Research, Innovation, Patient care, Education / 11.10.2023
Boost for Berlin’s biotech sector

Campus Berlin-Buch has a new start-up center: The BerlinBioCube was ceremonially opened on October 11, 2023 in the presence of the Governing Mayor.

Good news for life science start-ups in the capital region: 8,000 square meters of state-of-the-art laboratory and office space have been built on the Science and Technology Campus Berlin-Buch. The new BerlinBioCube incubator was officially inaugurated on October 11, 2023. Over the next few weeks, 14 young companies will move into the building, including spin-offs from the Max Delbrück Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP). These companies are engaged in the development of innovative gene and cell therapies or novel compounds for the effective treatment of cancer and other common diseases.

At the ceremony, Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner, Senator for Economics Franziska Giffey, and Senator for Science Dr. Ina Czyborra emphasized the importance of the Buch research campus and the new incubator. The speeches were followed by tours of the BerlinBioCube and presentations of individual successful start-ups on the campus, such as T-knife, MyoPax, and PROSION Therapeutics.

From science to business

“The BerlinBioCube is an asset to our city. Once again, Berlin is proving to be an innovative location for business, science, and technology – especially for the health and life science industries. Young entrepreneurs benefit from the new incubator on Campus Berlin-Buch. They will be at the forefront of developing new and promising approaches to treating and diagnosing disease. Thanks to the BerlinBioCube, new, cutting-edge, and future-oriented jobs are being created now and in the near future. The inauguration is a good day for the many people in Berlin and around the world who stand to benefit medically from the work being done in Buch,” stated Kai Wegner, Berlin’s Governing Mayor.
 

Senator for Economics Franziska Giffey commented: “The interplay between science and business, and the city’s vibrant start-up scene provide a strong foundation for our economic growth. We support this development by creating the infrastructure urgently needed for the implementation of innovative ideas and start-ups. The BerlinBioCube in the future location of Buch offers life science start-ups specialized and affordable laboratory space. A total of €48.9 million was invested in the new building, made possible in large part by GRW funds, which my Senate Department uses specifically to boost Berlin’s economic power. This investment strengthens our leading position among biotech locations and is another step on our way to becoming the number one innovation location in Europe.” The senator also emphasized that the state plans to create additional space for growing biotech and medtech companies in the immediate vicinity of the campus.

Senator for Science Dr. Ina Czyborra remarked: “Companies emerge from Campus Berlin-Buch science: The results of excellent research are not only published in high-ranking journals, but also form the basis for patents and innovative, marketable products and services. The groundwork is often the result of decades of research. Examples include T-knife, MyoPax, and PROSION Therapeutics. We are delighted that our funding programs are paving the way for groundbreaking therapeutic approaches to enter the application phase. Another key factor is strong entrepreneurship. In an entrepreneurial culture, scientists have the courage to spin off, break new ground, convince investors, and build a successful team.”

Network for Entrepreneurs

The BerlinBioCube offers state-of-the-art laboratories, offices, shared spaces, and conference rooms on five floors. The concept places emphasis on creating a vibrant building: “Short distances and creative exchange are the hallmarks of the campus. The research buildings are always designed to include spaces that allow for chance encounters. As the building owner, we have created such spaces in the BerlinBioCube to facilitate networking among the founders. The incubator will also host its own ‘Talk in the Cube’ event series, giving the young teams the opportunity to address exciting topics and engage in professional development,” stated Dr. Christina Quensel, Managing Director of Campus Berlin-Buch GmbH. The campus is an ideal environment for building networks and initiating joint projects: Start-ups can benefit from experienced biotech and medtech companies, research facilities, and infrastructure.

The building was designed by the Munich-based architectural firm doranth post architekten. Construction began in September 2020. After three years of construction, the BerlinBioCube was completed in October 2023, marking the end of the BiotechPark’s fourth construction phase.

Campus Berlin-Buch GmbH is now pushing ahead with the development of a five-hectare site in the immediate vicinity of the campus, on Karower Chaussee. “Start-ups grow up, they need production space. Keeping them on campus means securing jobs in Berlin,” remarked Dr. Quensel.

BerlinBioCube

Photo: Senator for Economics Franziska Giffey, Dr. Christina Quensel, Managing Director of Campus Berlin-Buch GmbH (CBB), Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor, Dr. Ina Czyborra, Senator for Science and Dr. Ulrich Scheller, Managing Director of CBB. (Photo: Peter Himsel/CBB)

www.campusberlinbuch.de