Heidelberg, 19.05.2020. More than 100 biotech and (bio)pharmaceutical founders, entrepreneurs and scientists join traditional presentation of the EY German Biotech Report, co-hosted by BioRN, Technologiepark Heidelberg GmbH and BioM Biotech Cluster Development GmbH.
Siegfried Bialojan (Executive Director, Life Science Center Mannheim) described how the EY innovation equation that so far regarded good ideas, entrepreneurial spirit, and availability of capital as driving forces, might have to be reconsidered. “Money isn’t the problem in Germany,” says Dr. Bialojan, “rather it is the unbalanced allocation of capital to sectors with lower risk profiles like mobility and digital. Therefore, reducing the risk of academic ideas suitable for industry and commercial assets through professional translation is key, both for entrepreneurs and hopefully also investors.”
The EY Biotech Report features the BioLabs Heidelberg Project, among other translational models. BioLabs, the premier life-sciences and biotech co-working company founded in Cambridge (Mass., USA in 2010) operates co-working labs in key life science clusters in the US, making it the most successful life-sciences operator in the USA.
Johannes Frühauf, President and Founder of LabCentral and BioLabs considers Heidelberg as one of the prime European locations to open a site, and is as part of its expansion strategy. Commenting on the possibility of opening a new Heidelberg facility, Dr. Frühauf, said, “We are excited to join with BioRN in exploring in this extraordinary location and to welcome new scientists into the BioLabs network. Like all our facilities, we anticipate that the site will be designed to stimulate creative interaction and collaboration. We are focused on helping change the way life-science companies are created: startups can go further and faster on limited investment capital, enabling a potentially shorter path from proof-of-concept to commercialization – or a faster failure and an easier pivot for the entrepreneur to pursue his or her next great idea.”
BioRN is an active and key innovation hub in the Rhine-Neckar region and supports the region’s strong life science network.
“Among a variety of international translation support concepts, BioLabs/LabCentral was the most convincing. With its focus on the entrepreneur and long-standing fertile industry connections, the BioLabs model is well positioned to amplify the enormous potential of the region” said Julia Schaft (BioRN Managing Director) during the presentation of the project. “We are currently seeing concrete progress in establishing the first European BioLabs in Heidelberg.”
BioRN is actively working with BioLabs on adapting its US site planning and business model to the German research and biotech environment. Several sponsors and tenant start-up companies have already expressed their strong interest in a BioLabs Heidelberg site.
About BioRN
BioRN is the science and industry cluster of the Rhine-Main-Neckar region around Heidelberg, one of Germany’s strongest biotech hubs. It is a non-profit network fostering health innovations and serving its members by creating a rich translational ecosystem as well as promoting, representing, and connecting the regional innovation stakeholders. Our vision is to develop the region into a world-leading life science cluster attracting international investments and top global talent.
BioRN has about 100 institutional members, including several top academic and research institutions, 7 pharmaceutical companies, a large range of small and medium-sized enterprises bolstering the life science ecosystem as well as local government organizations and interest groups.
About BioLabs
BioLabs is a membership-based network of shared laboratory facilities located in key geographies with proven biotech innovation clusters. BioLabs offers beautifully designed coworking environments that pair fully equipped and supported lab, office, and event spaces with relevant programming and unparalleled access to capital and industry partners. These fertile, supportive ecosystems allow young companies to shift their focus from startup operations to experimentation and innovation so they can reach their scientific potential quickly and achieve business success. Companies can start with a single lab bench and scale-up as they grow. The expanding BioLabs and Affiliates US network of labs now comprises sites in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts; Durham, North Carolina; San Carlos, San Diego and San Francisco, California; New York City, and Princeton, New Jersey; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and is developing additional domestic and international sites.
Contact:
BioRN Cluster Management GmbH
Annalisa Zuccotti
Events & Communication Lead
az[at]biorn.org