AnkaTheraHub Staff Participated in a Study Visit to Germany to Enhance Expertise and Establish Partnerships

AnkaTheraHub staff conducted a study visit to Germany on 2-5 April 2024 at selected institutions and centres in Germany to improve the knowledge and expertise of its staff, hence to increase the quality of services at AnkaTheraHub, and potentially establish partnerships.

During the week, the following institutions were visited:

• Alacris Theranostics GmbH, Berlin: A consortium partner of the project, which has  unique expertise in providing genomics and bioinformatics services in the healthcare sector. Alacris Theranostics GmbH provides technical advice for the establishment and accreditation of the AnkaTheraHub Genomicsunit and the training of the technical staff. (https://www.alacris.de/)
• Adlershof Technology Park, Berlin: The group met with WISTA, the public enterprise managing the Adlershof Technology Park. The Park hosts many biotechnology companies. The visit provided a valuable example of how to successfully manage the incubator, benchmarking, and partnership services to SMEs in a single compound. (https://www.wista.de/en)   
• MGI Tech GmbH, Berlin: MGI Tech GmbH is a supplier of DNA sequencing instruments. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss partnership opportunities and possible aquisition of sequencing equipment for rapid service provision. (https://mgi-tech.eu/)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy IZI, Leipzig: IZI is developing products for cell therapy and immunology. The group learnt about the IZI business model, and visited the laboratory of Next Generation Diagnostics, and observed many collaboration opportunities. (https://www.izi.fraunhofer.de/)
• Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW, Leipzig: IMW discussed possible business development support to the SMEs of the AnkaTheraHub incubator. (https://www.imw.fraunhofer.de/en.html)
• Bio City Campus Leipzig, Leipzig: Managed by biosaxony Management GmbH, the Bio City Campus has been interviewed as part of the benchmarking activity of incubators and accelerators. Opportunities of collaboration with the AnkaTheraHub incubator were discussed. (https://www.biocity-campus.com/en/bio-city-leipzig/)
• GVG Diagnostics GmbH and GVG Genetic Monitoring GmbH, Leipzig: Dr. Olaf Gelsen presented both GVG Diagnostics GmbH, specialized on veterinary diagnostics, and GVG Genetic Monitoring, which offers genotyping services. The visit of the laboratories and discussions on the business model were informative to the group. (https://www.gvg-diagnostics.de/en/, https://www.gvg-gm.de/en/
• The SPINLAB Accelerator, Leipzig: The business model and services of the Spinlab accelerator were presented to the group and possible collaborations with the AnkaTheraHub incubator were envisaged. (https://www.spinlab.co/)

Throughout the visits, AnkaTheraHub staff actively participated in discussions and exchanged valuable insights with their counterparts at the visited institutions. These in-depth interactions equipped them with a wealth of practical knowledge and best practices that will undoubtedly be instrumental in propelling AnkaTheraHub’s future endeavors and solidifying its position as a leader in healthcare innovation.

The study visit to Germany not only broadened AnkaTheraHub’s horizons but also paved the way for impactful collaborations and knowledge exchange, reinforcing its commitment to excellence in healthcare innovation.