Biotechnology in dialogue: Parliamentary breakfast on gene and cell therapies

On June 27, 2025, BIO Deutschland, together with Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité, hosted a parliamentary breakfast at the Käfer restaurant in the German Bundestag. The aim of the event was to promote political dialogue on innovation and investment in the field of gene and cell therapies. After introductory remarks by Christiane Landsberg (Thermo Fisher Scientific), BIO Deutschland Managing Director Viola Bronsema moderated the event and later gave an overview of the biotechnology ecosystem in Germany and Europe with the help of a presentation by Olivier Litzka, who was unfortunately unable to attend due to illness.

The event was enriched by two keynote speeches by Christopher Baum, Chairman of the BIH Executive Board and Director of Translational Research at Charité, and Ulrike Köhl, Director of the Institute for Clinical Immunology at Leipzig University Hospital and Professor of Immuno-Oncology at Leipzig University. Both emphasized the central role of research in the field of gene and cell therapies for the future of healthcare. The joint breakfast provided participating members of parliament and other political stakeholders with an opportunity for open exchange with the experts.