The document discusses healthcare in the German state of Bavaria, highlighting its strong biotechnology and medical technology industries. It profiles various companies and research institutions located in Bavaria and their contributions to fields like personalized medicine, drug development, and medical devices. Overall, Bavaria has established itself as a major hub for the life sciences sector in Europe, supported by significant government investment and a collaborative network of universities, research centers, and companies.

1. Healthcare in Bavaria
www.invest-in-bavaria.com

2. Invest in Bavaria –
The Business Promotion Agency of the State
of Bavaria
The one-stop all-round service
Invest in Bavaria is the Business Promotion Agency of the State of Bavaria. Since 1999, it has been helping
companies from Germany and abroad to build up or extend a base in Bavaria. Invest in Bavaria puts together
customised information, helps to find the ideal location in Bavaria and arranges the contacts needed for im-
plementing projects: with government agencies and associations as well as with important local networks. The
services offered by Invest in Bavaria are free of charge and all inquiries are, of course, treated confidentially.
The Business Promotion Agency of the State of Bavaria is a reliable and competent partner for every phase of
the investment project.
Planning and Preparation
The better the information about potential sites, the easier it is to reach a sound and efficient investment
decision. Invest in Bavaria provides companies interested in Bavaria with comparable and reliable facts and
figures about the market and business environment, industry and technology networks or funding and financ-
ing instruments.
Choice of Location
Project-related location criteria are jointly developed to meet the wishes and needs of the investor. Invest in
Bavaria uses this requirement profile to draw up concrete proposals of potential sites, to identify suitable com-
mercial properties and industrial real estate and to organise on-the-spot site inspections.
Location Implementation
Once the location has been chosen, Invest in Bavaria makes sure that the companies receive local support
from the right partners. It investigates funding options, organises contacts with appropriate funding institutions
and – if required – with possible financing partners. Invest in Bavaria also offers its assistance with tax, legal
and administration issues, ensuring straightforward and smooth coordination with the relevant authorities for
a particular project, the regional business development organisations or specialised service providers.
Site Development
Even after the new business has been set up, Invest in Bavaria is still on hand for interested companies. In-
formation on the promotion of business in Bavaria, like the trade fair participation program, all the way to tips
about useful corporate databases and industry networks and arranging contacts with foreign communities are
typical examples of the wide range of services offered by Invest in Bavaria. And if it is a matter of expanding
an existing facility, Invest in Bavaria will be standing by ready to offer help, advice and good contacts.

3. Preface
Martin Zeil The life science sector develops key technologies of the 21st century like no other sector and is highly
Deputy Prime Minister of Bavaria innovative. Added value and sustainable growth can only be achieved by means of innovations. Bavaria
Bavarian Minister of Economic
Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport
is well prepared for this challenge. With global industry leaders like Siemens, GE, Novartis, Roche,
and Technology but especially due to the research-oriented and committed small and medium sized enterprises, the
Free State of Bavaria is a healthcare site that is unique in Europe.
In order to create innovations, research facilities must be available. Bavaria offers the best conditions
in this regard: with 13 Max Planck Institutes, three Helmholtz Centres and eight Fraunhofer Institutes,
Bavaria enables a close networking of research and practical implementation. Eleven universities and
17 universities of applied sciences create a climate for a direct entrepreneurial implementation of the
latest research results and produce highly qualified experts for Bavarian companies.
Also citizens benefit from this lively climate of innovation: the comprehensive availability of more than
400 hospitals and 300 prevention and rehabilitation facilities ensures the involvement of everybody on
the medical progress.
The complex healthcare sector is closely linked in all segments and assumes an extraordinary role in the
technology policy of the Free State of Bavaria. Especially through the targeted bundling of different
partners from various sectors, Bavaria initiated an effective cluster policy in 2006. In particular, the
high-tech companies on site benefit from this, as the connection and the interchange between science
and economics is considerably simplified and accelerated. Specific frameworks have been used in
order to establish uniform standards in the areas of standardisation and legislation. These contribute
substantially to targeted research in order to continue being a global leader in this segment.
In order to provide investors with access to this extraordinary potential, representatives of the Free
State of Bavaria are available as points of contact in metropolises of more than 20 countries. They
cooperate closely with Invest in Bavaria, the Bavarian Business Promotion Agency. Invest in Bavaria
supports investors comprehensively, confidentially and free of charge. From the initial conversation
on the choice of location to the groundbreaking ceremony and the continuous follow-up care, the team
of the Business Promotion Agency supports companies together with its country and sector experts.
This brochure presents the strong position of Bavaria in life sciences and makes clear why the free
state is an ideal place for business development and innovation. It provides an overview of all the
excellent companies from biotechnology, medical technology and pharmaceuticals that you as an
investor can work with and tells the success stories behind the people and the products which are
”Made in Bavaria”!
Martin Zeil
Deputy Prime Minister of Bavaria
Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology
Invest in Bavaria
03
3

4. Contents
Preface
03 Martin Zeil
Deputy Prime Minister of Bavaria
Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology
Bavaria
Bavaria – Location for Biotechnology and Medical Technology
06 Overview
”The launch of the tech campus is expected for 2015”
07 Interview with Dr. Thomas Diefenthal, Managing Director, BioPark Regensburg GmbH
”Our location is essentially characterised by its further education establishments”
08 Interview with Dirk Jung, COO, joint operating company IGZ BioMed/ZmK mbH
”Bavaria is a leading medical technology region”
10 Interview with Prof. Dr. Michael Nerlich, Chairman, Forum MedTech Pharma e.V.
”Synergies between drug development and medical technology are especially valuable”
12 Interview with Prof. Dr. Horst Domdey, BioM, and
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erich R. Reinhardt, Medical Valley EMN e.V.
Bavarian research excellence in Biotechnology and medical technology
13 Pioneering concepts are developing in the Free State thanks to academic and economic cooperation
The highlight from Erlangen
15 Testing directly in the hospital
Pharmaceutical and medical technology companies in Bavaria
16 Overview, trends and developments
Biotech in Bavaria
”Willingness to found companies is spreading like a virus”
18 Interview with Prof. Dr. Axel Ullrich, Director, Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
Fit for the Medicine of the Future
19 Focus on “Personalised Medicine” in Munich
Land of the Biotech Pioneers
20 Innovation in Bavaria comes from small and medium sized enterprises
”IZB will continue to grow”
21 Interview with Dr. Peter Hanns Zobel, Managing Director, IZB GmbH
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5. ”It is important that business models are scalable”
24 Interview with Helmut Jeggle, Athos Service GmbH,
and Michael Motschmann, MIG Verwaltungs AG
”Since 1998, approximately EUR 2 billion have been invested
25 in site expansion projects”
Interview with Claus Haberda, Site Manager, Roche Penzberg
”The acquisition of Micromet is the largest single investment Amgen has ever made”
26 Interview with Richard Paulson, VP & General Manager, Amgen GmbH in Germany
MedTech in Bavaria
”A win-win situation for both sides; the economy and university research”
27 Interview with Prof. Dr. Willi A. Kalender, Director, Institute for Medical Physics,
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Trendsetter for health
28 From recent start-ups to global market leaders, small and medium-sized companies in Bavaria
are driving forward advancement in medical technology.
”The location can compete with international leading centres”
29 Interview with Dr. Peter Terhart, Chairman, S-Refit AG
The Healthcare of Tomorrow
31 Four examples from Medical Valley EMN
”Bavaria’s university hospitals are absolutely world class”
32 Interview with Michael Sigmund, Head of Communications, Siemens Healthcare
Success with eye laser technology
33 Wavelight GmbH: Synergy potential in the Alcon Group
Imprint Design and realisation
Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, GoingPublic Media AG
Infrastructure, Transport and Technology Hofmannstraße 7a
Invest in Bavaria 81379 Munich
Prinzregentenstraße 28 Germany
80538 Munich
Germany Tel.: +49 89 2000339-0
Fax: +49 89 2000339-39
Tel.: +49 89 2162-2642
Fax: +49 89 2162-2803 Project management
Markus Hofelich, Martin Bellof
www.invest-in-bavaria.com
Overall design
Holger Aderhold
Invest in Bavaria
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6. Bavaria
Bavaria – Location for Biotechnology
and Medical Technology
Overview
Across the globe, Bavaria is mainly known for its of the Biotech and MedTech hub Bavaria. Suc-
tourist highlights: Neuschwanstein Castle, the most cessfully. Today, Bavaria is one of the three
visited German attraction, as well as the pano- top locations for biotechnology in Europe. In a
ramic view of the Bavarian Alps with the highest national comparison, Bavaria is in the lead. The
mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze. Furthermore, medical technology developed in Bavaria also
Bavaria signifies culinary delights and lifestyle, leads on both a national and international level.
beer gardens, hearty food and good beer. The 25,000 jobs depend on the industries of Biotech
same is true of the Oktoberfest, the largest public and biopharmaceuticals; in medical technology
festival in the world. The unique combination alone, 45,000 jobs in the Leading-Edge Cluster
of the great scenic beauty, culture and culinary of the Medical Valley European Metropolitan
delights attract more than 25 million visitors each Region Nuremberg. Besides a vast amount of
year; the highest number of visitors throughout small and medium sized enterprises (SME’s), glob-
Germany. But Bavaria is also a booming business ally operating multinational healthcare groups
location and high-tech region. Several global decided on Bavaria as their location. Roche
players, among them seven of the 30 corporations Diagnostics operates one of the worldwide
listed in the Dax, Germany's blue chip stock mar- largest biopharmaceutical research and produc-
ket index, have their headquarters in Bavaria. tion sites in Penzberg on more than 350,000m².
BMW, Audi, Siemens and Adidas are only a few Siemens Sector Healthcare, global market leader
examples for the variety of companies with inter- in the field of imaging diagnostics, has its head-
national standing located in Bavaria. Bavaria is quarters in Erlangen.
also an innovation hub. Both the diesel engine
and the MP3 format as well as soccer shoes with Growth Segment: Bavarian Biotechnology
screw studs were developed in Bavaria. Even In the past 15 years, five biotechnology clusters
in the field of life science the Free State of have developed in Bavaria. In the biotechnology
Bavaria is a national and international leader. regions of Wuerzburg, Regensburg and Munich,
the focus is on biotechnology with a healthcare
Investments in high tech pay off aspect. The other two clusters, Freising-Weihen-
EUR 800 million – this is the sum the free state stephan and Straubing, are more specialised on
of Bavaria has so far invested in the construction green or white biotechnology. In order to support
Dedicated biotechnology and medical technology centres in Bavaria
Source: own research
Bio-Region Startup centre Rentable space Tenants Employees
Munich IZB Martinsried/Freising 23,000 m² > 60 700
Regensburg BioPark Regensburg 18,000 m² > 30 550
Franconia IGZ Würzburg 5,000 m² > 20 300
Nuremberg-Erlangen Medical Valley Center 5,000 m² > 30 200
Employees: Number of employees of the tenants in the respective startup centre
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7. Bavaria
and make better use of the particularities and investors, funding authorities, advisers and other
strengths of the different regions, individual net- workers in the cluster. The BioM Biotech Cluster
work organisations have been formed that are Development GmbH has been coordinating and
responsible for the management of the respec- networking all biotechnology activities within
tive clusters: the BioM Biotech Cluster Develop- Bavaria across since 2006.
ment GmbH manages the metropolitan region of
Munich as well as the neighbouring cluster of Metropolitan Region Munich – Pioneer in
Freising-Weihenstephan; the BioPark Regens- Biotechnology
burg GmbH manages the region of Regensburg Startup centres are a special component of each
and the IGZ Bio-Med/ZmK represents the region regional cluster. They provide the infrastructure
of Wuerzburg. Their objective is the development that biotechnology startups need for the growth
and marketing of the respective cluster in the in- of their company, especially laboratories and
terest of the founders, companies and scientists office spaces. Various important players of the
in each of the locations, as well as a networking German biotechnology industry originate from
of companies, universities, research facilities, the Innovation and Startup Centre (IZB) in Mar-
university hospitals, chambers and associations, tinsried and Freising-Weihenstephan, founded
”The launch of the tech campus is expected
for 2015”
Interview with Dr. Thomas Diefenthal, Managing Director, BioPark Regensburg GmbH
What characterises BioRegio Regensburg the decision-makers involved often know one
as part of the Biotech cluster of Bavaria? another personally due to the geographical
In 1999, a centre for biotechnology was created proximity. Ideas can then be implemented in
on the Regensburg University campus under the projects quickly. Firstly, projects were created
motto ”small but mighty”. Due to the principle of with life sciences companies, i.e. pharmaceutical,
”short routes”, in the east of Bavaria it was possible analytics, diagnostics and medical technology
to address company founders, the medium-sized firms. Other areas followed, such as sensor
industry and external companies willing to relocate. systems. Since automation in all areas of a
Both sides have been benefitting from the integration Biotech lab or in the processing industry, e.g.
of this network into the Bavarian Biotech cluster. foodstuffs, has been booming, this sector is
Dr. Thomas Diefenthal is
The Leading-Edge Cluster in Munich is being linked to also expanding. Due to the comparably short Managing Director of BioPark
innovative companies situated in the outer regions development times, such companies are suc- Regensburg GmbH. He also
coordinates the BioRegio
of the Free State; at the same time, these compa- cessful on the market even today.
Regensburg biotechnology
nies receive access to the extensive services and cluster and is the deputy
information provided by the regional initiatives. What do you imagine the location of speaker of the German
BioRegionen working group.
Regensburg will be like in ten years?
There are many interdisciplinary projects in The neighbouring tech campus to be commis-
Regensburg. How did this come about? sioned in 2015 will accommodate a multitude
Regensburg’s consistent and innovative business of companies, which started out in the BioPark
promotion forms the basis for this. In addition, Regensburg.
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8. Bavaria
in 1995 and 2007, respectively: Morphosys and m4 – Leading-Edge Cluster
Micromet (now Amgen Research GmbH) as well of Personalised Medicine
as Corimmun were founded in this centre. The In 2010, the German Ministry of Education and
Munich site is characterised in particular by its Research honoured the Munich consortium “m4 –
proximity to first-class centres for fundamental Personalised Medicine and Targeted Therapies”
research. The Bavarian capital is home to three in the second round of the Leading-Edge Cluster
biological-medical Max Planck Institutes for competition as one of the five Leading-Edge
biochemistry, neurobiology and psychiatry, one Clusters. The vision of this Leading-Edge Cluster
Helmholtz Zentrum München (German Research is to establish itself as an international model
Centre for Environment and Health), the Fraun- area and area of excellence for personalised and
hofer Headquarters, the Gene Center Munich that, targeted therapy. For this purpose, funds in the
since 1984, has played a pioneering role both amount of approximately EUR 100 million are
scientifically and organisationally in the German available for a period of five years; about half of
research community, the two universities of applied these funds have been contributed by the compa-
sciences of Weihenstephan-Triesdorf and Munich nies involved. The BioM Biotech Cluster Develop-
as well as two of the best German universities, ment GmbH assumes the management.
the Technische Universität München and Ludwig-
Maximilians-Universität. Additionally, it is home Regensburg – Interdisciplinary Cooperation
to two university hospitals (Klinikum der Univer- The BioPark Regensburg GmbH is not only in charge
sität München and Klinikum rechts der Isar) and 60 of the cluster management but also operates a
other hospitals in Munich and its surroundings. startup centre with the same name on the campus
”Our location is essentially characterised by
its further education establishments”
Interview with Dirk Jung, COO, joint operating company IGZ BioMed/ZmK mbH
Can you briefly introduce the Biomed there was information and communication tech-
region of Wuerzburg? nology, and also, at the interface, bioinformatics.
We are a location which is essentially charac- We have now expanded the topics of IGZ to in-
terised by its further education establishments. clude closely-related scientific areas. In this way,
Many of our tenants come from the University we can also offer highly qualified niche suppliers
of Wuerzburg or the Wuerzburg-Schweinfurt Uni- ideal starting conditions in the medical technology
versity of Applied Sciences. The change in the service.
culture of promotion has resulted in spin-off com-
panies today consisting of rather small groups How intense is the collaboration with
Dirk Jung is COO of
of founders, who remain in further education other cluster regions?
IGZ Würzburg and for a comparably long amount of time. This thus For us, ’founding companies from one’s own
Deputy Managing Director reduces influence being exerted by venture means’ and ’corporate maintenance’ are key
of Congress-Tourismus-
Wirtschaft of the
capitalists at a very early stage. The University phrases. But for this, local and national network-
City of Wuerzburg. Hospital is also significant for our life sciences ing is absolutely necessary; this actively illustrates
landscape. We hope to soon be able to house exchange on the part of the individual bioregions,
the first spin-off companies from the hospital. as well as cooperation at interdisciplinary level.
At the moment, we are intensifying our efforts to
Which sectors are represented within IGZ? establish contact between the spin-off founders,
From the beginning, IGZ was topically split into established firms and further education establish-
two or three areas: on the one hand, there was ments. In this way, we hope to get solutions from
biotechnology and biomedicine, on the other hand, science to the questions posed by business.
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9. Bavaria
of the University of Regensburg. Located in the than half of the more than 320 companies located
BioPark are mainly companies of the field of in Bavaria in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals
biotechnology and medical technology as well are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
as related service providers. Furthermore, there This represents around 30 per cent of German
are eight non-academic research institutes or SMEs in biotechnology. The specific focus of these
project groups within the BioPark, among them companies is the development of new therapeu-
two Fraunhofer Project Groups (Diagnosis and tics and diagnostics. Their “drug candidates” are
Treatment of Tumors, Metabolic Disease and tested worldwide in over 80 clinical trials. More
Disease associated with Ageing and Sensor than 100 candidates in research and preclinical
Technology Materials). This demonstrates the studies ensure a steady supply.
proximity to non-academic research units. In
addition, a number of research networks have Medical Valley – Leading-Edge Cluster for
been formed in the region of Regensburg. The Medical Technology
latest example is the Centre for Interventional When talking about German medical technology,
Immunology that pools existing medical and the Medical Valley European Metropolitan Re-
scientific excellence in immunotherapy and gion of Nuremberg (EMN) cannot be ignored.
transplantation medicine in eastern Bavaria. The Medical Valley EMN is the leading region
for medical technology within Germany. Like the
Wuerzburg – Centre of Competence for m4 in Munich, it was honoured in 2010 by the
Biomedicine German Ministry of Education and Research as
The Innovation and Startup Centre (IGZ) Würzburg national Leading-Edge Cluster. It is characterised
is the largest startup centre in northern Bavaria by a high concentration of excellence in medical
and is home to companies in life sciences and IT. technology. Approximately 500 companies operate
It is located in direct vicinity to the University of in the Medical Valley, among them numerous
Wuerzburg and the University of Applied Science global players and many market leaders. The
as well as numerous research facilities. For com- Medical Valley Center is the foundational core
panies in biotechnology and medical technology, of the cluster. In its direct vicinity are more than
the proximity to the renowned department for 70 institutes with medical engineering orienta-
biomedicine of the university as well as the uni- tion in Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-
versity hospital is of particular importance. Not Nürnberg and universities for applied sciences,
least for this reason, Wuerzburg is recognised as more than 20 non-academic research facilities
a centre of competence for biomedicine. closely linked to medical technology (among
them Fraunhofer and Max Planck Institutes) as
Strong Starting Situation for well as more than 65 hospitals. The unusual
Bavaria’s Biotech-SME’s density of partners together with the interna-
The importance of Bavaria for biotechnology be- tional market and competitive position of indi-
comes very clear in a national comparison. More vidual companies provide ideal conditions for
Bavarian Biotech SMEs’ staff since 2006 Bavarian Biotech SMEs by field of expertise
Source: Bavarian Biotech Report 2011/12, BioM Biotech Cluster Development GmbH Source: Bavarian Biotech Report 2011/12, BioM Biotech Cluster Development GmbH
13
8%
19
65
% 4,016 11%
2,5 39%
+3
3,793
3,715
3,460 25%
42
3,290
10%
7%
3,030 16
11
Therapeutics/Diagnostics Agriculture, Food, Environment
Bioinformatics Devices/Reagents
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 DNA-/Proteinanalysis Preclinical Services
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10. Bavaria
”Bavaria is a leading medical technology
region”
Interview with Prof. Dr. Michael Nerlich, Chairman, Forum MedTech Pharma e.V.
What role does the Forum MedTech Pharma devices in Germany are created in Bavaria.
network play for the healthcare sector in Bavaria is number one when considering the
Bavaria? total turnover generated in the field of med-
As the biggest network of its kind in Europe, ical technology, and it comes second as regards
Forum MedTech Pharma is a platform for trans- the number of employees. Bavaria can thus be
regional and international networking. Regional called a leading medical technology region, and
networks and clusters such as Medical Valley rightly so.
EMN or the Biotech cluster in Munich give rise
to close connections. Their regionally focused What trends can be observed in medical
commitment is perfectly complemented by the technology?
Prof. Dr. Michael Nerlich is
trans-regional network activities. As a national In the area of technology, the far-reaching head of the Department for
and international link, the association ensures collection of information technology, the trend Accident Surgery at Regens-
the extensive consideration of all phases of the towards devices for out-patient or even domes- burg University Hospital. He
is also Chairman of Forum
value added chain – from research and devel- tic care, or even the ever-growing interplay of MedTech Pharma e.V.
opment, over production, supplier networks, the medicine technology, biotechnology and
clinical trials and application, to international pharmaceuticals sectors, in the form of combi-
marketing. In addition, interfaces between the nation products, for instance, are important cur-
disciplines of medicine technology, biotechnol- rent developments. The sector is devoting its
ogy and pharmaceuticals are being created. energies to even greater technological chal-
lenges resulting from the requirement of ensur-
How significant is Bavaria for medical ing efficiency in the case of innovations and
technology in Germany? dealing with the issue of cost reimbursement
30 per cent of all medical technology products for products and services.
and even 60 per cent of all electromedical
the transfer of ideas into products and services. puts Bavaria in front of countries like France or
The Medical Valley is being developed, coordi- Italy. In particular, SMEs play a specific role in
nated and marketed by an association with the the medical technology of Bavaria. The majority
same name. The recipe for success of the cluster of companies located here are SMEs. Companies
is the close contact between highly specialised with less than 50 employees even make up more
research institutes, internationally established than half of all medical engineering companies.
market leaders as well as growing and medium
Furthermore, the largest German network of the Conclusion
German health sector (more than 620 members The future prospects for the healthcare site
from 14 countries), Forum MedTech Pharma, is Bavaria are consistently positive. Strong funda-
located in the Medical Valley EMN. The associ- mental research, ideal infrastructure, a high
ation offers the players of the sector various degree of networking and interest in active
opportunities for national and international cooperation are responsible for the positive im-
networking. pulses that originate from Bavaria. Biotechnolo-
gy and medical technology are important pillars
Strong SMEs in the Field of Medical of the Bavarian and German economies and
Technology should remain this way in the future. The Ger-
The actual strength of Bavarian medical technol- man and Bavarian governments demonstrate
ogy becomes clear on a closer inspection of its this with their continuous investments in these
turnover. EUR 7 billion, almost one third of the sectors.
total turnover of EUR 22 billion in German med-
ical technology, are produced in Bavaria. This Martin Bellof
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11. Bavaria
Bavarian Bio-Regions engaged in healthcare
Source: own presentation
Europe Germany
Bavaria
Wuerzburg
Erlangen
Nuremberg
Regensburg
Munich Freising-
Weihenstephan
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12. Bavaria
”Synergies between drug development
and medical technology are especially
valuable”
Interview with Prof. Dr. Horst Domdey, BioM, and
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erich R. Reinhardt, Medical Valley EMN e.V.
Professor Domdey, what significance does Where do you see Medical Valley in 10
the Munich Biotech Cluster have in Germany years?
and how does it differ from other locations? Reinhardt: By 2022 many innovations from Me-
Domdey: In the area of drug development, the dical Valley EMN will have revealed, that they
Munich Biotech Cluster m4 is, without a doubt, are able to provide a sustainable contribution
the most successful biotechnology location in to healthcare efficiency and effectiveness. Initial
Germany. We are proud that patients are already assessments by some Leading-Edge Cluster
benefiting from four drugs that were developed projects show that, in Germany alone, EUR
here. With more than 300 life science companies 7.5 billion could be saved per year – without
Prof. Dr. Horst Domdey is and a good 130 small and medium-sized compa- loss of quality. Through innovations in structure
Managing Director of BioM nies, we are also counted among the European and processes, Medical Valley EMN will develop
Biotech Cluster Development market leaders. What characterises Munich and into a model region for optimal healthcare with
GmbH and speaker of the
Bavarian Biotechnology Cluster. what promotes both innovation and translation the highest credentials.
is the close dovetailing of excellent science and
the Biotech industry. In the m4 – personalised Medicine pro-
gramme, you are planning to work more
Professor Reinhardt, what is the USP of closely together with Medical Valley. What
Medical Valley EMN compared with other benefits do you see in doing this?
medical technology clusters in Germany? Domdey: I am convinced that through the interplay
Reinhardt: Global players such as Siemens of precise diagnostics and targeted therapiest, a
and many SMEs are developing innovative better and more cost-effective provision of health-
medical technology in Medical Valley EMN. care services can be achieved. Synergies between
Even in the early stages of the innovation drug development and medical technology are
process, they work closely with partners in especially valuable in order to transfer innovative
science and healthcare. This is how a sustain- concepts into clinical practices.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erich R. Reinhardt
is Chairman of the able problem solving capability has arisen,
Medical Valley EMN. that, together with the technological capabili- How realistic is it that both regions are ad-
ties of partners, marks the innovative strength vancing together to become the leading
of Medical Valley. European cluster in personalised medicine
within Europe?
What is your vision for the Munich Biotech Reinhardt: Personalised medicine is a focal point
Cluster in 10 years? for research and development worldwide, as know-
Domdey: Munich has devoted its energies to ledge about the effects of medication enables ac-
drug development, especially to the future trend curate and individual treatment. Strong coopera-
of ”personalised medicine”, and is purposefully tion between the medical technology and phar-
improving the corresponding framework condi- maceutical sectors is therefore indispensible for
tions, such as the biobanking infrastructure. In the development of necessary technology. If the
addition to the well-filled drug pipeline, Munich two strongest places in Bavaria in this sector
offers unique technology platforms. Especially pooled their abilities, the best conditions in which
because of large international partners of com- to form a Europe-wide leading working group in
panies such as Morphosys, Wilex, 4SC, Pieris the area of personalised medicine would exist.
or Proteros, the perception abroad is very positive
and will improve further still. Interview conducted by Markus Hofelich.
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13. Bavaria
Bavarian research excellence in Bio-
technology and medical technology
Pioneering concepts are developing in the
Free State thanks to academic and economic
cooperation
Numerous institutes in Bavarian universities medicine”, i.e. several academic cooperations,
and other establishments are devoting their en- are considered to be especially pioneering.
ergies to medical technology and biotechnology.
The outstanding position of Bavarian universities Interdisciplinary approaches are shaping
has been underpinned as part of the excellence the scene
initiatives, while the Centre for Higher Education Performing precise operations with robot sys-
Development (CHE) is listing several Bavarian tems is no longer a dream of the future. Indeed,
faculties in the leading group of its research lightweight robot arms, which a doctor can
ranking. A multitude of support is now being control remotely, have been developed at the
offered for clinical studies, in order to over- Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics of the
come the hurdles. Activities for ”personalised German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffen-
hofen. Another DLR Institute, the Institute of
Atmospheric Physics, is devoting itself to the
prevention of skin cancer through use of satel-
lites. Interdisciplinary approaches such as these
have long since characterised research in medical
technology and biotechnology, too. The ”Munich
Center of Health Sciences” (MC-Health) of Lud-
wig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) also pursues
an interdisciplinary approach like the Munich
Helmholtz Centre, Europe’s leading research
centre for ”Environmental Health”. Munich is
internationally recognised as being the location
for biomedical basic research and its clinical
application. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität and
Technische Universität München (TUM) play a key
role. At the latter’s central Institute of Medical
Engineering (IMETUM), the disciplines are entwined;
specialities range from the "Medical Electronics
Innovation Centre" to the "Heinz Nixdorf Profes-
sorship for Medical Electronics". The Max Planck
Society accommodates one of its biggest biologi-
cal-medical research concentrations in Munich
with the Institutes of Biochemistry, Neurobiology
and Psychiatry. An example of the close network-
ing is the Excellence Cluster Center for Integrat-
ed Protein Science Munich (CIPSM). At the Julius
Maximilian University of Wuerzburg, the Inter-
disciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF)
is the internal research promotion tool. The
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürn-
Two locations of the Bavarian Biotech and MedTech research community that are rich in variety: Technische
Universität München (top) and University of Augsburg berg is home to a Centre for Medical Physics and
Photos: © Helmholtz-Zentrum München/TUM, Universität Augsburg Technology; while at the University of Regensburg,
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14. Bavaria
a Telemedicine Centre has been built. The Fraun- racic oncology and in in-
hofer Society is dealing with issues relating to terventional broncholo-
medical technology at several locations, such gy – or at the Munich
as in Erlangen (image processing), Fuerth (X-ray Municipal Hospital
technology) and Regensburg (tumourous and Group. What needs
metabolic diseases). There are also technology to be observed during
projects at the Bundeswehr University Munich, clinical studies is
from sensor systems for prosthetic arms to often underestimated
computer simulation for injecting bone cement. by developers. ”In the
At the University of Passau, the Faculty of Com- first instance, they are
puter Science and Mathematics is dealing with shocked”, confirms
digital image processing for computer tomographs, Dr. Bernd Gebhardt,
while the University of Augsburg has made a Manager of the Center
name for itself with a legal research establish- for Clinical Studies (CCS)
ment for medical device law. Further education at the Friedrich-Alexan-
certificates can be acquired for this purpose at der-Universität Erlangen-
the university’s Centre for Further Education Nürnberg. But he helps Within around 40 research projects interdisciplinary academic
and Knowledge Transfer (ZWW) – a phenomenon the hospitals with the research and industrial partners are being brought together.
Photos: © BVMed-Bilderpool, Fraunhofer IBMT
which is unique in Germany. complex organisational,
business-related and legal tasks. Support such as
Clinical studies at a number of locations this is now attracting circles.
Innovation hurdles in medical technology are not
something that the experts have had to deal with Strategy concept for personalised medicine
since VDI/VDE Innovation und Technik GmbH Key research principles are being developed in
tackled this thorny issue with a study. Consul- Bavaria for the field of ”personalised medicine”,
tancy and support in the case of clinical studies which may well usher in a profound change to
are now gaining in significance. For studies such medicine and a new dimension of drug devel-
as these, there are several starting points – pri- opment by way of an individual focus. This
marily, but not limited to, the university hospitals applies, for instance, to the work undertaken
in Munich, Erlangen, Regensburg and Wuerzburg, on depression by Professor Florian Holsboer,
or the German Heart Centre in Munich. The who works at the Max Planck Institute of
coordination serves as a ”Bavarian Network for Psychiatry in Munich, to the work examining
Clinical Studies” (BayernNetz) with a branch the development of Herceptin (the only person-
office at the university hospital Klinikum rechts alised cancer drug for many years) undertaken
der Isar (on the right of the river Isar) in Munich. by Professor Axel Ullrich, who is now Director
Clinical studies are thus to be made easier for of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, or
even smaller companies. Centres for clinical that of Professor Matthias Mann at the Max
studies are also being run at several universi- Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried
ties. The LMU is involved in an ongoing basis in near Munich, which looks into innovative tech-
clinical and epidemiological studies, both in nologies for proteins. In the Munich Metropoli-
individual hospitals and in establishments such tan Area, biotechnology and pharmaceutical
as the "Clinical Study Center" (CSCLMU), the companies, hospitals and scientific institutes
"Coordination Centre for Surgical Studies" (KCS) have come together with the cluster manage-
or the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCCLMU). ment company BioM for a strategy concept
Clinical studies are also possible at the Munich entitled ”m4 – Personalised Medicine and Tar-
Tumour Centre (TZM). The translation of results geted Therapies”. Within around 40 research
from basic research and pre-clinical studies to projects, the work of interdisciplinary academic
clinical practice is also being ascribed a great research and industrial, mainly medium-sized
deal of importance at the Faculty for Medicine at partners, is being brought together. The respon-
TU München, for instance at the Klinikum rechts sible company, BioM Biotech Cluster Develop-
der Isar. The Helmholtz Zentrum München also ment GmbH, is working closely with partners at
nurtures collaboration with industrial partners. universities and other research establishments,
Clinical studies can also be conducted at other as well as service providers.
Bavarian establishments, such as the Asklepios
Fachkliniken München-Gauting – primarily in tho- Dr. Lorenz Goslich
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15. Bavaria
The highlight from Erlangen
Testing directly in the hospital
Small and medium-sized companies are often university hospital), the infrastructure of which
faced with a mountain of problems when it can thus be used for external partners. The Test
comes to testing new medical technology solu- and Demonstration Centre is situated directly on
tions and devices. What has to be observed? the premises of the university hospital. Together
What is to be documented? How do you obtain with the medical staff, the new innovations are
approval? In Erlangen, there is help to overcome subjected to testing within everyday hospital life –
the mountain: with "Metean". and if the worst comes to the worst, problems are
discovered immediately. The findings are then
All-inclusive – from the idea to marketing passed on to the relevant company without delay.
The ”Metean” Medical Technology Test and Fast user feedback is thus catered for, such that
Demonstration Centre of the Fraunhofer Institute no unnecessary time is wasted and relevant
for Integrated Circuits (IIS) in Erlangen is a key ramifications can be drawn. The staff at Metean
project within the Fraunhofer ”Personal Health” believe that they can help small and medium-
cluster of innovation, which bundles different sized companies especially to overcome inno-
competencies within the Fraunhofer Society. Its vation hurdles and to find a way through the statu-
vision is to prevent illnesses through providing tory, regulatory, economic and technical regula-
medical remote support. Healthcare research tions with their multitude of basic conditions.
projects form the most important focal point of
Metean’s work. Clinical studies are conducted in Highly personal: the tracksuit that instructs
cooperation with hospitals, university institutes, its user
health insurance firms and companies. At the In the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits,
fore are improvements the Image Processing and Medical Technology
through use of telemed- (BMT) department is primarily devoting its
icine systems and ser- energies to medical image processing, medical
vices – both in the case sensor systems, medical communication and
of the transition from biosignal processing. Indeed, the ”Hemacam”
in-patient to out-pa- product, a computer-assisted microscope system
tient treatment and for haematology, was developed at Metean.
support, and in the case One example of the intensive work being under-
of healthcare quality. taken on the topic of personalised medicine is
The experts at Metean a so-called fitness companion, a sub-project of
are aspiring to cover the ”FitForAge” Bayerischer Forschungsstiftungs-
the entire chain of the verbund (Bavarian Research Foundation Associa-
innovation and develop- tion). It is an intelligent tracksuit, which provides
ment process, from the an individual health and fitness program, evalu-
idea over feasibility ates the data measured, provides the user with
analyses, tests and val- feedback on his activities and thus instructs him
idations, to certification in gymnastic or rehabilitation exercises – in an
and approval – and not entirely personal manner, as it were. To date,
least rapid marketing. this suit has primarily been used in movement
programmes for the elderly or rehabilitation pa-
Fast user feedback tients. But in the future, it is also to be offered
is catered for to young people, for games or virtual competi-
The highlight at Metean tions, for instance.
is close involvement in
Campus of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Universitätsklinikum
Photo: © Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Erlangen (Erlangen Dr. Lorenz Goslich
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16. Bavaria
Pharmaceutical and medical
technology companies in Bavaria
Overview, trends and developments
Representatives of both the pharmaceutical and Fantastic research infrastructure and
the medical technology industry are companies excellently trained staff
with an above-average level of commitment to A key tool during the development of new active
research and development. With research ex- agents and drugs is testing them on individuals
penditure amounting to more than 10 per cent as part of clinical studies. Here, Bavarian com-
of company turnover, they are both innovation panies are benefiting from the fantastic research
drivers and business drivers in equal measure. infrastructure and excellently trained staff in a
In addition to numerous small and medium-sized well-developed network of in-patient and out-
companies, global players such as Siemens patient medical care establishments. Over the
Healthcare, Roche Diagnostics, GE Healthcare, last few years, there has been a further con-
Novartis Pharma, Fresenius Medical Care or siderable increase especially in the number of
GlaxoSmithKline are also represented in Bavaria approval studies performed in Germany during
with research and production sites. the early phases I and II. Global players such as
Novartis Pharma with just under 1,800 employees
An attractive location for global players at the Nuremberg site have strengthened Ger-
In the field of drug development, Germany shook many, where it is currently conducting around
off its role as ”the world’s pharmacy” many years 180 ongoing studies, to make it the most impor-
ago. Numerous so-called pharmaceutical giants tant clinical research location after the US.
have relocated both their research and develop- The situation is a similar one for the German
ment sites and their production facilities abroad. subsidiaries of the international pharmaceutical
But it is a different situation in the area of prom- giants such as GlaxoSmithKline, MSD and Daiichi-
ising drugs produced using biotechnology. Here, Sankyo, which also have their headquarters in
Germany has established itself as the biggest the Munich Metropolitan Area. Beyond pure sales
production site in Europe and, on a global subsidiaries, firms have increasingly been invest-
scale, is the world number 2, following the US. ing in the expansion of their clinical research
Companies such as Roche Diagnostics are re- sites over the last few years.
sponsible for this development. Through making
continuous investments in its Bavarian site in Medical technology from Bavaria: Leading
Penzberg, Roche Diagnostics has expanded to position for electromedical devices
become the Roche Group’s biggest biotechnolo- In the field of medical technology, Bavaria covers
gy research, development and production centre around 30 per cent of Germany’s entire medical
within Europe, with more than 4,500 employees. technology production. Electromedical device
As a pioneer to a certain extent, Roche has production occupies a leading position, with a
committed itself to personalised medicine as a share of more than 60 per cent. In addition to
core element of its business strategy. Generally a multitude of small and medium-sized compa-
speaking, the concept of personalised medicine nies, Siemens Healthcare (which has research,
requires the patient to be characterised on the development and production sites in the Nurem-
basis of so-called biomarkers, which allow for berg Metropolitan Area), one of the world’s
said patient to be assigned to a patient group biggest suppliers in healthcare, is responsible
for which tailored treatment is available. With for this. With more than 50,000 employees the
regard to the co-development of diagnostics and world over, the company is a specialist in the
treatment required for this, in Bavaria Roche is different areas of imaging and is the global
benefiting from the group’s globally unique market leader in the magnetic resonance to-
location, where research, development and mography (MRT) sector. In addition to computer
production of the two business divisions, Phar- tomography (CT), MRT has established itself as
maceuticals and Diagnostics, are combined. one of the most important imaging procedures
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17. Bavaria
hoping to achieve an improvement in patient
management in the case of early detection, di-
agnosis and treatment and thus an associated
reduction in healthcare costs.
Efficiency and integration: The future of
healthcare
Achieving integration in healthcare is also the
strategy of Fresenius, the world’s leading sup-
plier of products and services for individuals
with chronic kidney failure. More than every
second dialysis machine in the world has
been developed and produced at Fresenius’
Bavarian site in Schweinfurt. On the basis of
this business field, over the last few years
Fresenius has developed other divisions and is
nowadays not just combining the development
and production of medicine products and drugs,
but also patient care with some hospitals and
special clinics in an integrated healthcare group.
On the way to allowing for the best possible
healthcare within a restricted budget, the in-
creasing integration of different areas from
Bavaria as a pharmaceutical and medical technology location is occupying an excellent position
in the global environment medical technology and pharmaceuticals,
Photos: © Archiv, Ioana Drutu diagnostics and treatment, is proving itself as
and especially allows for the representation of a common strategy of large groups especially.
soft tissue, such as that of the brain or internal The cooperation with different solution providers
organs. At present, MRT is increasingly gaining from the area of modern communication tech-
in significance in hybrid imaging, as a combi- nology is also playing an important role in this
nation made up of MRT and positron emission development.
tomography (PET). Due to the simultaneous
measurement of morphology and function on Summary
the one hand and metabolism on the other Bavaria as a pharmaceutical and medical
hand, considerable advancements are possible technology location is occupying an excellent
in the case of clinical diagnostics, as well as in position in the global environment and has
the development of new biomarkers in person- extensive potential to consolidate and further
alised medicine. Here, too, extreme technical build on this international leading position.
efforts are required in order to render PET de- Accordingly, a large majority of companies are
tectors usable within strong magnetic fields. rating the prospects for the future as positive –
In addition to the continual further development based on the opportunities gleaned through new
of its diagnostic systems and devices, Siemens markets, demographic development, a high level
Healthcare is pursuing a long-term strategy for of innovation and the outstanding reputation of
the future by merging patient data from imaging ”Made in Bavaria” healthcare products.
and laboratory diagnostic procedures using
its own in-house IT systems. The company is Ilja Hagen
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18. Biotech in Bavaria
”Willingness to found companies is
spreading like a virus”
Interview with Prof. Dr. Axel Ullrich, Director, Department of Molecular Biology,
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB)
Professor Ullrich, can you briefly introduce who today manages BioM Biotech Cluster Devel-
the MPIB and the focal points of its research? opment GmbH, had a laboratory at the MPIB
We are part of one of the most successful and played a decisive role in establishing mo-
research organisations in Germany, the Max lecular-biological methods. And, I suppose, my
Planck Society. Within our institute, eight past experiences in the first Biotech company in
departments and more than 30 research groups the world, Genentech, also helped. I think that a
contribute to the latest findings in the areas of certain role model function was assigned to me,
biochemistry, cell biology, structural biology, which inspired others. What’s more, the Max
biophysics and molecular science. The classic Planck Society has also provided the premises
Prof. Dr. Axel Ullrich is research areas of our institute are developing on which the Martinsried Biotechnology Innova-
director of the Department increasingly in the direction of structural and tion and Startup Center is located.
of Molecular Biology at MPIB
and a pioneering
system biology, genetics and new imaging
Biotech-entrepreneur. methods – bioinformatics is playing a major You founded three companies within
role, too. Basic biomedical research is another Martinsried, including Kinaxo GmbH,
important aspect, as faults in cellular signal which was recently sold to Evotec. How
transmission or defective protein structures can would you evaluate the founding environ-
result in illnesses such as cancer, diabetes or ment in Bavaria?
Alzheimer’s. The work of our scientists thus also For some time now, I have had the feeling
helps to better under- that among scientists, the willingness to
stand the development found companies is spreading like a virus. It
of these illnesses and is unbelievably exciting to watch. Prof. Domdey,
forms a basis for new who acts as a promoter and advocate for the
therapy strategies. Munich and Bavaria region, is largely responsi-
ble for this. The environment for founding com-
What significance panies is very good. Academic and non-academic
does the MPIB have research establishments, founder centres and
for the German university hospitals are situated in direct prox-
biotechnology sec- imity to one another and are in regular con-
tor? tact. I myself recently co-founded a company
I think an important again and I am also considering another com-
one. Some MPIB em- mitment.
ployees played a cen-
tral role in the develop- You often travel abroad due to your profes-
ment of the sector. In sional activities. What strengths do you
the Seventies, Prof. consider Bavaria as a location to have in
Peter Hofschneider, for an international comparison?
instance, was one of One of the biggest strengths of Bavaria as a
the first founders in business location is the political support. When
the area of biotechnol- players from politics recognise economic poten-
ogy at European level. tial, they work consistently on tapping into this
Prof. Horst Domdey, potential, too. I personally was therefore not
who was greatly in- surprised that the German biotechnology adven-
volved in expanding ture started in Bavaria.
Located in Munich/Martinsried –
Max Planck Institutes of Biochemistry and Neurobiology. the biotechnology loca-
Photos: © Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry tion of Bavaria and The interview was conducted by Martin Bellof.
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