Life Science Factory Opens its Doors to Startups

The non-profit Life Science Factory initiated by Sartorius celebrated its official virtual soft opening on January 19, 2022. The startup platform supports scientists and young companies seeking to set up their businesses in their first steps outside of academic institutions. In line with the motto #OpenForYourIdeas,  the opening event marked the start of the 3^rd Annual Life Science Startup Day of Lower Saxony.

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Located in the Sartorius Quartier, the company’s former factory site, the Life Science Factory offers state-of-the-art, fully equipped laboratories, a workshop for prototype development, as well as office and event space – covering some 3,300 square meters on four floors.

"In addition to access to startup and growth capital, life science founders primarily lack suitable spaces, laboratories and an efficient network. The Life Science Factory, which is unique in Europe to date, offers exactly that." said Joachim Kreuzburg, CEO of Sartorius, who attended the opening ceremony of the facility that he describes as a "passion project".

Tenants will be located in the immediate vicinity of a joint healthcare campus of the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and the University of Applied Sciences and Art (HAWK). Founders will be able to launch projects within 48 hours. The laboratories are highly flexible and modularly adaptable to the respective needs of the tenants. Moreover, the laboratory levels offer equipment rooms for centrifuges, bioreactors, or cell cultivation.

"Our tenants can access everything they need to make their business a success, from a lab bench to a full workshop. We are pleased to be able to play a part in new life science success stories," said Sven Wagner, one of the two managing directors of the Life Science Factory.

Minister: "We want to further strengthen this startup spirit"

Following the soft opening, Lower Saxony’s Life Science Start-up Day was held in the newly opened building. The event is a conference for founders, those interested in founding a company, scientists and network partners, and serves as an opportunity to exchange ideas within the life science community.

Keynote-Speaker Dr. Bernd Althusmann, State Minister for Economic Affairs of Lower Saxony, emphasized: "Particularly during the Coronavirus pandemic, it is enormously important to future-proof our economy in the field of life sciences with innovative technologies. That's why we are offering founders the targeted support that they need. In addition to funding and financing offers, this also includes events such as the Life Science Start-up Day, which help to establish contacts, create synergies, inspire and inform. The startup activities show that we have been successful: despite the pandemic, 106 startups were founded in 2020. We want to further strengthen this startup spirit to ensure that innovative projects 'made in Lower Saxony' can continue to be realized in the future."

As part of a high-level discussion about life science entrepreneurship, the panelists discussed the recent success of Biontech, Lower Saxony as a location for startups, and key concerns such as infrastructure and funding. Sartorius CEO Joachim Kreuzburg asserted that he believes Göttingen has an exciting network where entrepreneurs can achieve a lot.