At the beginning of October, a delegation from the State Development Corporation of Thuringia undertook a trip to northern Italy with the InfectoGnostics Research Campus Jena to present the Thuringian life science sector in Modena and Milan.
On the first day of the trip, the participants visited the "Tecnopolo Mario Veronesi" innovation center in Modena, where they were welcomed by Prof. Aldo Tomasi and Barbara Bulgarelli from the cluster management and gained initial insights into the innovation landscape of the Emilia-Romagna region during a tour of the center. This was followed by an exchange with Prof. Tommaso Trenti, an expert in point-of-care testing (POCT) and manager for innovative technologies in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia. During their visit to the BT Expo in Modena, the Thuringian players presented Thuringia's life science sector and exchanged experiences with experts in regenerative medicine.
The trip then continued to Milan to the San Raffaele Clinic, Italy's largest private hospital, where intensive discussions took place on immunology, transplantation and infectious diseases. The delegation also explored the private BioBank operated by BioRep at the San Raffaele Clinic. In addition, the Thuringian delegation in Milan also presented the Free State's research and development in the field of life sciences: InfectoGnostics presented the latest diagnostic procedures being developed at the research campus and explained the principle of public-private cooperation between research, industry and clinics. The company VIVISOL presented itself as an example of an Italian company settling in Thuringia.
On the last day of the trip, new diagnostic systems, including "Capsula" from a company of the same name, were presented in the Innovator Space "Talent Garden". Talks with representatives from DiaPro and Lightscience as well as the Lombardia Cluster rounded off the trip. After a brief stop at a reception of the German consulate to mark German Unity Day, the delegation boarded the flight back to Germany.
Representatives of the Thuringian delegation expressed their confidence in intensifying cooperation with northern Italy in the future. For the Free State, this trip marked an important step towards strengthening international cooperation in the field of life sciences.