For VIB researchers
Scouting, stress-testing, and de-risking breakthrough research technologies for VIB
The VIB Tech Watch Core helps VIB researchers get earlier, safer access to new technologies. We scout, evaluate, and de-risk technologies before they become mainstream, so VIB scientists and core facilities can adopt the right tools at the right moment, with fewer surprises.
We sit upstream of most cores: while many core facilities operate validated technologies at scale, we operate where uncertainty is highest: early prototypes, immature platforms, and emerging methods.
Scouting and technology landscaping
We continuously scout the frontier: papers, patents, preprints, conferences, and industry signals. When we identify a promising technology, we place it in context through technology landscaping: what else exists, how platforms compare, what’s truly novel, and where the real trade-offs are.
Come to us if you want:
- An overview of emerging tools in a fast-moving domain
- A comparison of platforms and maturity levels
- Input for high-stakes technology choices (costly, complex, or immature tools)
Structured evaluations that minimize risk for labs
We design evaluations that are realistic and fair: real samples, real constraints, and clear expectations. Our goal is to compress timelines and lower the time and financial risk for researchers.
We often start with technical feasibility before inviting meaningful biological samples that push the platform’s limits. This protects researchers from wasting time and ensures that “success” actually translates to their use cases.
Multiple access routes
- Demos
Short, controlled access: a device comes in briefly, researchers test it on their samples, and it goes back to the company. - De-risking projects (PI-driven access)
Funded evaluation projects where VIB PIs apply to test a new device or method for de-risking purposes. - Adoption funding (lower-risk technologies)
Once a technology is commercialized, we can support adoption of tools that show promise and are expected to work reliably in most cases. - Proactive projects (Tech Watch evaluates first)
For early-stage technologies with broad applicability, we evaluate them ourselves first—reducing the burden on researchers. In a second phase, researchers can join with projects and samples once the groundwork is done.
Neutral guidance
We are not a vendor or an investor. We are technology enablers. That neutrality matters because it allows us to:
- provide candid feedback on performance and limitations
- pace communication so expectations match reality
- protect both researchers and companies from premature claims
A bridge into sustainable capability via core facilities
Tech Watch is embedded in the broader VIB Technologies ecosystem, which means we can quickly loop in the right core facilities and domain experts. If an evaluation is successful, we help translate it into sustained impact—often by supporting integration into a core facility, where the service model, training, and operational expertise can make the technology broadly accessible.
Tech Watch brings early evaluation and risk reduction, while core facilities bring implementation excellence. Together, this creates a clear pathway from “pilot” to “institute capability.”