April sent a signal that will reach far beyond the month: the mayors of Heidelberg and Mainz, Eckart Würzner and Nino Haase, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration between both life science regions.

For bioRN, this is far more than a symbolic gesture. Thought of as one connected innovation space, the Rhine-Main and Rhine-Neckar regions form one of Europe’s most dynamic life science corridors. This MoU is the accelerator for the next stage of development—through shared platforms, stronger networks and faster translation of research into application. Read the press news

The same spirit was also evident at the German Biotech Days 2026 in Leipzig. BioRN was represented by Dr. Julia Schaft as spokesperson for the AK BioRegio and Friedemann Loos as a jury member for the Innovation Award of the German BioRegions. One message stood out clearly: Germany is serious about biotechnology. Anchored as one of the six pillars of the national high-tech strategy and backed by strong political commitment, there is great ambition. The real question now is speed: How quickly can innovation achieve real impact?

At our bioRN Lounge, Katharina Hölzle brought exactly this perspective to the stage. Her impulse on “Foresight for Future Readiness” made one thing clear: foresight is not a luxury - it is a muscle we must train. Baden-Württemberg is already one of the world’s leading innovation regions, but stronger lighthouse projects, real regulatory sandboxes and greater technological sovereignty are essential to stay ahead. Read more

At the bioRN MarCom Breakfast, more than 40 MarCom professionals explored how AI is changing communication. One shared conclusion: AI can support us-but empathy, authenticity and strong storytelling remain deeply human strengths. And these strengths are best expressed in face-to-face meetings.
That´s why we are already looking forward to seeing you again! 

1) 4.-5. May: Swiss Biotech Days. Meet bioRN at the Global Village , Booth GV7.1 Level 3   
3) 8 May, 9-10:30am (online via Zoom): bioRN HR Breakfast Community: Neue Wege im Recruiting: StudiumPLUS, Register here 
2) 18.-20 May: At re:publica 2026 in Berlin, bioRN will showcase its sucess stories together with 20 cluster and campus initiatives of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). more Information here
3) 19 May, 6pm @Urban Kitchen Heidelberg: bioRN Lounge with Dr. Alba Diz-Muñoz, Interim Head of the Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit and Research Group Leader ERC and ADI Investigator at EMBL on .>> More than the sum: Cellular bioengineering to study cell mechanics and function. Register here
4) 11 June at 12 pm @Business Development Center Heidelberg: Presentation of the German Biotechnology Report,  More information here

Don´t miss further news from the network at the bioRN website.
Find out about new bioRN events here and get the latest news about funding and growth opportunities at
03 | Opportunities.

We wish you a happy and sunny 1 May.