Which networks do start-ups in the health and sports sector need in order to grow successfully? And what key features are essential for a supportive health hub? These were the central questions on stage at our event, moderated by Marc Kley and Dr Marita Mehlstäubl of Gateway ESC and Dr Anja Chevalier of Gateway Gründungsservice at the German Sports University Cologne.

Our Health & Sports event featured a panel discussion that highlighted both the startup and ecosystem perspectives. It was a great opportunity for our international guests to dive into the lively start-up ecosystem and discover how Cologne is evolving as an international hub for health and life sciences.

While the product of W1NNAS, represented on the night by co-founders Ben Decker, from the Gateway network, is very different to that of our guest start-up team coldXray from Finland, represented by co-founder Petr Obraztsov, they identified many similarities in a moderated discussion after their pitches. Both teams faced delays to market launch because of regulations and extensive product testing. Health hubs can help by connecting with peers and opening doors.

Best practice examples for successful supporting infrastructures were presented by André van Hall, General Manager of BioCampus Cologne and from our international speaker Iiro Uotila, General Manager of the Finnish Terkko Health Hub. The University Hospital Cologne and CECAD Cologne are key stakeholders in the health ecosystem of Cologne and were represented on the panel by Professor Roman-Ulrich Müller, Principal Investigator, Professor of Translational Nephrology.

The panelists all agreed that health hubs must be close to clinics and the university to engage with researchers, practitioners, and students. Co-creation cannot happen in isolation.

 We would like to thank everyone for an inspiring event with international collaboration and networking! 

25. April 2023  · 18:30-22:00 Uhr

Impressionen 

Launch Event am 25. April 2023

@ The Ship, Vitalisstraße 67, 50827 Köln