportunity to validate and adapt existing AI solutions. CareAIgent disseminates specialized market knowledge for AI products, increases their visibility in healthcare and offers both the healthcare and IT sectors opportunities for knowledge exchange and co-creation.

ELEVATE

Consortium: VUB / UAntwerp
Grant type: cSBO
Grant amount: €2,099,438
The goal of ELEVATE is to advance dynamic assessment capabilities of musculoskeletal (MSK) structures in order to enhance diagnostics, surgical planning and the design of assistive technologies. By leveraging AI-driven modelling and multi-dimensional reconstruction, the project aims to transform affordable/low-dimensional measurement data—such as X-rays and surface scans—into high-definition and dynamic 3D/4D models of limbs and joints. ELEVATE will lay the groundwork for enhanced personalized care and patient-specific interventions across multiple fields where detailed anatomical and kinimatic insights are essential.

GET REHDY

Consortium: VITO / imec / KU Leuven / UHasselt
Grant type: COOCK+
Grant amount: €998,332
The European Health Data Space (EHDS) was developed to strengthen cross-border data exchange and stimulate the data economy. GET REHDY supports Flemish health data holders and users in becoming EHDS-ready—specifically for the secondary use of health data—based on a data product approach. It will provide practical tools, guidelines and training to prepare healthcare actors—from data holders to data users, from legal experts to patient organizations—for the secondary use of health data under the EHDS and to help them recognize the potential for innovative use of health data.

IMSAD

Consortium: LTSM Systems / UZA / Voxdale
Grant type: Development Project
Grant amount: €173,155
The IMSAD project focuses on developing and clinically validating a next-generation sleep apnea monitor that enables accurate level-three sleep studies to be performed at home. The project aims to eliminate common issues like sensor misplacement and cable disconnection while capturing key medical data such as airflow, SpO₂, respiratory effort and heart rate. By combining expertise in medtech design, flexible electronics and clinical sleep diagnostics, IMSAD supports more accessible, patient-friendly sleep monitoring and contributes to innovation in home-based medical diagnostics.

Map4Plastics

Consortium: UGent / UAntwerp / VITO
Grant type: Intercluster COOCK+ with Catalisti & VIL
Grant amount: €999,933
Map4Plastics aims to reduce plastic waste by collecting quantitative data on quantities, composition and recyclability of plastics, identifying remaining knowledge gaps and proposing possible solutions. The results should contribute to lowering the barriers for industry to develop feasible circular pathways.

MDB-4-IBD

Consortium: Inovigate / Sentigrate / Imelda Hospital
Grant type: Research Project
Grant amount: €652,671
This project aims to evaluate how well a set of clinically relevant digital biomarkers—covering movement, stress, sleep and nutrition—can inform and predict outcomes in IBD. These biomarkers are continuously monitored in patients in a passive, non-intrusive manner. The development of an analytical framework and predictive models will allow IBD specialists to quickly identify patients with increased risk factors. Personalized early interventions will result in prevention of disease escalation and early mucosal healing, thereby avoiding surgery or other expensive treatments.

RESSURG

Consortium: imec / KU Leuven / VUB
Grant type: cSBO
Grant amount: €2,044,766
RESSURG aims to create scientifically advanced phantoms that are anatomically and biomechanically realistic, equipped with enhanced monitoring and capable of autonomously repairing damage. This allows them to be reused in repeated surgical training, improving both their economic and ecological value while supporting better health outcomes.

REVIVE

Consortium: 4Tissue / Novadip Biosciences / Idevax / UZ Gent / CHU Liège
Grant type: R&D Project (Joint funding with BioWin)
Grant amount: €1,754,195
Chronic wounds such as ulcers have a profound impact on quality of life as well as on clinical and economic outcomes. In line with an aging population, the number of patients suffering from chronic wounds is steadily growing. The REVIVE project seeks to combine the advantages of stem-cell derived active biomolecules and natural biomaterials with skin drug delivery devices. The objective is to identify an allogeneic and highly reproducible hydrogel with significant tissue repair capabilities. REVIVE is the first project approved as part of a strategic partnership between Biovia and BioWin.

ZIMPACT

Consortium: Thomas More Kempen / imec / VITO Health
Grant type: COOCK+
Grant amount: €999,973
ZIMPACT aims to make AI in healthcare more person-centered, accessible and effective by sharing knowledge with companies and healthcare organizations on the methodologies and tools needed to develop and implement AI technologies. The focus is specifically on voice-controlled technology, virtual assistants and smart planning tools for more efficient healthcare processes, as well as data-driven applications and wearables for self-management and self-monitoring. Currently, the range of tools, methodologies and support available is fragmented and difficult to access for technology developers and healthcare organizations. This project aims to provide a structural solution to this problem.