At first glance, technology and humanity do not seem to go hand in hand. Yet nowhere is their connection more evident than in cancer care. While cutting-edge technologies can save lives, people need far more than medical treatment before, during and after their cancer journey.
This is precisely where the Oncia Community Foundation steps in. The foundation brings together healthcare institutions, companies, and partner organisations to support people living with cancer, providing assistance that goes beyond medical treatment. It focuses on improving quality of life, addressing individual needs, and helping people find their way through life during and after the disease.
For KARL HUGO, this connection is particularly significant. We have spent many years manufacturing high-precision components and equipment for our customer IBA, which supports technologies used worldwide in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Our partnership with Oncia adds an important human dimension to this technological contribution.
During a conversation with Françoise Vamecq — founder and CEO of the Oncia Community Foundation, cancer patient advocate and director at IBA — and Bernd Hugo, managing director of KARL HUGO, one message became clear: today, true progress means much more than technological innovation alone.
When medical progress raises new questions
Cancer care has advanced tremendously over the past decade. Modern diagnostic methods and innovative therapies now make treatments possible that would have seemed unimaginable only a few years ago.
'We are becoming increasingly successful at saving lives. Now, we must also support people throughout their journey.'
Today, the challenge is not just about saving lives. It is equally important to support people throughout their cancer journey, during treatment and long afterwards. A diagnosis often marks the beginning of challenges that medical care alone cannot solve.
Putting people first
Integrative oncologist care has been designed to complement medical care. Nutritional counselling, physical activity, sleep management, stress management, yoga, support groups and community activities help patients and their families to regain confidence, wellbeing, and a better quality of life.
"Finding joy again during illness means improving quality of life."
Having experienced cancer herself, Françoise Vamecq brings a unique level of authenticity to her work. Yet her personal story is never the focus. Instead, she uses her experience to create sustainable structures that benefit as many people as possible.
From technology to community
The Oncia Community Foundation has its roots in IBA, a global leader in proton therapy and other technologies used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
However, with every technological breakthrough, one thing became increasingly clear: technology alone is not enough. After experiencing illness herself, Françoise Vamecq was given the opportunity to set up a foundation that combines medical excellence with compassionate human support.
This is precisely why our partnership with KARL HUGO feels so natural. As a long-standing partner of IBA, KARL HUGO contributes to technologies that help people around the world to fight cancer. The Oncia Community Foundation complements this technological progress by providing something that no machine ever could: human support and personal guidance.
Achieving more together
The name 'Oncia Community Foundation' encapsulates the organisation's core philosophy. Providing holistic support for people living with cancer requires collaboration.
Hospitals, companies, patient organisations, public institutions, private partners and volunteers all contribute their expertise. Together, they create a network that provides long-term support for patients and their families.
The Oncia Community Foundation serves as the connecting force within this network. It brings partners together, encourages the exchange of knowledge and experience, and creates the conditions needed to develop new support initiatives.
A key pillar of this approach is the Playbook developed by the Foundation. Compiling knowledge from existing cancer support centres, it covers everything from funding models and hospital partnerships to organisational structures and day-to-day operations. Consequently, new initiatives do not need to start from scratch, but can instead build on proven concepts and adapt them to their local circumstances.
Complementing, not replacing
In doing so, the foundation follows a clear principle: 'We don’t want to replace the hospital, but rather to meaningfully complement its work.'
International models such as Maggie’s in the United Kingdom and Kālida in Spain have been demonstrating for years the added value that such facilities can provide for those affected.
KARL HUGO's commitment
KARL HUGO has supported the Oncia Community Foundation since its very inception. This commitment goes far beyond financial support. The company actively contributes its network, experience, and expertise to the foundation’s development.
For Bernd Hugo, this commitment reflects a clear stance: 'Seeing how our work helps people gives our daily activities a deeper meaning.'
KARL HUGO has been collaborating with IBA for many years, manufacturing components and systems used worldwide in cancer diagnostics and therapy. Through Oncia, this collaboration takes on a new dimension: 'It’s no longer just a story about machines. It’s a story about people.'
As Françoise Vamecq puts it, Oncia creates 'very human connections in an industrial setting.'
A visible sign of this long-term commitment is Bernd Hugo’s appointment to the Board of Directors of the Oncia Community Foundation on June 6, 2026, through which KARL HUGO will contribute its expertise at the strategic level and actively support the foundation’s further development.
A Shared Vision
The opening of the Maison Mieux-Être in Charleroi marks the realisation of Belgium's first cancer support centre developed with the support of the Oncia Community Foundation. Further centres are planned and will be supported by an ever-growing network of companies, hospitals and partner organisations.
For KARL HUGO, this commitment reflects a broader understanding of corporate responsibility that goes beyond manufacturing itself.
Modern mechanical engineering can achieve far more than just precision and innovation. It creates technologies that save lives and, together with initiatives such as Oncia, ensures that people receive support throughout every stage of their journey.
Because true progress happens where technology and humanity come together.
