Press

• Start of construction just one year after the official launch of the project
• Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil acknowledges the significance of the project for Germany as supporting environment for innovative companies
• Opening of the center planned for 2028

By focusing on the “translation” of medicine, the Berlin Center for Gene and Cell Therapies aims to accelerate the rate at which groundbreaking technologies are translated from basic research into treatment options more quickly. Gene and cell therapies bring hope to people when conventional therapies have failed or when no effective treatment options exist.

This initiative aims to create a biotech ecosystem which supports start-ups to bring their novel therapeutic approaches into clinical development. The center is significantly funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as well as the State of Berlin.
Since the project’s launch in June 2024, Charité and Bayer have welcomed the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) as an additional partner. Today, together with project developer iQ spaces, the three partners participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new building that will serve as the centerpiece of the project.

At Berlin’s Nordhafen, a state-of-the-art building with approximately 20,000 m² is being constructed to house the BC GCT. Among the tenants will be Bayer Co.Lab, Bayer's start-up incubator that has been supporting biopharma startups since 2024 with fully equipped labs, offices, expertise, and networks. With its relocation and expansion in 2028, Bayer Co.Lab will contribute its experience to the new project and the community that is taking shape around it.

The BC GCT will feature an incubator with fully equipped laboratory and office space, providing room for 15 to 20 start-ups at various stages of development. An additional aspect is a facility certified by Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production facility for the development of gene and cell therapies up to clinical phase II.

The architectural firm HENN has been commissioned with the general planning. The incubator will be operated by Gene and Cell Therapies Incubator Berlin GmbH, which Charité and Bayer founded specifically for this purpose. BIH has commissioned the Berlin-based CDMO ProBioGen AG to operate the GMP facility. The Berlin Center for Gene and Cell Therapies is scheduled to open in 2028.

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The potential for cell and gene therapies (CGTs) is considered to be enormous. By targeting diseases at the genetic and cellular level, CGTs could offer options to people for whom conventional therapies have failed or where no effective treatment is currently available.

In order to translate basic research into benefits for patients faster, Charité and Bayer will establish the Berlin Center for Gene and Cell Therapies on the Bayer campus at Berlin Nordhafen. The center will support start-ups bringing their innovative approaches in the area of cell therapies and gene therapies into clinical development. To achieve this, the center will include a so-called incubator with fully equipped laboratory space and a production area certified according to the standards of good manufacturing practice (GMP). Incubators are facilities that accompany start-ups developing their innovative ideas and helping them build viable business models. These early-stage companies will receive advice on regulatory requirements, clinical trials, patent rights and business development. To operate the incubator, Bayer and Charité will establish a joint public-private, non-profit company with limited liability. Charité will own 67 percent of this company, with Bayer owning the remaining 33 percent.

The Berlin Center for Gene and Cell Therapies will bring together research, development and the manufacturing of cell therapies and gene therapies in the heart of Berlin. Purposely embedding it within the Berlin ecosystem, a European capital with a large number of biomedical and healthcare facilities, it is intended to become a creative and interactive hub for biotech innovations in the area of CGT. The project is funded by both the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the State of Berlin. Construction is planned to begin in 2025.

Get an impression here.

Please download the press photos for print and digital media here.