Dr. Thomas De Beer is an industrial pharmacist with deep expertise in continuous manufacturing of drug products. His PhD and postdoctoral research focused on pioneering PAT-driven innovations in pharmaceutical drug product manufacturing, with a particular emphasis on lyophilization. Since 2010, he has been Professor of Process Analytics & Technology at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ghent University.

Building on his groundbreaking work in continuous freeze-drying in collaboration with Jos Corver since 2012, he co-founded RheaVita in 2018, where he now serves as CEO. With an extensive track record in pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, Dr. De Beer is committed to revolutionizing lyophilization through RheaVita’s breakthrough technologies, seamlessly translating cutting-edge research into industrial practice.

Jos Corver’s technical background started in Aero- and Hydrodynamics with a special emphasis on rheology. During his career he developed technologically innovative solutions in various business environments such as printing & copying, semiconductor industry, automotive industry, and food processing. The last 25 years he devoted to primary packaging in pharmaceutical industry and more specifically to freeze-drying. In 2018 he co-founded RheaVita to further develop a continuous lyophilization technology.

With extensive experience in pharmaceutical engineering, he is committed to designing and building transformational freeze-drying machinery for the pharmaceutical industry.

Patrick Baeyens obtained various degrees in strategic financial management and reporting. He has experience in the technology, logistics and healthcare sectors. Most recently he managed the financial planning and analysis for Karo Healthcare. In 2022 he won the “Buy-out company of the year” award from the BVA (Belgian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association).

With extensive experience in financial leadership roles, he is committed to driving the financial health of RheaVita, ensuring stable growth.

Dr. Alain Segers holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Brussels. He began his career with Baxter as Principal Scientist. Later he was active in executive business roles and built commercial organizations for Baxter, SangStat Medical (now Sanofi), Gambro BCT (now Terumo), and Cerus. Throughout his career as consultant and entrepreneur-in-residence he has served clients worldwide with commercial and strategic support.

With extensive experience in sales and marketing in the life science industry, he is committed to establishing the RheaLyo™ technology as a standard for high-value pharmaceuticals.

John van Veen is our System architect designing our aseptic manufacturing machines. John has a background in mechanical engineering  and over 30 years of experience in machine building for the pharmaceutical industry. He has worked with companies such as BOC Edwards Pharmaceutical Systems (today IMA), Inno4Life, and DEC Group, playing a key role in the development of a wide range of equipment including freeze dryers, loading systems, washing machines, filling and stoppering machines, and capping machines—all designed in line with sterile and aseptic principles, GMP requirements, and EU Annex 1 guidelines. In addition, he also developed a complete product line for the serialization of pharmaceutical packaging to comply to the Falsified Medicines Directives.

Joris holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Ghent University, where he specialized in continuous freeze-drying and process analytics. Passionate about bridging science and industry, he wants to accelerate the translation of novel pharmaceutical technologies into real-world applications.

In 2022, he joined RheaVita to apply his expertise in formulation and process development to help transform traditional lyophilization into a faster, more reliable, and scalable technology.

Joris works as a Process Specialist organizing and streamlining our R&D projects.

Laurens is a Process Specialist dedicated to developing and optimizing freeze-drying processes on our GMP-Flex lines. He obtained his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Ghent University and joined RheaVita in 2024.
With extensive expertise in process analytical technologies (PAT), formulation development, and process optimization for biopharmaceutical processes, Laurens focuses on creating robust and efficient freeze-drying solutions, particularly within the context of continuous freeze-drying, to ensure product quality, scalability, and regulatory compliance.

Mathieu brings a broad background in engineering, mechanics, and applied physics to support innovation in pharmaceutical technology. At RheaVita, he contributes to the development of continuous freeze-drying solutions by combining hands-on technical experience with system-level thinking, helping to translate complex ideas into robust, manufacturable technologies.
With experience across R&D, product development, and technology transfer, Mathieu has worked in both industrial and healthcare environments—always at the intersection of innovation, quality, and real-world application. x designs.
Earlier roles have involved setting up R&D labs, guiding multidisciplinary engineering teams, and supporting the scale-up of advanced technologies in both Europe and the US.
Mathieu holds a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Ghent and an MBA from Solvay Business School, combining deep technical insight with a solid understanding of business and strategy in high-tech environments.

Pieter-Jan Van Bockstal obtained his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ghent University (Belgium) in 2018, where he focused on the development of continuous and controlled freeze-drying technology. He continued this work as a Postdoctoral Researcher funded by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) in collaboration with RheaVita, implementing in-line process control in continuous freeze-drying. In 2020, he joined RheaVita as a Process Specialist, supporting the valorization and marketing of the technology through feasibility studies and scientific validation of equipment design. Currently, Pieter-Jan manages Internal Operations and the Quality Management System (QMS) at RheaVita, ensuring the delivery of services and equipment that meet the highest standards of quality and compliance.

Michel manages the daily operations for engineering, sub-contracting and servicing activities.

He oversees our installed base and serves as a liaison with our key partners.

Prior to RheaVita he supported many Life Science start-ups in maturing their business processes towards industrialization.

Together with her colleagues from Organise it, Iris provides high-level administrative and organizational support to the RheaVita team ensuring  seamless operations and efficient communication within the organization.

Iris holds a Master’s degree in Speech Therapy and Audiology. After working for two years as a medical representative, she transitioned into the administrative field. Over the years, she has built extensive experience across various sectors, including retail, construction, and the medical industry. She is proficient in providing administrative support as well as in optimizing processes and implementing new ones. She takes pride in contributing effectively, supporting others, and adding value to every organization she works with.