BioRN Biotech Cluster Rhine-Neckar

Ready to Lead in Europe

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:32:00 +0200

Heidelberg (G) | Trends in German and European cluster policies and the success of and future challenges for the Biotech Cluster Rhine-Neckar (BioRN) were the focus of the second BioRN Annual Meeting. In addition, at the Heidelberg Print Media Academy, around 120 representatives from business, science and politics received updates on selected leading-edge cluster projects. The event was organized by the BioRN Cluster Management GmbH. In his welcoming speech, Heidelberg’s mayor Eckart Würzner stated: «The establishment of the leading-edge cluster Cell-based and Molecular Medicine here in 2008 was a tribute to the strategy of the city of Heidelberg and the metropolitan region. We expect that the focus on personalized medicine and cancer will have an effect similar to that of the BioRegio competition in the 1990s, and that a variety of innovative remedies, diagnostic tests and services will be generated.» Cluster expert Christian Ketels of the Harvard Business School in Boston gave an overview of trends in European cluster policies. In an afternoon panel discussion Christian Ketels, Georg Licht (Center for European Economic Research – ZEW) and Christian Tidona (BioRN Cluster Management) looked at success factors and the role of politics in the development of «world-class clusters». According to Christian Ketels, significant success factors are a harmonious environment, a common strategy, and an effective cluster management. «The dynamics in a cluster are also of vital importance», said Ketels. Georg Licht emphasized the urgent need for politicians to create attractive conditions for financing research and development, especially in small and medium-sized companies. A second round of discussion was composed of representatives from business and science. Friedrich Richter (Abbott GmbH & Co. KG), Manfred Baier (Roche Diagnostics GmbH), Andreas Trumpp (German Cancer Research Center – DKFZ) and Michael Deissner (Cytonet GmbH & Co. KG) commented on the question of how companies and public research facilities benefit from the leading-edge cluster. Manfred Baier pointed out that it is a must for high-tech companies to be located in a high-tech environment. Friedrich Richter listed the advantages for his company as being the attractive scientific network in the Rhine-Neckar region, the easier recruitment of top talents, and the opportunity to take part in shaping the BioRN cluster and its offers, for example in the further education of future scientific leaders. Andreas Trumpp sees the benefit of the leading-edge cluster for the DKFZ in the significantly improved communication between basic research, the clinic, and companies, from the beginning to the end of shared projects. According to Michael Deissner, a small enterprise benefits above all from the short distances to the top management of large companies. «Doors are opened, personal contacts are initiated, and it is easy to find the right dialogue partners», Deissner explained. For Manfred Baier, both more venture capital and government incentives to encourage business start-ups and spin-offs would be necessary to make a German biotech cluster like BioRN competitive internationally. According to Baier, the German biotech clusters still lack the critical mass to play a role among the world leaders. Friedrich Richter called for an improved technology transfer between academic research and industry. Cluster manager Christian Tidona was very pleased with the annual meeting. «Our conference has shown once again how here, at the BioRN Cluster, decision-makers from business, science and regional politics are pulling together. This is a prerequisite for the further development of our cluster towards a leading position in Europe». Press Release (PDF)

BioRN Advisory Board Takes up Work - Strategic orientation of BioRN Academy is topic of first session

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:06:00 +0200

The board advises the BioRN Cluster Management GmbH on important strategic questions concerning the further development of the BioRN Cluster as a location for personalized medicine and cancer. «As managing director of the BioRN cluster management, I look forward to the support of the advisory board. This top-class team will advise and assist us with professional expertise, from which the partners in the BioRN Cluster will also benefit», explained Christian Tidona.

The committee consists of the following representatives from the fields of economics, science and research:

Michael Deissner, Managing Director Cytonet GmbH & Co. KG, Weinheim, and member of the BioRN Supervisory Board

Dr. Bernhard Kirschbaum, Executive Vice President R & D, Member of the Merck Serono Executive Board, Darmstadt

Prof. Dr. Dieter Leonhard, president of Mannheim University of Applied Sciences

Prof. Dr. Stefan Meuer, Executive Director, Institute for Immunology, University of Heidelberg and chairman of the BioRN Supervisory Board

Dr. Friedrich Richter, Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Managing Director Abbott Ludwigshafen, Divisional Vice President, Drug Product Development

Thomas Schmid, Speaker of the Board, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim

Dr. Jürgen Schwiezer, former CEO, Diagnostics Division, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland, and member of the BioRN Supervisory Boar

Prof. Dr. Hanns H. Seidler, Chairman of the Executive Board, Center for Science & Research Management, Speyer

«The thematic focus of the BioRN Cluster lies on personalized medicine and cancer, which are among the biggest issues in medical biotechnology. As a member of the BioRN Advisory Board, I would therefore like to support the development of the Biotech location in the best possible way», said Prof. Dr. Stefan Meuer, executive director of the Institute for Immunology at Heidelberg University and chairman of the BioRegion Rhine-Neckar Association.

The main topic of the advisory board´s first meeting was the strategic orientation of the BioRN Academy and thus the further training of life-science talents to qualify as top executives. As the board is composed of decision-makers from the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industries in the BioRN Cluster, the orientation of the BioRN Academy will be closely aligned with companies' needs. Thus the demand that the further qualification of life scientists have a strong practical relevance is taken into account.

Press Release (PDF)

BioRN Cluster cuts a fine figure at the BIO International Convention in Chicago

Mon, 10 May 2010 16:28:00 +0200

Chicago (USA) | Visitors to the BioRN booth learned about the services offered by the BioRN Cluster Management. Above all, the web-based software, which is presently being developed within one of the collaborative leading-edge cluster projects in cooperation with Meditcon, attracted great interest. The software facilitates the planning, steering and control of complex project environments. It is being developed as an instrument for the management of high-tech clusters but is also designed for the management of complex scientific projects in individual enterprises. With its «technology scouting service» the Cluster Management supports cooperation between cluster partners and external enterprises. Additionally, the Cluster Management provides support in the search for new office and laboratory spaces in the BioRN Cluster region. In particular, the new «Campus II», which is presently being built close to Heidelberg´s central railway station, will offer options for construction projects and rental properties. The establishment of new biotech companies will contribute to the further development of the BioRN Cluster. With its thematic focus on personalized medicine and cancer, the Cluster aims to occupy a leading position in European biotechnology. >> Press Release (PDF)

BioRN Website in a New Look

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:01:00 +0200

Heidelberg (G) | A new look, extended contents, additional functions: the new website of the Rhine-Neckar Biotechnology Cluster (BioRN) went online on April 27th. In optics, contents, and technology the web presence of the leading-edge cluster has been completely updated.

Video and Photo Impressions

Among others the new portal offers its users information on the structure of the BioRN Cluster, the leading-edge cluster projects and the around 100 strong partners from business, science and politics, that are united under the BioRN umbrella. Press releases, video and photo material testify to the liveliness of the location.
In the «BioRN Services» section biotech companies find information on services offered by the BioRN Cluster Management: apart from the placing of laboratory and office spaces, it offers talent and technology scouting by order of biotech companies. A press service supports smaller companies in their PR work.
The new website is designed as a portal and will offer registered users access to the services. In the future, companies and high tech clusters will be able to use a web based project management tool for planning, steering and control of complex projects. At present the tool is already used in the BioRN Leading-Edge Cluster.

Online Presence Brings the Region closer to Europe

The bilingual website is directed at current and potential cluster partners as well as interested individuals. With the new website the BioRN Cluster Management contributes towards the continuous development of the network within the BioRN Cluster, the improvement of knowledge transfer and the location´s opening to the international biotech industry. By 2013 the cluster wants to have sharpened its profile as a high tech location in the field of medical biotechnology and take on a leadership role within Europe.
The main focus of the BioRN Cluster lies on personalized medicine in the field of cancer. In 2008 BioRN was the only life science cluster that was awarded in the Leading-Edge Cluster Competition of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
The website´s editorial support is provided by the BioRN Cluster Management. The company is located in Heidelberg´s Technology Park and is responsible for coordination, development and marketing of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region as a biotech center. It is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
The layout of the website was designed by the advertising agency Stockhorn (Worms) and Meditcon (Heidelberg) was responsible for the technical implementation.

BioRN Cluster Management and Meditcon present a web-based tool for project management and reporting at BIO International Convention

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:59:00 +0200

Heidelberg/Chicago (G/USA) | The web-based and scalable solution will provide high-tech cluster or single companies with an easy-to-use application for the management of complex research projects. The suite focuses on the core needs of the different project partners: of scientists, project managers, finance controllers, and cluster managers.

Four modules serve different functions

The web-based application facilitates the networking and communication between project partners at different geographic locations in complex and dispersed project environments. All functionalities are logically assigned to four modules: projects, networking, knowledge and services.

The module «Project» offers detailed project planning, managing and reporting of projects and combines efficiently the needs for both, project managers and financial controllers: Each work package, task and milestone can be directly assigned to its costs. Everyone, from researcher to the financial controller, has access to the specific information. Actions and developments can easily be reported with one mouse click.

One-to-One Meetings are the key to success in the initiation of collaborations and business deals. Using the «Networking» module one-to-one meetings between cluster partners can be easily initiated and organized in a direct and uncomplicated manner.

The »Knowledge« module enables cluster managers to generate a graphical overview of the geographical composition of a cluster. New cluster partners can be added at any time. Cluster metrics such as area of cluster, density of cluster, information about cluster partners are generated automatically and listed in the legend providing an overview at a glance. A «survey function» enables the cluster manager to invite companies to participate in online surveys for cluster benchmarking. Results can be transferred directly into graphs and reports. Companies can present their core competences, facilities, collaborations and scientific interests.

The «Services» module offers several business services, which a cluster management or coordinator provides to the partners, including press releases or lab and office space management.

Application-oriented development within the BioRN cluster

The Biotech Cluster Rhine-Neckar (BioRN) is home to 60 SMEs with 1700 employees, three global companies with 17 500 employees, and several scientific institutions that are specialized in personalized medicine and cancer research. The BioRN Cluster Management GmbH is charged with the coordination, integration, development and marketing of the Biotech Cluster. In addition to these functions, BioRN Cluster Management is involved in the challenging software project within the so-called German leading-edge cluster: The development of a web-based project and cluster management suite. The idea to initiate a joint project together with Meditcon GmbH especially on this topic arose, due to the lack of available applications tailored to the needs of partners in complex and/or dispersed project environments.

From the start of the leading-egde cluster initiative and during all stages of the development process the software has been implemented into the cluster partners reporting and management activities. Its early and constant usage guaranteed a perpetual adoption of the software to the user´s needs and finally brought the software to a stage of high usability and convenience. It supports all phases of complex cluster and project management, including planning and evaluation. The new application for the first time offers a direct link from project management to finance controlling.

The web-based solution will be offered to high-tech clusters and to companies by the BioRN Cluster Management GmbH and by Meditcon GmbH from autumn 2010. >> Press Release (PDF)

BioRN Cluster Management presents its new service »Floor‐Space Management« at the BIO International Convention in Chicago

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:48:00 +0200

Chicago (USA) | The Biotechnology Cluster Rhine‐Neckar (BioRN) will appear at the BIO International Convention in Chicago, May 3-6, 2010. At booth 5812 the BioRN Cluster Management GmbH from Heidelberg, Germany, will present their new service «Floor‐Space Management».

The cluster management assists biotech companies in finding high‐quality spaces to rent at the biotech location in the Rhine‐Neckar metropolitan region, including laboratory and office spaces in Heidelberg, Mannheim and Ludwigshafen. A milestone in the region´s development as the no. 1 biotech location in Germany is the construction of the new «Campus II» in Heidelberg. This new area is being built within walking distance of Heidelberg's central railway station, close to the wellestablished life science campus «Neuenheimer Feld», and offers companies rental spaces starting at 3230 sq ft. By the end of 2011, a total of 215 278 sq ft of laboratory space adaptable to individual needs will be constructed. In addition, Campus II will supply an infrastructure of apartments, shops, restaurants and kindergartens. The ground‐breaking ceremony is scheduled for May.

Biotech companies can benefit from the region´s very good infrastructure. The educational and research institutes with a focus on personalized medicine and cancer, together with 540 000 sq ft of laboratory and office space at the Technology Park Heidelberg, offer biotech companies outstanding working conditions: concentrated specialist know‐how, close interaction between business and science, short distances, and internationality. Today, about 60 small and medium‐sized enterprises with approximately 1700 employees and three global companies with around 17 500 employees are represented in the BioRN Cluster.

The BioRN Cluster Management GmbH is charged with the coordination and marketing of the BioRN Cluster. By 2013 the cluster aims to sharpen its profile as a high‐tech location in the field of medical biotechnology and to occupy a leading position within Europe. >> Press Release (PDF)

Searching for Partnerships in the BioRN Cluster

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:55:00 +0100

Heidelberg (G) | «Build Your Innovation Base in BioBay!» This was the invitation presented to the biotech companies with whom the representatives of the Chinese industrial park Suzhou BioBay met for talks about possible future partnerships during their visit to the BioRN Cluster on March 15. Cluster Manager Christian Tidona and Ronghui Gao, Business Development Manager of the BioBay Park, had initiated the meeting, thus offering the companies of the BioRN Leading-Edge Cluster a platform for personal discussions. Besides the biotech companies Sygnis and Apogenix, Merck Serono and Roche Diagnostics, among others, used the opportunity to present their enterprises to the Chinese group. Manfred Baier, managing director of Roche Applied Science, was positive about the result: «China is extremely important as a market and as a source of technologies. We have to use every chance we get to understand their scientific and economic landscape. Therefore, we welcome the activities of the BioRN Cluster Management as a way for us to establish contact with leading institutions in China.» In contrast to many other Chinese clusters, the BioBay management is very professional and internationally oriented. The biopark is searching above all for in-licensing possibilities for the Chinese market, including the fields of cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. At the same time, they are trying to gain customers for their local service providers, e.g., for clinical research organizations. BioBay, a rapidly growing biopark, is situated in the Suzhou Industrial Park, about a 2-hour drive by car from Shanghai. More than 120 early-stage companies have located there in the past 2 years. The Chinese government’s increased investment in innovations is also reflected by the 168 000-square yard biotech- and nanotech-incubator which was built in 2007 on the grounds of the biopark. >> Press Release (PDF)

BioRN Leading-Edge Cluster Presents its Achievements at the BMBF Cluster Conference

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Berlin (G) | «New Paths in Innovation and Cluster Policy», with this welcoming speech on February 25, Federal Minister Annette Schavan opened the 2010 Cluster Conference, to which the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) had invited representatives of the German leading-edge clusters as well as top-class participants from politics, business and science. The BMBF took a new direction when it initiated the first Leading-Edge Cluster Competition in 2008 and awarded prizes to the five best-performing high-tech clusters in Germany. The Rhine-Neckar Biotechnology Cluster (BioRN) was one of the winners of the first round and at the same time the first German leading-edge cluster in the field of Life Sciences. The winners of the second round received their awards on February 25, 2010, and the BMBF took this occasion to present the winners of the first and the second round to the public together, thus encouraging dialogue and exchange among the former contestants. Arend Oetker, President of the German Science Foundation (Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft) and member of the jury for the Leading-Edge Cluster Competition, held a panel discussion with representatives of the 2008 leading-edge clusters on the challenge of leading a cluster over the long term to a top position internationally. With a current press release from the global biotech company Octapharma, Dr. Christian Tidona, Managing Director of the BioRN Cluster Management, demonstrated how the BioRN Cluster strategy of concentrating on economic growth and settlement of companies is already bearing fruit: Octapharma´s research affiliate Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals announced on February 12 that they have decided to move to Heidelberg and to invest more than 20 million euros in a new research center.

At the BioRN Cluster Management info booth participants had the opportunity to learn about the activities and achievements of the BioRN Leading-Edge Cluster. There visitors received, among other things, the newly released annual report of the Biotech Cluster for 2009. >> Press Release (PDF)

Knowledge Transfer in the BioRN Top Cluster, the National Center for Tumor Diseases Opens for Joint Projects with Partners in Industry

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:26:00 +0100

Heidelberg (G) | The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Heidelberg University Hospital, the Thorax Clinic of Heidelberg University Hospitals, and the German Cancer Aid Society (Deutsche Krebshilfe e.V.) are the sponsors of the NCT, which began as an oncological center of excellence in Heidelberg in 2003. The center unites clinical patient care and oncological research under one roof, a concept that supports a holistic view and care of cancer patients. Christof von Kalle, speaker of the NCT board stated: «This concept should by all means include the industry. Many of the good ideas that are available as therapeutics today come from industry, and this cross-fertilization of academic and industrial research is of extraordinary importance to our field of work.» Biobanking as the basis for scientific projects Peter Schirmacher, managing director of the Institute of Pathology at Heidelberg University Hospital, calls the NCT-affiliated tissue bank that has been accredited since 2009 »one of the most active tissue banks in Europe. «Not only do we know the type of tissue; we also have information comprising lifestyle data and family analysis», says Schirmacher about the approximately 12 000 cryopreserved tissues in the biobank. This presents companies with the ideal conditions for scientifically interesting projects with comprehensive and well-characterized collectives. With regard to the importance of the NCT for the Biotechnology Cluster Rhine-Neckar (BioRN), cluster manager Christian Tidona said: «The National Center for Tumor Diseases is highly significant for our cluster. About 5000 scientists and medical doctors work on the issue of cancer for the NCT-supporting organizations here on the Heidelberg campus, covering every step from the test tube to the patient. This is unique in Europe. It is our goal to bring these outstanding results of research together with the companies in our region, thus enabling the results to be transformed into marketable products.» Taking one step closer to this goal, both parties elaborated common requirement profiles during a workshop to establish a basis for faster and more efficient cooperation between the NCT and the biotech companies in the future. >> Pressrelease (PDF)

Science Minister Frankenberg Inaugurates the BioRN Academy in Mannheim

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:25:00 +0100

Heidelberg/Mannheim (G) | On December 7 the BioRN Academy was opened with an official ceremony at the MAFINEX Technology Centre in Mannheim. This marks the beginning of a project, unique within Germany, for the further qualification of life scientists as managers for the biotech industry. Partners in the project are the Graduate School Rhine-Neckar, Graf & Associate, Roche Diagnostics and the SRH University of Applied Sciences Heidelberg. »With this network for further education the biotechnology region offers yet another attractive feature. Scientifically demanding and practical education is an important factor that contributes to continual stimulation of the regional economy,« said Baden-Württemberg´s Minister of Science Prof. Dr. Peter Frankenberg. Dr. Peter Kurz, Lord Mayor of Mannheim, and Thomas Schmid, speaker of the board at Roche Diagnostics, cut the red ribbon to symbolize the opening. Guests of honour at the ceremony were, among others, the vice chancellor of Heidelberg University, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Eitel, the vice chancellor of Mannheim University, Prof. Dr. Dieter Leonhard and the vice chancellor of the SRH University of Applied Sciences Heidelberg, Prof. Dr. Jörg M. Winterberg.

Collaborative Project of the BioRN Leading Edge Cluster

The BioRN Academy is a collaborative project of the BioRN Leading Edge Cluster »Cell-based & Molecular Medicine«, which is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project partners have been active since the beginning of 2009, designing various modules for the further education of top talents to become highly qualified executives in the biotech industry. A distinguishing feature of the BioRN Academy´s program is the close interaction between economy and science. It offers participants a practice-oriented training that has been developed especially for the biotech industry and is, as such, unique in Germany. Beyond this, the BioRN Academy facilitates access to the network of the BioRN Cluster and hence the establishment of contacts between graduates and potential employers in the region. Companies that are seeking staff for management positions or are interested in promoting the further education of their own employees will also profit from the BioRN Academy. The program includes a full-time master study course (Master of Business in Life Sciences, SRH University of Applied Sciences, Heidelberg), a part-time MBA course (MBA Life Science, Graduate School Rhine-Neckar), and management and leadership training as well as social skills seminars. For entrepreneurs of biotech start-ups there will also be special courses and coaching programs (Graf & Associate). The Career Development Center (CDC) for identifying and counselling top talents is the central module. Following a pilot phase of the CDC in June, the first training modules will begin in the autumn of 2010.

Coordination by the BioRN Academy Association

The BioRN Academy´s training modules will henceforth be coordinated by the recently founded BioRN Academy Association. In addition to the project partners, its founding members are Mannheim University, the BioRN Cluster Management and the Rhine-Neckar BioRegion. Their common goal with the BioRN Academy is to create an instrument that will coordinate and market the field of training and further education according to the special needs of the biotech companies in the BioRN Cluster beyond the founding phase. Association headquarters are at the MAFINEX Technology Centre. At present, the BioRN Cluster Management GmbH in Heidelberg is coordinating the collaborative project. The Lord Mayor of Mannheim, Dr. Peter Kurz, welcomed the arrival of the BioRN Academy: »As the home of the BioRN Academy, Mannheim will become a highly visible part of the BioRN Leading Edge Cluster. This beacon is excellently suited to our new politico-economic strategy, with which we want to involve Mannheim more strongly in the fields of expertise of the metropolitan region.«

>> Press Release (PDF)