How your location in the life sciences industry influences your PR success
Germany is home to numerous life sciences hotspots. We present the most important ones and show how setting up a branch in a hub also benefits your PR-efforts.
Okay, let's start with the obvious: Life science, medical, and biotech companies like to settle in clusters, hubs, or hotspots. So far, so good. But what are the specific advantages for them in terms of communication? And where are the most important life science hotspots in Germany?
In this article, we summarize how your company's location influences your PR success. We also present the seven most important life science hubs in the country.
How does your location influence your PR success in the life sciences industry?
Companies in the life sciences industries often settle in the same city, region, or state. This applies to startups as well as established companies. Other important stakeholders are often found in the immediate vicinity, for example:
Providers of laboratory and production services
Universities
(University) hospitals
Industry associations and/or innovation and start-up centers
Political decision-makers
This geographical proximity has a direct positive effect on your communication within the community, especially in these three areas:
Events, local and out-of-home marketing
If your location is home to an entire life sciences hub, your local and out-of-home marketing will not take place in a vacuum. Even with simple posters, you are not only advertising yourself, but also acting as a member of a community that collectively contributes to the prestige of the location. This is an opportunity. It makes your communication authentic and gives you the purpose of being part of a shared success story. In addition, you are always present at local events such as association meetings, trade fairs, and the like, and can easily engage in important networking.
You can see our expertise in event management and communication here, for example, in our case study about our cooperation with Kleinanzeigen.
Employer Branding
Life science hotspots concentrate a lot of brainpower in a relatively small area. As an employer, you have access to a large pool of experienced candidates there. In addition, the proximity to relevant universities ensures a steady supply of excellently trained high potentials. Added to this are skilled workers from outside the area who are attracted by the favorable conditions at your location. This is invaluable for your employer branding, as it increases your attractiveness as an employer.
Alongside innovation communication, employer branding is our most important pillar at PIO. So be sure to check out our cases on our projects with eBay and Konsum Leipzig.
Political Communication
Life science hubs don't just happen. They are the result of local politics. Local political decision-makers are aware of the advantages that a well-connected community of research, startups, and industry brings to their region. They want to attract companies as employers and often provide financial support for their establishment and success. By choosing your location, you also decide on your access to these decision-makers and win them over as allies.
These are Germany's seven most important life science hubs
So much for the theory. For startups or companies looking for the right place to set up shop—or simply wanting to get an overview—the question arises: Which are the most important life science hubs in Germany and what sets them apart? That's why we're sharing our personal list of the best locations in the country with you:
No. 1: The Berlin/Brandenburg capital region
Berlin is poor, but sexy? Not when it comes to life sciences! The capital and its surrounding area in Brandenburg set the tone in this regard. The metropolitan region is considered a leader in the fields of healthcare and healthcare provision. It also boasts a unique concentration of science, clinics, and business. More than 760 companies benefit from the clinical research landscape and proximity to political decision-makers. This applies to global companies such as Bayer Schering and Pfizer as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. For startups looking for a location, the high density of science and technology parks, such as the Potsdam Science Park and the Berlin-Adlershof Science and Technology Park, is also attractive.
No. 2: Munich
As a life sciences hub, Munich benefits from its close links between academic research and the biotech industry. The majority of biotechnology companies based there are spin-offs from local scientific institutions. These include renowned institutions such as Ludwig Maximilian University, the Technical University of Munich, and the three Max Planck Institutes for Biochemistry, Biological Intelligence, and Psychiatry. Many companies in Munich focus on red biotechnology, i.e., the pharmaceutical and medical sector. The Bavarian capital is a real hotspot, especially for personalized medicine and immunotherapy.
No. 3: The Rhine-Neckar region around Mannheim and Heidelberg
Alongside Munich, the Rhine-Neckar region is also a hotspot for red biotechnology. The region is currently home to around two hundred companies, corporations, and research institutions, all located within a 30-kilometer radius of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, and Darmstadt. Local research institutions include the internationally renowned University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg University Hospital, Mannheim Technical University, the German Cancer Research Center, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research.
No. 4: North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany's most populous federal state. It is no surprise that a dedicated life sciences hub has developed around Düsseldorf and Cologne. Today, there are around 120 specialized biotech companies in North Rhine-Westphalia. Almost 6,800 people are employed in the biotech industry within the federal state. At the same time, it is one of the strongest magnets for financial resources. Around 30 percent of investment in research and development in Germany flows into North Rhine-Westphalia every year. Added to this is an excellent research landscape, which includes the University of Cologne, RWTH Aachen University, and the University of Bonn.
No. 5: Hamburg / Schleswig-Holstein
Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein are considered hubs in the medical technology, biotech, pharmaceutical, and digital health sub-sectors. Local expertise covers a wide range of areas, including imaging, surgical technology, AI integration, molecular diagnostics, precision medicine, implantology, orthopedics, laboratory equipment, drug research, and platform technologies. In addition, there are important research institutions such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Marine Biotechnology and Cell Technology, the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, the German Electron Synchrotron, and the European XFEL (X-Ray Free-Electron Laser). Two university hospitals in Hamburg-Eppendorf and Schleswig-Holstein complete the picture
No. 6: Saxony
Okay, as an agency based in Leipzig, we may be a bit biased with this one. But objectively speaking, Saxony is a real hub for medical technology, medical devices, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. Leipzig in particular is considered a hotspot for biotechnology, with more than 220 companies, 13 research institutes, and 5,300 employees working in the sector. The most important research institutions include the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, the Helmholtz Institute for Metabolism, Obesity and Vascular Research, the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
As true local patriots, we too have done our part to strengthen Saxony's local biotech hub. In an exciting rebranding process, we helped transform biosaxony into the life science enabler leap:up. You can find the whole case study here.
No. 7: Baden-Wuerttemberg
The greater Stuttgart area in the state of Baden-Württemberg is home to an impressive biotechnology cluster. It is home to the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation, and the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology. In addition to biotechnology, the region's particular strengths lie in the fields of healthcare, mechatronics, medical technology, production technology, and engineering.
Whether you're a startup or an established company, your choice of location in the life sciences industry also influences your success. The same applies to communication. With our overview of the most important hotspots in Germany, you now know which regions are particularly relevant for you and what they have to offer.
Are you involved in life sciences or another innovative industry? Our PIO BEYOND team can help you turn your complex solutions into compelling stories.
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Nerses Chopurian
Nerses is Managing Director of PIO, the communications agency that asks what matters. With more than 20 years of experience in the communications industry, he has particular expertise in corporate and innovation communications.