Leuven Innovation Day

Prof. Dr. Theo Meert Ph.D, Ph.D has a strong expertise in the development of healthcare solutions in the pharmaceutical , Medtech and consumer sector with additional focus on collaborations and non-diluted funding opportunities.

After > 40 years of activity and retirement from Janssen Pharmaceutica / J&J, and being professor at the universities of Leuven, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels and Hasselt, he is still active as a consultant and collaborator/scientific advisor at different universities and engaged in an advisory role for various companies/start-ups and research teams.

During his career at J&J, Dr. Meert has been appointed to multiple international global functions, guiding different multidisciplinary research teams in the field of CNS (Psychiatry – Addiction – Pain -Neurology/ Alzheimer) covering the complete drug discovery process from early drug candidate selection, POC , full development, licensing and marketing.

Dr. Meert had constructed an extensive network with scientific, clinical, governmental and NGO organizations WW. Besides Pharmaceuticals, his field of expertise and collaborations expanded to medical devices, health technologies, consumer products and some supply chain/engineering capabilities. As such he has an excellent oversight of global healthcare. He has also built an external global network of external partnership initiatives (PPP’s) and was instrumental in various novel external innovation and non-diluted funding models.

Dr. Meert’s scientific expertise is reflected in multiple patents (>15), publications (> 250), congress communications (> 200) and invited lectures (>200). Dr. Meert obtained a Ph.D. in psychopharmacology in Experimental Psychology at the University of Brussels (1986) and a Ph.D. in Medicine/Anesthesiology at the University of Antwerp (1994).

Dr. Çağatay Aydın Ph.D is the head of the Neurophysiology Expertise Unit at the Center for Neuroscience Leuven. He received his bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering from Işık University and his master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Boğaziçi University. He completed his doctorate in the cognitive and molecular neuroscience track at KU Leuven University in Belgium in 2019.

His main areas of interest are designing and developing next-generation neural implants and interpreting complex data generated by artificial intelligence to understand how fundamental neuronal networks shape our behavior.

With an international consortium, he developed high-resolution neural implants and produced new prostheses that will enable months of high-resolution data collection in test animals. These studies have been published in prestigious journals such as Nature and Science. His ultimate aim is to implement personalized brain therapies with the devices he develops in the future.

Peira Scientific Instruments is dedicated to solving researchers’ problems by providing customized instruments, integrated research systems, expert technical laboratory services, and custom mechatronic engineering from rapid prototyping to full system integration. The company further supports innovation with OEM engineering and manufacturing solutions for medical technologies, including orthopedics, optometry, and diagnostics.

Visit Peira Scientific Instruments for practical, hands-on solutions that remove daily bottlenecks in the lab—from specialized instruments and integrated research systems to expert technical support. You’ll discover how our custom mechatronic engineering, rapid prototyping, and OEM development capabilities can help you accelerate experiments, improve data reliability, and turn innovative ideas into working systems faster than ever.

Sopachem distributes innovative life science products and lab automation solutions in the Benelux, with a strong focus on sample management, traceability, biostorage, liquid handling and workflow improvement.

Visit Sopachem at the Leuven Innovation Day to discover how traceability, automation, liquid handling and sustainable labware can come together in one integrated workflow to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and support more sustainable lab operations. Come and see for yourself that sustainability and sophistication are not mutually exclusive

Optimus Instruments provides high-quality laboratory equipment and process solutions for R&D, laboratory, and production environments. Their offerings include temperature control systems, glass and high-pressure reactors, distillation and evaporation equipment, oil testing solutions and much more… 

Techman Robot, distributed by Valk Welding, delivers advanced collaborative robot (cobot) solutions tailored for scientific research and laboratory automation. These compact, AI-enhanced cobots are designed to operate safely alongside human researchers, offering intelligent features that streamline and elevate lab workflows:

• AI-driven visual guidance for accurate sample handling and equipment positioning.
• Real-time defect detection and quality monitoring during experimental procedures.
• Automated inspection, sorting, and palletizing using integrated 3D vision systems.

In collaboration with Peira Scientific Instruments, Valk Welding is bringing the benefits of Techman cobots to laboratories across Belgium. This collaboration empowers research facilities with flexible, space-efficient, and automated solutions that enhance throughput, reduce manual workload, and support continuous operation—ideal for labs aiming to improve reproducibility, efficiency, and scalability in their scientific processes. into broader welding automation systems, enabling flexible, space-efficient, and unmanned production workflows. This approach enhances productivity, reduces reliance on manual labor, and supports 24/7 operation—making it ideal for industries facing labor shortages or seeking higher consistency in welding quality

Toolsquare.io combines physical access control with integrated time registration, giving your organization complete visibility into and control over equipment usage.

Users must scan their employee badge to unlock a device. Every interaction is logged, feeding online dashboards that surface transparent, real-time usage data across your entire fleet. The result: data-driven decisions on investments, maintenance, and general policy, grounded in facts rather than assumptions.

All costs, whether direct, indirect, or hidden, become visible and manageable. Dashboards generate a complete TCO analysis, helping you identify costs you didn’t know you had.

Inside the lab, user accountability increases significantly. That translates into smoother operations: less breakage, easier issue reporting, and lower downtime. Over time, it elevates the overall lab culture. Meanwhile, integrated booking and administrative automation free up valuable time so your team can focus on what actually matters.

Toolsquare brings the operational stability your finance team has always been looking for.

Akkodis supports the life science and healthcare sector with digital, engineering, and automation solutions that accelerate innovation. Their expertise spans medical device development, robotics and automation, IoT sensor technology, AI‑driven data analytics, and interoperable IT systems, helping organizations enhance R&D efficiency, ensure regulatory compliance, and modernize clinical and manufacturing operations