Opening of the BIH Clinical Incubator

The BIH Clinical Incubator (CLIC) is a platform that assists academic research teams as well as entrepreneurs with their projects on the path to founding a start-up, thereby advancing the development of Advanced and Personalized Therapies (APTs). Under the leadership of Dr. Garima Bhardwaj, CLIC aims to support teams with the necessary infrastructure, technical mentorship and regulatory advice for their projects in the field of Advanced Medical Therapy Products (ATMPs). BIH has partnered with Biolabs, the international network of co-working facilities, to offer startups the best possible environment, teaching, support and access to resources. This way biomedical research results will be translated into clinical application more quickly and in a more targeted manner. 

With CLIC, there is, for the first time, an environment in which spin-offs can be developed within a university medical center. This ensures that ideas can be “de-risked” and the necessary mindset for spin-offs is fostered. 

CLIC is operated with the support of BioLabs, a global leader in life science co-working spaces and incubator services, providing an extensive international network of laboratories, experts, and industry partners. This collaboration ensures that CLIC residents benefit not only from state-of-the-art infrastructure in Berlin but also from access to BioLabs’ global community of entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate partners. 

CLIC paves the way for Berlin as an ATMP location

The CLIC team invited representatives from research, industry and the non-profit sector to the reception. In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Christopher Baum, Chair of the BIH Board of Directors and Chief Translational Research Officer of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, emphasised the importance of CLIC for implementation of the BIH strategy and specifically for the future of ATMPs. Together with the Berlin Center for Gene and Cell Therapies (BC-GCT) which is planned to open in 2028, CLIC will promote biotechnological and digital research in this field and connect the BIH, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the other APT communities across Europe.  

 “The BIH Clincial Incubator is an important part of our translational ecosystem in which new ideas can be developed into prototypes and products”, says Prof. Christopher Baum. “CLIC builds an innovative launch pad for personalized therapies of the future.” 

Johannes Fruehauf, PhD, CEO and Founder of BioLabs, emphasised the importance of creating environments that provide researchers not only with physical laboratories, but also with access to venture capital, pharmaceutical companies and other essential services, as well. 

Global collaboration for medical translation

The subsequent panel discussion focussed on the challenges and strategies for transferring research results into market-ready products. Prof. Dr. Georg Duda, Director of the Julius Wolff Institute (JWI) and spokesperson for the BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), emphasised how important it is for researchers and institutions to rethink the organisation of science and support structures in order to successfully transfer basic research into application. Hannah Payette Peterson, Co-Managing Director of Nucleate Germany, emphasised how crucial it is for research teams to establish entrepreneurial networks and seek contact with venture capitalists at an early stage. Johanna Michielin, Regional Director for Europe at BioLabs, emphasised the role of public funding in mobilising private investment and building collaborative networks. Dr. Marion Hitchcock, Managing Director for the Gene and Cell Therapies Incubator at the BC-GCT and Strategy & Portfolio Manager at Bayer Pharma R&D, underlined the crucial role public-private partnerships (PPP) can play, paired with the invaluable importance of political support, to leverage the potential of the Berlin ecosystem. The panellists agreed that global cooperation is essential - as is the great potential for growth for the biotech sector in Berlin. 

Further impressions from the event

Photos © BIH | Chris Hahn.