VIB's 86 research groups are thematically organized in 9 research centers. Thanks to close collaboration with the Flemish universities of UGent, KU Leuven, UAntwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and UHasselt, and a solid investment program, VIB combines the collective scientific expertise of all its research groups in one institute. The research results are translated through a proactive technology transfer into concrete applications for society, such as new diagnostics, medicines, treatment methods, and agricultural innovations. These applications are often developed by young start-up companies that originated from VIB or through collaboration with existing companies. In this way, additional employment is also created and VIB bridges the gap between research and entrepreneurship.