Christian Tidona is convinced that Heidelberg is, alongside Berlin and Munich, one of the top three locations for biomedical research in Germany. The CEO of the BioMed X Institute Heidelberg knows why: "Like hardly any other location, all research and development competencies are concentrated on one campus in Heidelberg – the Neuenheimer Feld. More than 100 institutes of biomedical research, the Technology Park Heidelberg, and its start-ups: this is unique in Europe." Furthermore, Heidelberg lies at the center of a Rhine-Main-Neckar supercluster, home to seven major pharmaceutical companies with more than 50,000 jobs. This connection to the large pharmaceutical industry is unparalleled in Europe.

However, the biotech expert sees room for improvement in the transfer of research results into pharmaceutical applications. "Top universities and research institutions in the USA – such as MIT or Harvard – more effectively translate their research results into start-ups and spin-offs. This not only helps the patients affected but also generates significant revenue. There is still room for improvement in Germany." With the BioMed X Institute in Heidelberg, Christian Tidona wants to help close this gap between academic research and commercial application. Top talents from around the world work here on experimental approaches to solve preclinical questions.

The approach is tried and tested: a large pharmaceutical company defines a future problem (Challenge) that neither university research, established players, nor start-ups are currently addressing. At the same time, the company provides funding for solving the Challenge. BioMed X announces this future problem on its crowd-sourcing platform worldwide. In a second step, BioMed X identifies suitable top talents who convincingly present how they plan to solve the problem in their application and brings these talents to the Heidelberg site. "Out of an average of 200 to 300 applicants, we select the top 15, whom we fly in for a five-day boot camp." There, the applicants cannot only form groups, but Christian Tidona's team also helps them turn their ideas into concrete project proposals. On the last day of the boot camp, participants pitch their projects to the senior management of the pharmaceutical company financing the research project.

The winner of the boot camp receives a research budget of up to five million euros. The researchers then work for three to five years in the incubator of the BioMed X Institute on the University of Heidelberg campus. Additionally, a supportive private environment is ensured: if needed, BioMed X assists not only in finding housing but also in relocating entire families to Heidelberg, including visas, new jobs for partners, and kindergarten places. This concern for private well-being is not always considered in recruitment and is an important attraction bonus.

BioMed X emerged in 2013 from the leading-edge biotechnology cluster Rhine-Neckar (BioRN) "Cell-based and Molecular Medicine in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region." Christian Tidona was the CEO of the leading-edge cluster and developed the idea of initiating a new business model for biomedical research with BioMed X. The molecular biologist knew that important prerequisites for the success of this endeavor were present in the region: with Merck in Darmstadt, there was a strong partner who trusted his new model and financed the first projects. Moreover, BioMed X, with the help of the Technology Park, was able to find suitable spaces even without significant investment capital.

Tidona likes to continue these collaborations: "I have experienced the Technology Park as a strategic partner who wanted to ensure that biotechnology in Heidelberg develops advantageously. The Technology Park has always thought big and supported forward-thinking ideas." Already in the 1980s, the university, research institutions, and the city of Heidelberg worked well together. But it was only with the Technology Park that the areas on the Neuenheimer Feld campus came into play, which, thanks to successful start-ups, developed into an innovation hub in Heidelberg.

"One of Heidelberg's great strengths is the good cooperation of the technology transfer departments of the various research institutions," reports Christian Tidona: "Since our founding, we at BioMed X have worked very well with EMBL, DKFZ, and the university." The shared interest in making newly generated knowledge available to people through products connects. Likewise, the trusting cooperation creates a stable foundation for further collaborations, as the transfer specialist knows from his own experience: "When founding BioMed X, I had a trust advantage in Heidelberg. I had been active for several years. Many knew me and knew that I did not want to extract knowledge from the university but to help build a shared ecosystem for the benefit of all."

This intensified collaboration is urgently needed for two reasons. Firstly, the globally available knowledge has been growing exponentially for years. "We are still living in the age of Moore's Law," explains Christian Tidona: "About every two years, the speed at which new knowledge is generated doubles. But this also means: if you do not continuously develop, you will be only half as good in two years and will quickly fall behind." Therefore, it is more important than ever for Heidelberg to act even more dynamically and progress even faster than was the case when winning the leading-edge cluster in 2008.

Secondly, the research fields are becoming increasingly interconnected. This is particularly evident in the upcoming trend topic of bioconvergence, says Tidona: "Currently, real innovations are happening at the interfaces of different technologies. While the life sciences are at the center for us, they are closely interconnected with other technologies – information technology, nanotechnology, materials science, and now especially artificial intelligence."

To cover these competencies, a critical mass of top researchers is needed. "However, top talents can choose where they want to work in the world today. Heidelberg must compete with other attractive locations," Tidona points out. However, Heidelberg alone cannot develop the necessary international appeal. This can only be achieved in conjunction with the Rhine-Main supercluster: with Mainz, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Karlsruhe, and Heilbronn. "To keep such large clusters alive and advance them, key individuals are needed who think beyond borders and connect the region with the wider world," explains the biotech expert: "In the leading-edge cluster competition, it was the CEOs and site managers of the large pharmaceutical companies who inspired all regional players: local politics in Heidelberg and Mannheim, universities, and research institutions."

This enthusiasm for innovation has not changed. However, the pharmaceutical industry is hardly locally bound in its commitment. "For the companies, successful cooperation with academic research is paramount. Where this collaboration takes place is secondary," explains Christian Tidona. This basic condition of international competition must also be considered in future regional political decisions so that the Rhine and Neckar location remains attractive for top research and pharmaceutical companies.

by Dr. Stefan Burkhardt

Download: Testimonial from Dr. Christian Tidona