Sep 01, 2025 
Dr. Jasper Van Hoorick, PhD, is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of BIO INX, a spin-off from Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel that specializes in advanced biomaterials and bio-inks for high-resolution 3D bioprinting and biofabrication. With a background in polymer chemistry, he earned recognition for his innovative work early on—receiving the Agoria award in 2014 for his master’s thesis in tissue engineering. His doctoral research, supported by an FWO grant, focused on developing biodegradable polymer materials for ocular tissue regeneration, especially through multiphoton lithography techniques, culminating in a summa cum laude PhD in 2019 and the prestigious Solvay award in 2020 . Since founding BIO INX in 2022, Jasper has driven the company’s mission to transform the field of regenerative medicine by bridging rigorous academic research with practical, real-world applications. Under his leadership, BIO INX has become a global player in 3D bioprinting, developing bio-inks that not only enable tissue printing at micrometer and nanometer resolution—but which also hold promise for replacing animal testing and, ultimately, printing functional organs. The company is already pioneering materials for Light-based cell-printing technologies so precise they can reproduce intricate tissue architectures, and is even collaborating on the development of artificial miniature hearts aimed at space-based aging studies. Which explains BIO INX’ slogan: ‘From Light to Life”. Jasper will be speaking at the upcoming event focusing on advanced biomaterials for 3D printed medtech and biotech.
When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing?
Jasper: My first encounter with 3D printing came during my master’s thesis at Ghent University in 2012, under the supervision of (then still post doc) Sandra Van Vlierberghe. I started with a simple commercial FDM printing system, and although it was still one of the early low-resolution machines at the dawn of affordable 3D printers, I was immediately struck by the freedom and potential the technology offered. Around that same time, I became deeply inspired by emerging publications on two-photon polymerization (2PP). By the end of my thesis, researchers at TU Wien—Peter Gruber, now CTO at Upnano, working under the guidance of Professor Aleksandr Ovsianikov—had already carried out initial printing tests with the material I developed, embedding it directly into one of the low-resolution scaffolds I had created at Ghent using the FDM printer. Witnessing the orders-of-magnitude difference between 2PP and FDM was a revelation, and it sparked a clear ambition in me: from that moment on, I knew I wanted to dedicate my research to developing biomaterials tailored for high-resolution, light based printing technologies.
What inspired you to start your journey?
Jasper: With my background in polymer chemistry, I found it incredibly fascinating that I could potentially contribute to the field of regenerative medicine. What fascinated me most was the promise of Biofabrication, or 3D bioprinting—the idea that one day we could bioprint patient-specific tissues to replace or regenerate human organs. Even more inspiring was the concept that the printed materials would gradually degrade as the new tissue grows, ultimately leaving behind a fully functional “OEM” donor tissue, without your body ever realising that a new ‘part’ was introduced.
Being passionate about classic cars myself, I always saw the analogy there. You can keep any car running indefinitely as long as you have the right original spare parts. This analogy to the human body always fueled my imagination: what if we could one day bioprint the spare parts needed to cure, or even improve, injuries and illnesses?
During my PhD, I realized that while academia is the perfect place to spark groundbreaking discoveries, it is less ideal for translating them to real clinical solutions. In my opinion, this requires commercialization. Therefore, towards the end of my doctoral journey, I sat down with colleagues to map out the best path forward to bring this technology closer to patients. Out of those conversations, the concept of BIO INX was born.
Who inspired you the most along this journey?
Jasper: My greatest mentor in this field has always been Sandra Van Vlierberghe, my master’s thesis supervisor, and later one of the promotors of my PhD research. She consistently demonstrated a results-driven mindset and managed to pass that mentality on to me. No challenge was ever too big in her eyes—she inspired me to always give 110% to every project. And whenever roadblocks appeared, she showed me that there are always alternative routes to success.
Another person who deeply influenced my journey is Professor Aleksandr Ovsianikov of TU Wien. I was fortunate not only to meet him at the end of my PhD, but also to perform a lot of my research in his lab throughout my doctoral research—and I still take every opportunity to stop by when I’m in Vienna. It was incredibly inspiring to witness the remarkable progress in multiphoton lithography over the past 13 years, due in no small part to the brilliant work of Peter Gruber (then a PhD student, now CTO of Upnano). I still vividly remember the night he printed an object that was visible to the naked eye for the first time—a small TU Wien logo just a few millimeters wide. The Z-resolution was still a bit rough and it took all night to complete, but seeing it on the printer the next morning was an exciting milestone. The fact that the same print job now takes only a few minutes is nothing short of astonishing.
What motivates you the most for your work?
Jasper: What excites me most is the impact this work can have—the chance to actively contribute to the world of tomorrow. With biofabrication, we are not only working toward breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, but also creating opportunities to revolutionize drug screening and advance animal-free testing. By developing a versatile platform technology such as bioinks, we can push the boundaries of science while making a meaningful difference for both human health and society.
What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Jasper: The technology is still in its early stages, with limited adoption outside the academic world. That is why it is essential to contribute by developing reproducible, easy-to-use materials that can make the field of biofabrication truly turnkey. Standardization and accessibility are always the keys to success for emerging technologies. With this in mind, we place great importance on collaborating with other stakeholders in the field—such as printer manufacturers and raw material suppliers like Rousselot—to ensure that our materials are not only standardized but also deliver high performance. By integrating seamlessly from raw material all the way to the final printed structure, we aim to help the technology mature into a reliable and widely adopted platform.
If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Jasper: The field of Biofabrication has reached its envisaged potential of helping people by regenerating damaged tissues.
That’s just like a car; one day, the body could also be kept in great shape thanks to the technology.
That BIO INX can play a pivotal role in this market adoption and contribute to the world of tomorrow.
What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advices you heard should they ignore?
Jasper: Always give it your all and go for it wholeheartedly. I often say: aim high—because even if you fall, you’ll have more time to recover before hitting the ground.
What’s your favorite book you read this year and why? Alternatively, what’s your favorite book of all times you read and why?
Jasper: My all-time favorite book is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley—a revolutionary novel for its time, and still profoundly relevant today. It explores the pursuit of science and the challenges society faces in adopting new discoveries, themes that continue to resonate strongly with me. The book also contains my favorite quote, which I chose as the opening line of my PhD manuscript because it so perfectly reflects my own passion for the natural sciences (or “natural philosophy,” as they were known in Shelley’s time—a fact that makes the title Doctor of Philosophy feel especially fitting):
“None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements of science. In other studies you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder.”
Related Links:
Interview with Janaina de Andréa Dernowsek – Quantis Biotechnology
Episode #83 Show Notes: Ceramics, Conferences, and the Future of 3D Printing With Craig Rosenblum
Interview with Dr. Brad Estes: 3D Woven Bone
Interview with Gurkaran (Karan) Chowdhry: Collagen Fibers for Bioprinting
Interview with Dr. Nicole Black: 3D-Printed Biomimetic Eardrum Grafts
Interview with Dr. Rao Bezwada: Absorbable Polymers for 3D Printing
Interview with Julien Barthes: Silicone 3D Printing
Interview with Craig Rosenblum: 3D Printing Post Processing
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