Heidelberg and Mainz agree on joint innovation partnership - Strengthening the Neckar-Rhine-Main biotech region

Heidelbergs Oberbürgermeister Eckart Würzner sagte: „Mit unserer Partnerschaft setzen wir ein klares Signal: Nur durch Zusammenarbeit können deutsche und europäische Innovationsräume im globalen Wettbewerb bestehen. Denn die internationale Konkurrenz in den Bereichen Life Sciences, Biotechnologie und DeepTech wächst rasant. Regionen wie Boston, Cambridge oder Singapur zeigen, wie wichtig starke, vernetzte Innovationsökosysteme für wissenschaftlichen Fortschritt, wirtschaftliche Dynamik und die Ansiedlung zukunftsweisender Unternehmen sind. Daher ist unsere Kooperation bewusst offen für weitere Partner, die sich dem Ziel einer starken, überregionalen Innovationsregion anschließen möchten.“

Lord Mayor Nino Haase, State Capital of Mainz, emphasized: "Mainz and Heidelberg are exemplary for the strength of our entire region. With this partnership, we are bringing key players closer together and creating new momentum for innovation, start-ups and growth. We want to leverage the existing potential in a targeted manner, increase our international appeal and work together to turn excellent research into concrete applications and economic success even faster. I am therefore all the more pleased that we will soon be able to welcome Heidelberg to Mainz - because true collaboration begins with actively living it from the very beginning."

Shared strengths for a strong innovation region

Heidelberg and Mainz see themselves as key players in a biotech and innovation region that stretches from Mainz in the north via Darmstadt and Kaiserslautern to the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region with Heidelberg, Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, and on to Karlsruhe and Heilbronn. This cohesive innovation area is one of the most dynamic technology and science locations in Germany and offers great potential for start-up growth in biotechnology, health, artificial intelligence and deep tech.

The partnership aims to network this ecosystem more closely, pool strengths and create framework conditions that can compete with regions such as Munich or Berlin.

Heidelberg and Mainz have excellent scientific institutions, internationally renowned clinics, a lively start-up scene and fast-growing biotech companies. Building on this, the collaboration is based on the following pillars:

• Complementary strengths: Heidelberg is a leading international location for basic research, translation and data-driven medicine. Mainz has made a name for itself worldwide as a strong research location with its biotechnology and vaccine innovations and has strong industrial value chains.
• Dynamic start-up ecosystems: Both cities actively promote start-ups and spin-offs from science and clinics and have growing venture and innovation networks.
• High international visibility: The region is already a globally recognized life science hotspot - this needs to be made even more visible.
• Shared responsibility for the future: The cities want to create framework conditions that accelerate innovation, attract talent and ensure sustainable economic strength for the location.

From vision to concrete implementation: the key points of the agreement

With the MoU, Heidelberg and Mainz have committed themselves to close strategic and operational cooperation. This includes in particular

• Joint programs and projects of the two technology parks
• Testbeds, sandbox formats and start-up services, that give companies and founders access to both locations
• Supra-regional infrastructure and land development, to support growth and relocations
• Exchange formats between companies, research and clinics
• Joint location marketing and internationalization, to make the region globally visible