IBA began its existence in 1986 as a spin-off of the Cyclotron Research Center of the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve (UCL), which produced its first cyclotron in 1947.
The objective was to exploit a unique expertise in particle accelerator technology to meet growing needs in the fields of medicine and industry.
While initially active in medical imaging, IBA quickly recognized the need to diversify. So, the company turned its attention to radiotherapy and developed cyclotrons able to treat numerous forms of cancer with a degree of precision and efficacy not possible before. Then, in 1992, IBA expanded activities into the industrial sector of Sterilization & Ionization by introducing the Rhodotron®, a new type of particle accelerator based on a patented concept of the French Atomic Energy Commission.
Funds raised on the Brussels stock market from an initial public offering in June 1998 enabled IBA to accelerate progress by internal growth and the acquisition of other companies, all offering technologies and services reinforcing or complementing IBA’s core competencies.
The company's registred office is located in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
