What UZ Gent does

UZ Gent (Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent) is a Belgian public university hospital affiliated with Ghent University (Universiteit Gent) under the special decree of June 26, 1991. Founded in 1959 and headquartered at C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, it operates as one of Belgium's largest academic medical centers, delivering tertiary and quaternary healthcare, conducting clinical research, and providing medical education across all major specialties. In 2024, the hospital recorded 622,000 consultations, 278,000 patient days, 40,200 surgical procedures, 14,000 surgical day-hospital interventions, and 736 robot-assisted procedures, with children's services delivered through Kinderziekenhuis Prinses Elisabeth (874 unique admissions, 262 secondary transfers). Academic scale is significant: 491 professors, 322 assistant academic staff, 654 scientific staff, 10,584 medical and health sciences students, and 121 doctorates awarded in 2024.

The hospital runs an advanced technology stack including PET-CT (GE Omni Legend), two Siemens Vida 3T MRI scanners and an upgraded 1.5T Siemens SolaFit, a TrueBeam linear accelerator, a HiRise Cone Beam CT scanner (Benelux-first), a VivaScope 3000 confocal microscope for skin cancer diagnosis, NAO.VNS vagus nerve neurostimulation, TricValve transcatheter heart valves, a tongue nerve stimulator for sleep apnea, the RYSEN rehabilitation device, and a UV-C disinfection robot (Robot SAM). Distribution spans the Ghent main campus, the Oosterzele satellite clinic, co-located autism and eating disorder programs at AZ Jan Palfijn, and a CEVAC vaccine research satellite at AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, with a radiotherapy association alongside AZ Sint-Lucas forming Belgium's second-largest radiotherapy center (7 linear accelerators, 15 radiation oncologists, ~3,500 treatments/year). Project U, a multi-year campus redevelopment with completion targeted for end-2029, includes the 62-meter Nobel I innovation tower, The Core research hub, a new radiotherapy wing with five bunkers, and an 1,818-space parking facility.

Revenue is dominated by Riziv/RIZIV-funded healthcare services under the Belgian national health insurance, supplemented by clinical study fees from pharmaceutical sponsors (CEVAC runs 6-8 international vaccine studies annually), medical education fees, GMP-compliant pharmaceutical preparation services, and donations from funds such as Kom op tegen Kanker and Kinderkankerfonds. Patient payments consist of Riziv-covered standard tariffs from conventioned physicians plus supplemental fees from non-conventioned physicians. The hospital holds official designations including Belgian lymphedema convention center, Flemish S2 interventional stroke center, WAO Center of Excellence, and Qualicor Europe quality certification, securing preferential reimbursement and referral pathways.

Name

UZ Gent

Legal name

Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent

Website

https://uzgent.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

UZ Gent is a Belgian public university hospital affiliated with Ghent University, delivering tertiary and quaternary care across all specialties with 622,000 annual consultations, robot-assisted surgery, advanced imaging, and Belgium's second-largest radiotherapy center, funded primarily through national health insurance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Hospital Services

NAICS

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (622110)

SIC

Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Hospitals (8060)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Regional General Hospitals (HLAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ambulatory Specialty Clinics (Multi-Specialty & Single-Specialty) (HLAFABAA)

Keywords

• University hospital services
• Tertiary medical care
• Clinical research
• Medical imaging diagnostics
• Radiotherapy treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Services (Riziv-funded): Hospital services are primarily funded through the Belgian national health insurance system (Riziv/RIZIV). Patients are reimbursed for covered medical services, with conventioned physicians billing standard rates and non-conventioned physicians charging additional fees.
2. Clinical Studies and Drug Research: UZ Gent conducts 6-8 international vaccine studies per year (CEVAC) and numerous other clinical trials in partnership with pharmaceutical companies. Revenue is generated through GMP-compliant drug preparation and clinical study services.
3. Medical Education and Training: As a university hospital affiliated with UGent, UZ Gent provides medical education and training services for students, researchers, and healthcare professionals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UZ Gent is the university hospital of Ghent University, providing comprehensive tertiary and quaternary healthcare across all medical specialties. It offers in-patient care (278,000 patient days in 2024), outpatient consultations (622,000 in 2024), surgical procedures (40,200 in 2024, including 736 robot-assisted), and specialized services such as radiotherapy, medical imaging, rehabilitation, and clinical research including vaccine studies (CEVAC). It also serves as a teaching hospital for 10,584 medical students.

Product overview

UZ Gent is een universitair ziekenhuis dat een uitgebreid portfolio aan medische diensten en zorgfaciliteiten biedt. Het ziekenhuis omvat het Kinderziekenhuis Prinses Elisabeth voor kindergeneeskunde, gespecialiseerde centra zoals de Downpoli, Pijnkliniek, en CEVAC (Centrum voor vaccinologie), evenals geavanceerde medische beeldvorming, radiotherapie, en revalidatiediensten. Het ziekenhuis beschikt over innovatieve infrastructuur zoals Project U (ziekenhuis van de toekomst), Nobel I (innovatiehub), en The Core (onderzoekshub), en biedt poliklinische zorg in Oosterzele.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kinderziekenhuis Prinses Elisabeth (Princess Elisabeth Children's Hospital)
• CEVAC (Centrum voor Vaccinologie / Center for Vaccinology)
• Referentiecentrum Autismespectrumstoornissen (Autism Spectrum Disorders Reference Center)
• Dagcentrum voor jongeren met een eetstoornis (Day Center for Young People with Eating Disorders)
• Pijnkliniek UZ Gent (Pain Clinic)
• Downpoli UZ Gent (Down Syndrome Clinic)
• Radiotherapie-oncologie (Radiotherapy-oncology)
• Medische beeldvorming en radiologie (Medical Imaging and Radiology)
• Robotgeassisteerde chirurgie (Robot-assisted Surgery)
• Polikliniek Oosterzele (Oosterzele Outpatient Clinic)

Quantifiable outcome

• 736 robot-assisted surgical procedures performed in 2024
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature13 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AZ Sint-Jan BruggeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024In November 2024, CEVAC (Center for Vaccinology at UZ Gent) opened a satellite location in the house doctor on-call post of AZ Sint-Jan Brugge to attract more participants from the West Flanders region for vaccine clinical trials. The opening coincided with the start of a new phase 3 study for a candidate influenza vaccine.
• AZ Sint-LucascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024On June 1, 2024, UZ Gent and AZ Sint-Lucas established a hospital association for their Radiotherapy-oncology departments. Patients can access radiotherapy treatments at both campuses. With 7 radiotherapy machines, 15 radiation oncologists, and ~3,500 treatments per year, the association forms the second largest radiotherapy center in Belgium. They share quality standards, invest jointly in new equipment, and conduct collaborative scientific research.
• AZ Jan PalfijncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Starting April 1, 2024, the Reference Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (Kinder- en jeugdpsychiatrie UZ Gent) relocated to a renovated unit at AZ Jan Palfijn. Care continues to be provided by UZ Gent physicians, psychologists, and speech therapists. The first day center in East and West Flanders for 12-15 year olds with eating disorders opened at the same campus in late 2024, with UZ Gent psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and social workers providing care alongside AZ Jan Palfijn pediatricians and dietitians.
• Odisee HogeschoolminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024UZ Gent collaborates with Odisee hogeschool to provide practical lessons for students in Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy, bringing them into contact with the latest developments and techniques.
• Cliniques universitaires Saint-LucminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Neurosurgeons from UZ Gent and Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc performed the first implantation of the new NAO.VNS neurostimulation system (by Synergia Medical) in an epilepsy patient. This opto-electronic technology converts electricity to light for improved vagus nerve stimulation.
• UGent Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024As the university hospital affiliated with UGent, UZ Gent provides clinical training for medical students, collaborates on research, and contributes to the academic mission. The partnership includes 491 professors, 322 assistant academic staff, 654 scientific staff (incl. doctoral researchers), and 10,584 students.
• Ziekenhuisnetwerk Gent (ZNG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Hospital network including UZ Gent, AZ Sint-Lucas Gent, AZ Jan Palfijn, and AZ Oudenaarde. Organized an inspiration day for internal trainers in technical professional education with ~150 participants from member hospitals.
• UGent, Stad Gent, imeccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partners in the Gezondheidsmonitor (Health Monitor) study following 20,000 Ghent residents aged 45+ for 20 years to map health status and advance preventive healthcare. Partners contribute expertise in medicine, public health, and technology (imec).
• Vlaanderen CirculairminorOthers · 1 January 2024Flemish circular economy organization subsidizing UZ Gent's pilot project replacing disposable bibs with reusable cloth bibs on geriatric wards as part of sustainability initiatives.
• B-fast (Belgian First Aid and Support Team)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Eight UZ Gent staff members deployed with B-fast's medical emergency team to Turkey following devastating earthquakes in March 2023. They provided medical aid from the Belgian field hospital in Kirikha, helping relieve pressure on Turkish hospitals.
• ZorgSaam Zorggroep Zeeuws-VlaanderenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202320-year partnership celebrated in July with a symposium 'Over muren en grenzen heen, juist voor behoud van zorg dichtbij' (Over walls and borders, precisely for maintaining care nearby).
• vzw Unichir / Reginald MoreelsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Head physician Frank Vermassen visited the medical-surgical unit in Beni (East Congo) opened in June 2023 under the leadership of humanitarian surgeon Reginald Moreels and his vzw Unichir. He donated 22 beds, an operating table, surgical materials, and monitoring equipment on behalf of UZ Gent.
• vzw Revive GambiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023UZ Gent nurses traveled to Gambia with vzw Revive on a surgical mission at the end of 2023. At Bansang Hospital, they performed 49 operations, mainly thyroid surgeries and hernia repairs, on patients without access to specialized medical care.
• Kom op tegen KankerminorOthersCancer research fund providing financial support for studies including the test improving treatment for children with acute lymphatic leukemia developed at UZ Gent.
• KinderkankerfondsminorOthersChildren's Cancer Fund providing financial support for pediatric oncology research and care at UZ Gent, including funding for the Children's Hospital Prinses Elisabeth.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UZ Leuven: UZ Leuven is the largest Belgian university hospital (KU Leuven) and operates as a tertiary/quaternary academic medical center with comparable scope, research intensity, and patient mix; it is UZ Gent's principal national peer and most direct competitor for complex referrals and clinical talent.
• UZ Brussel: UZ Brussel is the university hospital of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and operates as an academic medical center offering tertiary care, research, and teaching in the Brussels region. It is a direct peer to UZ Gent as a Belgian university hospital with comparable teaching/research model.
• Hôpital Erasme (ULB): Erasme is the university hospital of Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), delivering tertiary care and clinical research in Brussels. It is a direct peer comparable to UZ Gent in scope, public-hospital status, and academic mission.
• Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc: Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc is the university hospital of UCLouvain and a direct peer as a Belgian academic medical center. UZ Gent partnered with them on the first NAO.VNS neurostimulation implant, underscoring direct comparability in tertiary referral services and innovation trials.
• CHU de Liège: CHU de Liège is a major Belgian university hospital providing tertiary care, research, and medical training in the Wallonia region. It is a direct peer to UZ Gent in the Belgian academic hospital landscape.
• Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen (UZA): UZA is the university hospital of the University of Antwerp, providing tertiary care, research, and medical training. It is a direct peer competing with UZ Gent for Flemish patient referrals, research grants, and specialist talent.

Regional players

• Radboudumc: Radboudumc is a Dutch academic medical center (Radboud University) operating across the Belgian-Dutch border. It is a regional peer comparable to UZ Gent in academic-hospital model and serves cross-border patients from the same Zeeland Flanders region.
• Maastricht UMC+: Maastricht UMC+ is the academic hospital of Maastricht University, located in the Euregio near Belgian Flanders. It is a regional peer with comparable academic-hospital operating model and overlapping cross-border catchment with UZ Gent.

Broad incumbents

• AZ Jan Palfijn: AZ Jan Palfijn is a regional hospital in Ghent hosting UZ Gent's autism reference center and eating-disorder day center. It is a broad incumbent peer in the same city, providing general hospital services while UZ Gent occupies the quaternary/academic niche.
• AZ Sint-Lucas Gent: AZ Sint-Lucas Gent is a regional hospital in Ghent and UZ Gent's partner in the radiotherapy-oncology association (7 linacs, 15 radiation oncologists, ~3,500 treatments/yr). It is a broad incumbent peer offering overlapping general hospital services in the same city but specializing less in tertiary/quaternary care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/uzgent.be
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbdtqD-70TWAf0cFWpIA6YQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/uzgent
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uz-gent
• Instagraminstagram.com/uzgent

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UZ Gent