2016-06-23

At 4:30 pm of June 23^rd, 2016, Dr. Walter HU, Deputy Secretary General visited Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology in Leipzig with the companionship of Mr. Henrich Guntermann, CEO of European Consortium of Technology Transfer (ECTT). Dr. HU met with Mr. Thomas Tradler, Head of Business Development and Patent Management of the Institute, both parties discussed the future cooperation.

Dr. Walter HU and Mr. Thomas Tradler (Right), Mr. Henrich Guntermann

Mr. Thomas Tradler firstly introduced Fraunhofer Institute. Fraunhofer Institute is the largest applied science research organization in Germany and Europe. It was founded in 1949 and named after Joseph Fraunhofer, German scientist, inventor and entrepreneur. The headquarters of the Institute is located in Munich and the Institute has more than 80 research units with R & D funding of 1 billion euros. Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology in Leipzig is one of those research units. Mr. Henrich Guntermann introduced that the Government of Saxony State, where Leipzig was in, attached great importance to the sci-tech innovation that would boost the local economy. The Government of Saxony State had promulgated very favorable policies for those R & D institutions and encouraged them to set up R & D centers in the State. Mr. Tradler confirmed these words, and mentioned that the establishment of this research unit greatly benefitted from the support of the State Government. He furthered his introduction, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology was equipped with the advanced facilities and had made a series of achievements in the world. The Institute was just located beside National Library of Germany and Leipzig University. The Medical School of Leipzig University formed the close partnership with the Institute. Besides, the Institute itself was the incubator for various applied technologies and formed the compound development model that integrated the basic research, applied research and sci-tech incubation into one entity, which significantly shortened the span between the laboratory research and the market application.

Dr. HU expressed his great interest as for Mr. Tradler’s words. He introduced that ECMDC was selecting high-quality European partners as for EU-China Sci-Tech Financial Center. With the advanced facilities, excellent researchers and the prestigious reputation in the professional circle, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology was just the ideal partner ECMDC was looking for. The strategic partner of ECMDC, Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee put its great efforts to develop pharmaceutical industry, so, there would be a very promising future between the Institute and its Chinese counterparts. Mr. Tradler was delighted to express his willingness of carrying out the close cooperation with ECMDC and applied the advanced pharmaceutical technologies to Chinese market in order to improve the welfare of Chinese people.

Mr. Guntermann remarked, ECTT would like to assist Chinese pharmaceutical companies in setting up their R & D centers in Leipzig through the platform of the Institute. What had blocked the sci-tech innovation in China might be breached in Leipzig. He pointed out that, as for the fact that there was a huge gap between Chinese pharmaceutical industry and international counterparts, to set up R & D centers in Leipzig would be a very good method of upgrading R & D competency of Chinese companies. In the meanwhile, the mature pharmaceutical technologies could be shared with Chinese partners in real time. Dr. HU seconded Mr. Guntermann’s opinion. He said, ECMDC would evaluate the proposal with Chinese partners and draw up the road map of cooperation with a view to introducing the advanced German pharmaceutical technologies into China and upgrading the related Chinese industry as soon as possible. Mr. Tradler said, the Institute would be very cooperative in this field and it could become the pharmaceutical cooperation center between Germany and China in the future in collaboration with ECMDC.