BDO sets course for €250 million in revenue with new Leuven office

Happy colleagues in Leuven
Leuven, 6 October 2026 – Belgian advisory and audit firm BDO is opening a new office in Leuven, in the Vander Elst building at the Vaartkom. The office is expected to grow into a team of 50 people over time. This is BDO’s sixth office opening in eight years and reinforces the firm’s ambition to reach €250 million in revenue in Belgium by 2029. 

Few regions in Belgium bring together as much knowledge within such a small radius as Leuven. KU Leuven, imec, UZ Leuven, VIB and EnergyVille are all located within a few kilometres of one another. The imec cluster alone accounts for more than 13,400 jobs, including 2,900 in spin-offs. Since 1972, KU Leuven has created 199 spin-offs of its own, ten of them in 2025, together accounting for more than 7,700 jobs. There is no shortage of research or innovative ideas. The real challenge is turning those ideas into businesses that can grow sustainably. A spin-off that invests in research for years before generating its first revenue has very different financial needs from an established SME. And when a company suddenly begins attracting international clients, questions around structure, IP protection or cybersecurity can arise sooner than expected. 

Four areas of expertise under one roof

The new Leuven office marks BDO Belgium’s sixth office opening in eight years. The advisory and audit firm already supports more than 450 businesses, with a strong presence in technology and life sciences. From its new office within Leuven’s ring road, BDO aims to support these businesses locally and across disciplines as they grow, bringing together Accountancy & Reporting, Audit, Tax & Legal and Advisory expertise under one roof. “Businesses in Leuven can grow from a spin-off into an international player in just a few years,” says Peter Van Laer, CEO of BDO Belgium. “With a local team that understands that pace of change, we want to make a real difference at exactly that point in their journey.” 

For BDO, the new office is also part of a broader growth strategy. By strengthening its local presence, the firm aims to reach €250 million in revenue in Belgium by 2029. 

Leuven’s leadership team

In Leuven, BDO is putting forward a four-person leadership team: Evi Eeckhout (Accountancy & Reporting), Dave Minnoy (Audit), Steven Cauwenberghs (Advisory) and Niels Smeulders (Tax & Legal). To build the wider team, BDO will actively recruit young talent from Leuven’s university and colleges. 

A spin-off or biotech company follows a very different financial path from a traditional SME. Years of research often come before the first revenue. Strong cash management and planning ahead for funding rounds are crucial.

Evi EeckhoutPartner Accountancy & Reporting

More and more entrepreneurs expect an audit partner to look beyond compliance and combine technology, innovation and personal advice. At BDO, I have the freedom to put that approach into practice.

Dave Minnoy, Partner Audit
Steven Cauwenberghs

Steven Cauwenberghs

Partner - Financial Advisory
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The real stress test often comes with the first major client, when governance and cybersecurity have not kept pace with the business. From our Leuven office, we want to help companies address those challenges early.

Steven CauwenberghsPartner Advisory

Family business owners today are thinking about growth and continuity at the same time. The challenge is to balance the business, family interests and private wealth.

Niels SmeuldersSenior Manager Tax & Legal