Independent Life Science Factory to promote start-ups set up by Sartorius

Sartorius, an international partner of the biopharmaceutical industry and research sector, has set up an independent Life Science Factory aimed at promoting start-ups and attracting entrepreneurs from the life science sector.

This offering has been based on a model that has already been established in the US and used as a launch pad for life science start-ups. It will provide for the interaction of lab areas, co-working rooms and network offerings, such as mentoring and company financing.

“In this combination, such an approach is new in Germany and other European countries,” commented Sartorius executive board chairman and CEO Joachim Kreuzburg. “Life science start-ups primarily lack suitable lab facilities and a powerful network, apart from access to start-up and growth capital. Flexible and open-design spaces for labs, offices and events are a good breeding ground for trying out new things and sharing contacts and experiences with like-minded peers and veteran founders.”

Life Science Factory will work closely with local partners, such as Göttingen’s universities, Max-Planck institutes and the Southern Lower Saxony Innovation Campus, SNIC, and, beyond these, with its wider network. For example, the non-profit will be the venue for start-up activities of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, application-oriented research organisation.

Business is expected to be ready to start early next year (2019) in office space in the inner city of Göttingen, offering more than 500 square metres for co-working, experiments and events, which can be rented by entrepreneurs for working and prototype building. The offices will also offer the latest equipment, such as 3D printers and laser cutters. In addition, lectures to be held by patent attorneys or successful start-up founders, are scheduled as are further events addressing start-up issues. Any earnings generated by Life Science Factory will be reinvested in the promotion of knowledge transfer and of young scientists and researchers.

In 2021, Life Science Factory plans to move to the new Sartorius Quarter, providing a total area of more than 3,000 square metres, the new facility will be one of the first buildings to open in the new city quarter at the previous Sartorius site.

“Our former company headquarters was always a place of taking entrepreneurial initiative and of turning science into practical industrial solutions, especially in life sciences. For this reason, the Sartorius Quarter is also designed to continue as a place for ideas and innovations in the future as well,” stated Kreuzburg. “Through this Life Science Factory, our company is upholding its long-term commitment to this location and thus to also close a gap in Göttingen.”