BioLabs announces strategic partnership with Novo Nordisk in Europe

Heidelberg is the leading life science region in southwestern Germany, which is the birthplace of companies such as BioNTech, Cellzome, ImClone, Phenex and Ganymed. Biolabs Heidelberg, the first European site of BioLabs, will play an essential role in this ecosystem to foster entrepreneurial spirit and innovation here. With 2,200 sqm of shared laboratory and office space, BioLabs Heidelberg offers young and promising entrepreneurs scalable space and resources for growth and innovation.

BioLabs Paris will open in 2023 at the Hôtel Dieu hospital. The launching of this 1500m² premium life science coworking facility plays a central role in the @Hôtel-Dieu initiative. Launched by the AP-HP and the Université Paris Cité, it aims to connect the 39 AP-HP hospitals and create a place of open innovation in health that will enhance the existing dynamic life science community.

As part of the European partnership, global healthcare company Novo Nordisk will provide expertise and offer guidance to start-up companies at both BioLabs sites. Throughout creatioNN, as the partnership is called, Novo Nordisk will be offering ‘Golden Tickets’ to two companies once per year, which will provide the winners with free lab space in Heidelberg or Paris.

Johannes Fruehauf, CEO of BioLabs, states, "I am very happy to see Novo Nordisk among our sponsors here in Europe, as I personally know the people at Novo Nordisk from long-standing areas of cooperation in the US. With their unique know-how and their commitment, they provide our start-ups with valuable support and expertise in the BioLabs ecosystem."

Ann-Kristin Mueller, Director of Lab Operations in Heidelberg, adds, "Here in Heidelberg, we are excited to welcome Novo Nordisk as our sixth site sponsor. I am very confident that Novo Nordisk’s expertise in key disease areas will match perfectly with the research and start-up environment here in Heidelberg."

“We are delighted to count Novo Nordisk as one of our first sponsors in France. This partnership will be of great value for our future residents specialized in key fields such as diabetes, growth disorders, Hemophilia and Sickle cell disease,” said Johanna Michielin, Country Manager BioLabs France.

“Novo Nordisk is committed to accelerate high-impact innovation wherever it originates, and we want to help small life science start-ups, academic innovators and aspiring biotech entrepreneurs succeed by giving them access to and support from a biotech innovation ecosystem. This partnership will also allow us to connect our internal research organisation with life science entrepreneurs to power the next wave of scientific breakthroughs,” said Daniel Timmermann, Head of Innovation, Global Drug Discovery at Novo Nordisk.