I recently attended the 10th edition of the Biotech Press-Lounge, a networking event where top researchers and multipliers of the biotech industry get the opportunity to exchange views in a relaxed atmosphere. The event takes place three times a year at the Faculty Club G2B (Gateway to Biotech), located in the heart of the Campus Martinsried at the site of the Innovation and Start-up Center for Biotechnology (IZB).
CEOs, board executives and press representatives from biotech, pharma and venture capital companies are invited to this event. In addition, journalists writing for daily newspapers as well as business, biotech and pharmaceutical media participate in the Biotech Press-Lounge. Three impulse talks on current topics are held by multipliers of the industry. The guests have the opportunity to continue the discussion with the speakers after their presentations. Thus, in recent years, the Biotech Press-Lounge has established itself as a great networking event within the industry.
For those who didn't get to attend (the event is limited to 100 guests) I have provided a brief summary below:
Dr. Peter Hanns Zobel, Managing Director of the IZB, gave a warm welcome to the 100 attendees. Eva Müller, journalist at the Manager Magazine, moderated the event in a very eloquent way.
Always providing great input to the attendees, I got the chance to listen to Dr. Hubert Birner, Managing Partner of TVM Capital GmbH who spoke about sleepless nights in Munich as a "clinical phenomenon in the VC industry". He's responsible for TVM Capital Life Science’s overall investment strategy and fund operations in North America and Europe and shared some interesting insights in his daily work.
The second speaker was Phil L'Huillier, representing the MSD Innovation Hub as their Head of Business Development for Europe & Middle East. Although he was struggling a bit answering the question, why the new European Discovery Research Center (EDRC) is now located in London (Brexit?!) he gave an impressive overview of MSDs partnering strategy and their future plans with the EDRC.
Last but not least, group leader at the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (belonging to LMU Munich), Dr. Ali Ertürk, left everyone speechless with his input about transformative technologies to accelerate biomedical research and treat deadly diseases in our life time. Being interested in understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to chronic neurodegeneration after traumatic brain injury, they are using leading-edge imaging technologies including 3D imaging of the entire transparent brains to develop breakthrough approaches to treat consequences of acute injuries in the CNS. Definitely a representative of the "ONES TO WATCH" league in the next years.
The number of participants is limited to 100 guests, so prior registering with izb@izb-online.de is necessary!
I'll definitely be back again in May 2019, see you there!
"An impressive event with an interesting audience and exciting presentations, which highlighted the strength of the biotech industry in Munich." Ph.D. Mick Cooper, Healthcare and Life Sciences Analyst, Trinity Delta
