Antwerp Management School (AMS) and BDO Belgium today announce a strategic partnership for the next three years. Through this collaboration, both organizations aim to strengthen their impact within the entrepreneurship and scale-up ecosystem, with a strong focus on knowledge sharing, innovation and talent development.

Mutual benefit and ecosystem impact

With this partnership, AMS and BDO seek to make a structural contribution to the growth and professionalization of the Belgian scale-up ecosystem. By combining academic expertise with hands-on practical experience, both partners aim to build strong thought leadership and offer relevant insights to entrepreneurs, scale-ups and the wider business community.

Young BDO talents will be given the opportunity to actively participate in AMS research projects and programs, accelerating their development and increasing their visibility within the innovation ecosystem.

Steven De Haes, Dean of Antwerp Management School:
“Thanks to our collaboration with BDO, we can combine academic insights and practical expertise to strengthen the scale-up landscape in Belgium. This partnership is an important step towards a future in which entrepreneurship and innovation take center stage.”

Dave Vanhaute, Partner Deal & Valuation Advisory at BDO Belgium:
“In AMS, we find a partner that shares our ambition: to strengthen entrepreneurship, help talent grow and further develop the scale-up ecosystem. In this way, we help entrepreneurs accelerate, make innovation tangible and connect talent with the companies that are driving our economy forward.”

Prof. Dr. Robin De Cock, Associate Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Antwerp Management School:
“With this collaboration, we want not only to better understand the scale-up journey, but also to make it tangible for entrepreneurs. Together with BDO, we will map the complexity of growth, financing and innovation, so that with new insights and practical tools we can support the next generation of Belgian scale-ups. This is how we build an ecosystem in which entrepreneurship can truly flourish.”

With BDO’s entry into the Corporate Membership Network of Antwerp Management School, the network is once again strengthened by a leading player. As a corporate partner, BDO joins organizations such as the City of Antwerp, SD Worx, Aquafin and Xplus in an open network committed to knowledge sharing and innovation.

About Antwerp Management School

For more than 65 years, Antwerp Management School (AMS) has focused on creating value for organizations and businesses through its emphasis on the sustainable transformation of individuals, teams and organizations in a global context. With its high-quality management education and research, the school provides a strong impulse for economic and socio-social activities in Belgium and far beyond.

Some 70 faculty members inspire 900 students annually in our Master’s, PhD and executive programs. In addition, we welcome 3,000 professionals in B2B solutions and events each year. The school is renowned for its personal approach, which is highly valued by its more than 26,000 alumni across 96 countries.

More information about Antwerp Management School can be found at www.antwerpmanagementschool.be.

About BDO

BDO Belgium is an internationally active advisory firm with a strong reputation in financial services (Audit & Assurance, Tax & Legal, Accounting & Reporting) and complementary specialised advisory services to support clients in achieving future-proof digital and sustainable growth (Advisory). This includes support in strategic exercises, digital transformation, process optimisation, change and sustainability trajectories, sustainable finance, financial advisory, mergers & acquisitions and risk management.

BDO advises and supports a broad client base of large international companies, (family-owned) SMEs and private individuals.

The BDO approach is personal, hands-on, pragmatic, results-driven and fully tailored to the client’s needs. Companies always have a single direct point of contact at one of BDO’s local offices.

In Belgium, BDO employs more than 1,000 partners and staff across the country. BDO Belgium operates from 14 offices (Arlon, Antwerp, Antwerp-North, Mons, Brussels Airport, Brussels City Centre, Tournai, Ghent, Hasselt, La Hulpe, Liège, Mouscron, Namur-Charleroi and Roeselare) and is supported by a strong international network with more than 115,000 partners and staff active in 166 countries.