International standing 

Ghent is a city of international standing. This is perhaps an immodest claim, but one that is easy to substantiate if you look at the number of different international events that take place in Ghent. The Ghent Film Festival for example, brings record numbers of cinema fanatics and movie lovers to the city every year. The Festival also includes the respected World Music Awards for best film music. The most impressive Belgian films are awarded the Jozef Plateau Prize.
Then there is the ‘Gentse Floraliën’, whose core business is flowers. This 5-yearly flower and plant show will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2010 – an event that will generate worldwide interest!

Sports

Sports fans are thrilled with the new sports arena, the ‘Topsporthal Vlaanderen’ where large international sports events take place on a regular basis. Cycling supporters return in their masses to the ‘Gentse Kuipke’ for the legendary ‘Zesdaagse’ – an event that never fails to generate a buzz.

City-trip of your dreams

Ghent is also a dream city-trip location, thanks to its wonderful mix of authentic (often Middle-Aged) monuments, modern museums and an atmosphere that is simply oozing with history.

Scientific center

Aside from all the fun things that Ghent has to offer, the city is also heavily occupied with building its reputation as a prominent scientific and research center. Not least because of the University of Ghent, which ranked among the top 10 most important universities in ‘The Scientist’. The scientific research that takes place at the various (university) hospitals is highly respected internationally.

Home of biotechnology 

Ghent is proud to be able to call itself the home of biotechnology, being the capital of ‘Flanders Biotech Valley’. More than 300 bio-technicians work at the campus Ardoyen in Zwijnaarde.  Thirteen centers of knowledge carry out research in different areas including Medicine, the Steel Sector, IT and Bio-energy.