UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN

Their core work

University of Antwerp is a broad-spectrum Belgian research university with particular depth in neuroscience and brain research, infectious disease diagnostics, advanced electron microscopy, and health economics. They operate major research groups contributing to flagship initiatives like the Human Brain Project while simultaneously running dozens of Marie Skłodowska-Curie training and fellowship programmes that attract early-career researchers across disciplines. Their applied work spans from developing new diagnostics for infectious diseases (ND4ID) to food safety analytics and environmental monitoring, making them a versatile research partner who can contribute both fundamental science and translational expertise.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2014–2018), Antwerp's research was anchored in computational neuroscience — simulation, high-performance computing, brain reconstruction, and neuromorphic computing dominated their keyword profile, driven largely by Human Brain Project involvement. Their metrology and electron microscopy work was also well-established early on. In the later period (2019–2022), there is a clear pivot toward health economics, open science, structural biology, and pandemic-related research (SARS-CoV-2, clinical research), reflecting both the university's response to COVID-19 and a broader shift from fundamental brain science toward translational health and policy-relevant research.

Antwerp is moving from computation-heavy fundamental science toward health policy, clinical translation, and open research practices — making them increasingly relevant for health system and public health partnerships.

How they like to work

With 81 coordinated projects out of 189 (43%), Antwerp is an unusually active project leader for a university — they don't just participate, they initiate and manage. Their 1,491 unique consortium partners across 68 countries indicate a hub-style network where they connect diverse groups rather than repeatedly working with the same few. The strong MSCA portfolio (63 fellowships and training networks) means they also function as a talent pipeline, hosting international researchers who later become collaboration bridges.

With 1,491 unique consortium partners spanning 68 countries, Antwerp maintains one of the wider collaboration networks among Belgian universities — reaching well beyond Europe into global partnerships. Their network density reflects both the large Human Brain Project consortia and a high volume of smaller MSCA-driven bilateral collaborations.

What sets them apart

Antwerp combines rare depth in electron microscopy and brain simulation with strong infectious disease diagnostics — a combination few European universities can match. Their exceptionally high coordination rate (43%) signals strong project management capacity and willingness to take the lead, which is valuable for consortium builders seeking a reliable coordinator. The university's dual strength in fundamental instrumentation science and translational health research makes them an effective bridge between physics-based measurement techniques and biomedical applications.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NSETHIO
  €2.2M ERC-scale grant coordinated by Antwerp on Nodding Syndrome — a rare transdisciplinary investigation combining tropical medicine, neurology, and epidemiology.
• HBP SGA1
  Part of the €1B Human Brain Project flagship, positioning Antwerp within Europe's largest neuroscience initiative with contributions to brain simulation and neuroinformatics.
• MindBendingGrammars
  €1.2M coordinated ERC grant on historical linguistics — demonstrates the university's breadth beyond STEM into ambitious humanities research.