54 | 2025 GIGA Annual Report BUSINESS In 2024, Liège’s life sciences ecosystem continued to gain momentum, drawing increased interest from companies in the sector. A key factor behind this appeal lies in the advanced technological platforms housed within the GIGA. These core facilities play a central role in the ecosystem, providing businesses with direct access to high-end equipment and specialized know-how—an ideal environment for fostering both innovation and partnership. Bridge 2 Health (B2H) oversees the management of available spaces for companies, ensuring seamless coordination among stakeholders. Its mission is to offer personalized support adapted to the specific needs of each company throughout their growth journey. Over the past year, B2H facilitated six visits of the platforms. One company has moved into GIGA+3, while four others are currently in discussion. These visits showcased the exceptional potential of GIGA’s infrastructure, further strengthening Liège’s position as a hub for life sciences, both in Belgium and beyond. CONTACT B2H Amel Tounsi contact@b2h.be Bridge to Health NEW COMPANY HEPHAISTOS PHARMA French company Hephaistos Pharma, which specializes in molecules designed to boost immunotherapies, has decided to locate part of its development activities in Liège in 2024. Hephaistos Pharma specializes in molecules designed to boost immunotherapies. Founded in 2018, Hephaistos Pharma is working on a new generation of biological oncology treatments based on stimulating patients’ immune systems. It has developed an innovative platform whose flagship product boosts patients’ immune cells, as it were, thereby enhancing the efficacy of many immunotherapies, but also offering a therapeutic solution for incurable cancers, such as osteosarcoma. Hephaistos Pharma was founded by Martine and Frédéric Caroff. The former is Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), while the latter heads the company (CEO). The start-up already had two sites, one in Paris, the other in Lyon. It chose Liège to set up in Belgium, and more specifically the GIGA tower, in direct contact with our research center and the university hospital. https://hephaistos-pharma.fr/
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