NESI is a public-private partnership between the University of Antwerp and the private sector. An Executive Secretariat coordinates and implements agreed-upon activities for the network. The Executive Secretariat is based at the Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp, Belgium.

The Executive Secretariat reports to the Oversight Committee, which advises on the network’s strategy and budget allocations, and reviews its outcomes. The Oversight Committee is composed of representatives from the public-private partnership, as well as representatives from partner universities and international health organisations and alliances.