The German Biotechnology Days are the central industry meeting for German biotechnology. With over 900 participants in Heidelberg 2025, they are an important forum for dialogue between industry, science, politics and funding institutions. Towards the end of this year's event, the baton was ceremoniously handed over to Leipzig: André Hofmann, Deputy Chairman of the Board of biosaxony e. V. and CEO of leap:up GmbH, symbolically accepted the host role for 2026 on stage.
Biosaxony e.V. is the industry association for biotechnology, medical technology and the healthcare sector in Saxony. Its members include companies, research institutions, interest groups and suppliers from the entire life sciences sector. Leipzig-based leap:up GmbH (formerly biosaxony Management GmbH) is committed to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the life sciences sector - both in Saxony and at a national and international level. biosaxony e. V. and leap:up GmbH work closely together to support companies through targeted networking, consulting and location development, as well as providing access to research institutions and qualified specialists.
André Hofmann emphasised the importance of the German Biotechnology Days for the visibility of the industry's innovative strength when handing over the baton. He is looking forward to the opportunity to bring this innovative strength to life in Leipzig next year: "Leipzig stands for new beginnings, for dynamism and for excellent networks between research, start-ups and established companies. We are very much looking forward to hosting the DBT 2026 and working with the community to provide new impetus."Leipzig and Saxony have an impressive history of development in the life sciences sector: targeted funding to establish the region as a leading biotech location began as early as 2000 with a funding volume of 200 million euros until 2006. This was followed by the establishment of the "BIO CITY" building and service complexes in Leipzig (2003) and the "BioInnovationsZentrum" in Dresden (2004). By 2004, the number of biotechnology companies in Saxony had doubled to 53 - today, there are around 220 companies with around 5,300 employees and 3,500 students in the Leipzig cluster alone.The BIO CITY is located on the historic site of the "Old Trade Fair Centre" in Leipzig. The 50-hectare site is continuously growing into a high-performance centre for knowledge-intensive companies. To date, around 355,000 m² of space has been sold, 105,000 m² of net building land is reserved exclusively for projects in the life sciences. Up to 7,000 new jobs are to be created by 2026 as part of several current development projects. However, Leipzig scores points not only for its infrastructure and land development, but also for its unique combination of research and business: Max Planck and Fraunhofer Institutes, the DHL Health Hub, the medtech accelerator medical:forge Leipzig and the GMP training programme QualiBioPharma are proof of the city's claim to systematically promote innovation. "biosaxony sees itself as a central point of contact - a one-stop shop for companies, start-ups and investors," says Hofmann.
A strong network, targeted relocation support from the city, state and partners, as well as the good availability of skilled workers make Leipzig an ideal location for the Biotechnology Days 2026. With the successful organisation of international formats such as BIO-Europe 2022 or the Finance Days 2024, the region has already positioned itself strongly on the European life sciences map. With the DBT 2026, another industry highlight will now take place in Leipzig.
Credit: Sera Z.Kurc Photography
