60 scientists and industry representatives from both countries presented their current research and technology. A study tour to the Leibniz Institute Farm Animals (Dummerstorf), the Miltenyi Biotec GmbH (Teterow) and the Biomedical Research Centre (Rostock) gave a strong impression on the different sectors of the biotechnology cluster in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In total more than 100 representatives from science, business and administration participated in the Forum.
Current challenges in both countries are for example the control of nosocomial infections in hospitals like MRSA or biomass material use or conversion to bioenergy. Concerning these topics some best practice examples of cooperation were presented at the conference: Due to the Biotech network activities BioCon Valley established sustainable contacts to the State Medical Academy of Smolensk regarding cooperation in the field of microbiology and multi-resistant hospital strains. In the area of bioenergy the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ) Leipzig built up cooperation with Russian institutions in Kazan, Orel, and Nizhny Novgorod during the Forum 2012 in Kazan leading to a joint project application in the funding program of the “National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030” of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
The Forum in Rostock offered participants the opportunity to intensify such cooperation and to establish new contacts. Several participants from Russia used their visit to Germany for additional visits to institutions to which they had got into contact due to the activities of the Network.
The German-Russian Network Biotechnology
The German-Russian Network Biotechnology with financial support of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) since 2005 has established a community of skilled scientists and companies. It is by now well known in Russia and Germany and has earned a reputation as a reliable partner. There exists a broad overview of the biotechnology landscape in both countries and regular information exchange. The partners of the network represent important areas of the bio-technological landscape in Germany and Russia.
