Biotechnology Industry & Engagement Internship

Why join us?

Europe’s biotech landscape is evolving at pace, from synthetic biology start-ups to tech innovations with applications across medicine and defence. Our Biotech Team explores the intersection of technological advancement, policy, and safe innovation. As a CFG intern, you’ll help us map this dynamic ecosystem, build relationships with pioneering early- and mid-stage firms, and develop practical policy ideas for fostering safe, high-impact innovation across the continent. Your work will help to connect the dots between how biotech innovators are advancing the tech and their businesses, and how EU policy can support them in this mission.

You will make an impact by

Sector analysis

• Conduct structured desk research on European biotech clusters, investment trends, and emerging technologies.

• Track market signals (funding rounds, clinical milestones, defence procurement calls) to identify technologies with high transformative potential.

• Feed in to the team’s analysis and projects on the biotech sector 

Outreach & engagement

• Identify early- and growth-stage companies for outreach.

• Arrange intro calls, short surveys, and take part in events to surface their needs, bottlenecks, and risk-management practices.

• Maintain a living contact database and draft stakeholder snapshots for internal use.

Policy & strategy support

• Monitor EU innovation, science, and procurement initiatives (e.g. Horizon Europe, European Defence Fund, IPCEI).

• Analyse how regulatory and funding frameworks shape commercial pathways for novel biotech.

• Collaborate with colleagues to craft practical proposals that enable safe, societally beneficial deployment of new biotechnologies.

Your impact over six months: a set of targeted market analyses, a curated network of industry actors, and co-developed policy recommendations that strengthen Europe’s capacity for responsible biotech innovation. Be part of Europe’s biotech moment. 

What you will need to succeed in this role

Skills & attributes

1. Analytical mindset – comfortable extracting signals from company reports, databases, and policy documents; able to test information to distinguish hype from substance.
   
   
2. Research & synthesis – experience (academic or professional) in literature reviews, market landscaping, or comparable desk research.
   
   
3. Stakeholder engagement – ability to draft and engage with a range of audiences, prepare interview guides, and drawing insight from conversations with stakeholders.
   
   
4. Policy literacy – familiarity with (or eagerness to learn about) EU research, innovation, and procurement policy.
   
   
5. Clear writing – capable of turning complex findings into crisp 1–2-page summaries and slide decks for a range of audiences.
   
   
6. Self-direction & organisation – able to juggle multiple work streams, meet deadlines, and ask the right questions when priorities shift.

About our work environment

We are a young, dynamic organisation with a startup mentality. We value initiative and creative thinking. We provide mentorship and support, but also encourage team members to take ownership of projects, try new approaches, and learn through doing.

You’ll have support from CFGs experts in policy, science, tech and communications as well as access to a brilliant range of tools and our office in the heart of the European quarter.

The essentials

• Six-month paid placement. There is an option to start this assignment either at the start of Summer of 2025, or in September 2025, dependent on your circumstances. 
  
• Full-time, based in our Brussels office (hybrid working possible).
  
• Applicants must have the right to work in Belgium for the duration of the placement.
  
• You will be mentored by Faouzi Braza, Senior Biotechnology Officer.

How to apply

The attributes listed above represent our current thinking for the role. You can be a great candidate even if you don’t fit everything we’ve described above. You can also have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you – even if you’re on the fence – we encourage you to apply and tell us about yourself!

Please send your CV and fill out a couple of questions via https://stichtingicfg.bamboohr.com/careers/60. 

Deadline: 8/06/2025 17h. We look forward to meeting you!