Life Science & Biotech Meetup at Mainz University connects biotechnology initiatives of FORTHEM with the life science and biotechnology industry in Mainz and the local area
10 April 2025
In recent years, Mainz has gained international reputation as a successful life sciences and biotechnology hub, which is shaped and supported by various partners. Mainz provides ideal ecosystems for both fundamental and application-based research as well as businesses that benefit from the networking and collaboration between entrepreneurs, start-ups, research, and politics. A remarkable Life Science & Biotech Meetup recently took place at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) that was attended by representatives of the JGU partners in the FORTHEM Alliance of nine European universities.
The FORTHEM members were invited to showcase their ideas and projects in the field of biotechnology and to discuss options for cooperation and potential new projects within FORTHEM and beyond. To name just a few examples, both Mainz and Valencia have particular expertise in red biotechnology, i.e., biotech applications in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, Palermo focuses on blue – marine – biotechnology, while Opole is strong in environmental biotechnology.
"Biotechnology is an exciting, cutting-edge key area of research at all nine FORTHEM universities," said JGU President Professor Georg Krausch. "Therefore, we have a common interest in sharing and discussing our know-how and expertise in this field to develop new ideas and concepts for research."
The team of the EU Office at Mainz University was also present at the meeting to provide information on funding opportunities available through European research support programs, especially those designed for early career researchers.
"The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions program of the European Commission is as if tailor-made for our intentions to support young researchers in obtaining their doctorates and, at the same time, to promote biotechnological research that is relevant to society as a whole," emphasized Eckhard Thines, Professor of Biotechnology at JGU, a member of the FORTHEM Coordination Commission, and Biotechnology Coordinator for the State Government of Rhineland-Palatinate. "In the coming weeks and months, we will thus intensify our efforts to submit joint applications for EU-funded postgraduate networks."
During their stay at JGU, the FORTHEM experts also met with biotech ventures and projects in Mainz and the surrounding area that are already collaborating in biomindz, a municipal company that enables start-ups and companies in the life sciences and biotechnology sector to successfully establish and grow their business in Mainz.
"Rhineland-Palatinate is home to a number of leading biotechnology and KI research institutions. Targeted cooperation with the FORTHEM Alliance and the growing internationalization of the biotech sector give us the opportunity to create synergies of global significance, to identify new technologies, and also to recruit qualified personnel," emphasized Clemens Hoch, the Rhineland- Palatinate Minister for Science and Health. "I would like to express my gratitude to the FORTHEM universities for their willingness to exchange ideas, concepts, and projects within the alliance as well as with the Mainz science hub and the state of Rhineland-Palatinate."
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