BioTechSerie Jun 14, 2018

Life Sciences in Bavaria (part 4): Even Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen had insight in Würzburg

Life sciences are an increasingly important topic in the German economy. Biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, digitalisation of the healthcare sector – there are countless innovations in this sector and many of them are from Bavaria. We present various biotechnology hubs in Bavaria in this series: for example, the Lower Franconia region, which places particular importance on supporting and promoting start-ups.

Würzburg looks back on a long tradition of innovation, several important discoveries from the x-ray to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle have been made here after all. The most important industries today include the healthcare and medical sector.
The Innovations- und Gründerzentrum Würzburg (IGZ) is the key partner and link for all biotechnology stakeholders in the region. It is the largest technology and start-up centre in Lower Franconia and advises high-tech start-ups in the biotechnology and biomedicine, nanotechnology, information and communication technologies sectors and related sectors. IGZ Würzburg is also the first port of call for high-tech companies who are already established on the market but want to outsource an innovative field.

In addition, the IGZ works together with regional and national partners, including the University of Würzburg with its Research and Technology Transfer Service Center and the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, as well as BayStartUP, an institution funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and business to support and finance start-ups. The Bavarian investor network is one of the largest in Europe with roughly 250 business angels and about 100 institutional investors, such as venture capital funds etc. BayStartUP brings suitable companies and investors together in its financing and coaching network.

We move from Würzburg in Lower Franconia to the Central Franconia region in our next blog post “Medical Valley – the valley of healthy start-ups”. The Nuremberg metropolitan region primarily focuses on medical life sciences. We have already presented the Munich metropolitan region and Straubing region of expertise.