On September 4, 2025, the Minister President of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, and Science Minister Petra Olschowski visited the Innovation Campus of the Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim. The visit underlines the strategic importance of the science and innovation location for the state of Baden-Württemberg. The program included short presentations and live demonstrations by scientists and founders of the Alliance. Prof. Dr. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Chairman of the Executive Board, and Andreas-W. Möller, Commercial Director, took part in the event on behalf of the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH). 

Funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg

The Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim, which includes the CIMH, was founded by seven leading university and non-university research institutions in the region. The aim is to develop the Rhine-Neckar region into an internationally visible biomedical-technological beacon with a focus on life sciences, the healthcare industry and healthcare technologies. The Innovation Campus receives long-term funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg – including for the development and use of joint high-tech platforms and for cooperative research projects between industry and Alliance researchers.

During the visit, Minister President Kretschmann and Science Minister Olschowski learned about the Alliance's activities and current developments – particularly in the areas of translation, cooperation and the transfer of research results into application. The focus was on personal exchanges with researchers and founders as well as the presentation of specific projects.

Wide range of research topics

At the start of the event, the management of the Research Alliance, represented by Prof. Dr. Michael Boutros, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wick and Dr. Andrea Leibfried, presented the current status, prospects and potential of the Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim. Minister President Winfried Kretschmann emphasized in his speech:

“What makes the work of the Innovation Campus so exciting is the wide range of topics being researched here. Innovations in the healthcare industry not only increase scientific progress, but also directly improve the quality of life of citizens. With the Forum Gesundheitsstandort BW, we as the state government have provided decisive impetus here in recent years. Institutions of the Innovation Campus are also important pillars of the forum and the diverse activities contribute to strengthening the healthcare sector. The aim is to gain a better understanding of diseases and create the basis for completely new therapies.”

Cutting-edge research should reach people's everyday lives

Science Minister Petra Olschowski was impressed by the groundbreaking new findings in the field of health research:

“With our Health and Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim innovation campus, we are investing in a healthy future. Scientists here are working on new treatment options for cancer, synthetic immunotherapeutics and digital solutions for the medicine of tomorrow. The common goal is clear: cutting-edge research from this region should have a direct impact on people's everyday lives – in treatment as well as prevention. We are creating optimal conditions for this.”

Insights into the research projects

In the Alliance's new seminar and co-working rooms, researchers gave exciting insights into translation, cooperation and transfer of their interdisciplinary work. CIMH researcher Dr. Kornelius Kammler-Sücker presented the VIPAC project (Virtual assessment of Interpersonal Predictors of Aggressive and Cooperative behavior) together with Junior Professor Dr. Christoph Korn (Heidelberg University Hospital). It aims to investigate aggressive and cooperative behavior in virtually simulated interactions. Prof. Dr. Kerstin Göpfrich and Prof. Dr. Michael Platten presented specific examples of synthetic immunology and new immunotherapies. Prof. Dr. Sahm explained the challenges of transferring scientific results to society using his start-up Epignostix as an example. Prof. Dr. Sandy Engelhardt, who conducts research in the field of medical technology, artificial intelligence and cardiovascular simulation in Heidelberg, presented her virtual patient simulator for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiological diseases.

Opening of the Alliance seminar and co-working rooms

A subsequent tour in the form of a “Gallery Walk” offered an exciting overview of inter-institutional research results and innovations from research and the start-up scene – with examples of researchers from the seven Alliance institutions as well as founders in the fields of infectiology, immunology, engineering, artificial intelligence, cardiology, cancer research, mental health and diagnostics.

The visit brought the innovative strength of the Rhine-Neckar region in the field of life sciences and medicine to life and also marked the official opening of the Alliance's seminar and co-working facilities.