29.12.2025 / Discovery, invention and spin-offs – Nevine Shalaby, Head of Innovation & Entrepreneurship was interviewed by “Buch Inside” about the path from research to innovation. She discusses how her team supports marketable research discoveries made at the Max Delbrück Center.

What attracted you to your position at the Max Delbrück Center?

I hold a PhD in genetics and have built my career on experience in both academia and industry. What appeals to me is strengthening the bridge between academic research and industry. The key moment for me was an initial conversation with inventors at the center. They asked excellent questions about bringing their discoveries to market – all of them remarkable innovations. Here at the Max Delbrück Center, it’s about outstanding science and groundbreaking findings. The researchers are deeply passionate about their discoveries and eager to know how they can translate them into applications or spin-offs. Helping turn these innovations into marketable products is both a motivation and a great responsibility for me.

How is technology transfer currently structured, and what kind of impetus do you hope to provide?

We’re seeing many discoveries at the Max Delbrück Center that have clear potential as innovation or transfer projects. That’s why we’re investing significant time in scouting new projects. We engage directly with researchers to understand their work and are also deeply involved in assessing the market potential of the research we identify.

Since early 2025, we’ve scouted more than 30 new projects from over 15 principal investigators ­– 15 of them are now for the first time in focus. This has allowed us to significantly expand our innovation portfolio in diagnostics, therapeutics, research tools, and drug discovery/biomarker platforms.

Our Innovation & Entrepreneurship team focuses on three pillars: First, protecting intellectual property through effective patenting that safeguards ideas without delaying publication. Second, securing funding that allows researchers to focus on product development. And third, proactive business development, which connects projects early on with the right industry partners, experts, and investors. This integrated approach ensures that scientific discoveries at the Max Delbrück Center can evolve into viable products that benefit patients.

We also want to show that founding a company is a creative and rewarding process. That’s why we promote an entrepreneurial mindset across the center and strengthen researchers’ ties to Berlin’s innovation ecosystem. Successful spin-offs support our Strategy 2030 by attracting top talent and strengthening our societal impact.

How do you support the transition from research to marketable products?

Next to scouting, securing funding, and expanding industry partnerships, we focus on  training and networks. Internal funding programs like BOOST (Proof-of-Idea) and PreGoBio (Proof-of-Concept) support projects in critical early phases. We recently shifted BOOST from a yearly to a rolling call – so researchers can now apply as soon as they have an idea, without having to wait months. This has already increased participation and accelerates preparation for larger or external funding rounds. Our team also helps researchers apply for grants through programs such as Helmholtz Enterprise, ERC Proof-of-Concept, or Go-Bio from the Federal Ministry of Research. These grants help develop ideas in ways that make them more suitable for licensing or spin-offs.

Launching a life science start-up requires new skills, market understanding, and venture capital. How do you support that?

Founding a start-up requires both commitment from the inventors and strong support from our team. We provide tools and guidance and help researchers connect with venture capitalists and experienced entrepreneurs early on – so they can better understand the practical realities of launching a start-up. We also support participation in accelerator and incubator programs like the Digital Health Accelerator, CLIC Incubator (BIH and Charité), and the Creative Destruction Lab, all of which offer structured coaching, mentoring, and networking opportunities. We also offer dedicated incubation space on campus, allowing founders to leave their academic labs and work as “sciencepreneurs” on their products. It’s not an easy path – but we provide as much support as possible.

In cooperation with the H3 Health Hub and other Helmholtz institutes, we offer workshops on pharma development and regulatory processes, where experts not only cover the steps of product development but also provide early feedback on projects. We’re also developing our own incubator and accelerator programs and we regularly bring researchers together with venture capital and industry partners at networking events and pitch days.

Building the right team is crucial for any start-up, right?

Absolutely. From day one, it’s vital to bring in business expertise. That’s why we’ve just introduced a new role: Entrepreneur-in-Residence. The first person with this title here is Dr. Klaas Yperman, who will work with Professor Gary Lewin on the soon-to-launch spin-off Allothera, which aims to develop new therapies for patients with neuropathic pain. In the future, this kind of role could be a permanent part of financial planning – offering an alternative to traditional postdoc positions that focus solely on academic research. It’s a way to unlock commercial potential and increase the chances of attracting investors.

Who are your strategic partners?

We collaborate with numerous partners in both the public and private sectors. As part of the Helmholtz Association, we work closely with other life science centers. In Berlin, our strategic partnership with Charité – Universitätsmedizin and the Berlin Institute of Health is particularly important. Thanks to close ties between researchers and clinicians, we’re able to share many of our inventions with them. We also collaborate with industry partners like Bruker on developing high-tech research instruments. 

The BiotechPark on campus – with more than 70 companies, pharma business schools, and the Berlin BioScience Academy’s “Talk im Cube format”– offers a wealth of expertise. Through partnerships like UNITE, the new start-up factory for Berlin and Brandenburg, we aim to structurally improve support for our researchers in the capital region. 

One key project is to establish an incubator with laboratory facilities for start-ups at the BerlinBioCube start-up center.

This is an exciting prospect that we are working hard to achieve. We currently have several projects in the pipeline that are about to take a leap from the academic environment – led by “sciencepreneurs.” Our goal is to support these projects as they move from our incubator to the BioCube – a dynamic ecosystem of like-minded individuals who are all tackling similar challenges. In this way, we promote exchange and collaboration and, ultimately, mutual growth.

Source :nterview: Christine Minkewitz / buchinside
Standortjournal „buchinside“