The Future of Medicine: Helmholtz Munich Opens Innovation Campus

The new building provides an open space design, co-working spaces, and high-tech laboratory areas to foster young and innovative top scientists. Highly qualified researchers from around the world will collaborate across different disciplines and research areas at the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus. They combine, for instance, the disciplines of artificial intelligence with biomedicine and engineering in addition to Helmholtz Munich's award-winning diabetes research. New cutting-edge technologies with an unprecedented impact on medical research will emerge from this multidisciplinary collaboration. The new building can accommodate up to 20 pioneering groups and start-ups, providing a total of 200 workstations. This outstanding new research infrastructure in the vibrant Munich area will pave new roads for internationally connected cutting-edge research in Germany.

Prof. Matthias Tschöp, Helmholtz Munich CEO and founding director of the Pioneer Campus emphasizes the significance for Helmholtz Munich: „Thanks to the Pioneer Campus, highly skilled young talents from all over the world will be drawn to Munich to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams, working on breakthrough innovations and new technologies. The Pioneer Campus is not only an accelerator for driving biomedical solutions to the patient’s bedside, but it will also be a global scale game-changer for biomedical research.”

A Flagship Project of the Helmholtz Association at the Munich Location

Prof. Otmar Wiestler, President of the Helmholtz Association, adds: "The Pioneer Campus is a flagship project within the Helmholtz Association. Here, we aim to bring talents together pushing the boundaries of health research and implementing unconventional ideas."

Markus Blume, Bavarian State Minister for Science and Arts explains at the opening ceremony: „The Helmholtz Pioneer Campus impresses with magnificent architecture and a wonderful view of the Alps and the Allianz Arena - a unique setting for outstanding research, for home and high-tech! The Helmholtz Association is the perfect partner for Bavaria. Together, we have the determination to shape progress. Together, we enter a new era: Helmholtz is also on board for our M1 - Munich Medicine Alliance, dedicated to cutting-edge medicine.“

Judith Pirscher, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, points out: „Novel approaches and researchers collaborating across disciplines are required for the process of translation. As we see our resort as ministry of opportunities, we want to enable new perspectives on medical research. The needed exchange between top scientists is happening right here at the Pioneer Campus. Therefore, the Federal Government supports this unique concept by providing 90 percent of the institutional funding for the Helmholtz Centers and 55 percent of the budget for the new building.“

Biomedicine Meets Artificial Intelligence and Bioengineering

The Helmholtz Pioneer Campus encompasses three central research areas: Bioengineering,Biomedicine, and Biomedical AImaking it an integral part of the strategic goals of Helmholtz Munich. Cutting-edge technologies including but not limited to stem cell research, bioengineering, medical imaging, and artificial intelligence will be connected and further developed in an interdisciplinary manner. This enables early detection, more specific diagnosis, and personalized treatment of complex diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the area provides a closely linked collaboration cluster with numerous research institutions, universities, and companies.

With ERC-like starter packages, flat hierarchies, and streamlined administrative procedures, the Pioneer Campus is a stepping stone for young talents to establish their own ideas, concepts, and technologies on a global scale and to rapidly translate their research into medical innovations.