Saxony Bets on Biotech Growth Through Investment and Innovation

Saxony’s biotech sector needs better access to venture capital and faster approval processes to continue growing. Furthermore, it should and intends to use more artificial intelligence (AI) in research and production.

This was the assessment of entrepreneurs, scientists, and economic development officials during a “Biotechnology Industry Dialogue” at the Dresden stem cell typing center “DKMS Life Science Lab.”

The Free State is sticking to its biotech offensive

New growth drivers are indeed on the agenda: The biotech startup centers “Bioz” in Dresden and “Biocity” in Leipzig are expanding their capacities – a “Bioz 2” is currently being built next to the Dresden University Hospital. Furthermore, the greater Chemnitz area is slated to play a larger role in the “Biosaxony” industry network.

State Secretary for Economic Affairs Sebastian Scheel has also pledged support from the Free State of Saxony: “The biotechnology initiative will remain a central element of the Free State’s innovation strategy,” Scheel emphasizes. “By expanding digital expertise, promoting companies, and continuing to network with other technology sectors, Saxony will further build on its success in this area.”

Since the launch of the biotech initiative at the turn of the millennium, Saxony has invested over one billion euros in this growth sector. More than 300 companies and over 15,000 employees are active in the core areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology.

Capital from the USA

Private sector investment is also flowing into particularly promising or already successful biotech companies in Saxony: The Irish Kerry Group has invested in the Leipzig-based company C-Lecta. Furthermore, there is a financing commitment from the USA for the Dresden-based cancer therapy company Avencell, and a cooperation between the Dresden spin-off Seamless Therapeutics and the US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.

Economic development officials are hoping for synergy effects with other tech sectors in Saxony.
And the experts from the state-owned Saxony Economic Development Corporation (WFS) see considerable potential in this sector: “With the complete value chain located in Saxony, a high level of innovation, and the synergies from collaborations with other industries, biotechnology has the potential to develop even further into a key sector for Saxony in the future,” says WFS CEO Thomas Horn.

“Cross-sector collaboration plays a crucial role in this, and we are actively supporting it.” The idea is to combine the still-emerging biotech expertise with the particular strengths of Saxony’s technology and research communities, for example, with microelectronics, organic electronics, industry-oriented AI solutions, robotics, and radiopharmaceuticals.

“The goal,” says Horn, “is to explore new technical applications and thereby foster new business opportunities, collaborations, and growth, for example, in automation and AI solutions for production in cell and gene therapy.”

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(Featured image by Igor Omilaev via Unsplash)

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First published in Oiger. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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