Scholz envisions a vibrant, bustling city akin to Boston, dubbing it "Spree on the Go".
At the cutting edge of fundamental research, yet Germany tends to stumble in implementation. A novel hub in Berlin aspires to rectify this. Charité and Bayer plan to progress cell and gene therapies for combatting incurable diseases here.
The Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, recognizes the potential in cell and gene therapies for battling incurable ailments. At the groundbreaking ceremony for the Translation Center for Cell and Gene Therapies of the University Hospital Charité and the Pharmaceutical Company Bayer AG in Berlin, he emphasized the need to transition successful German research directly into treatments. This establishment could be the nucleus of an extensive network of gene and cell-based therapies, with Berlin possibly transforming into a "Boston on the Spree," a reference to a similar facility on the Eastern U.S. coast.
Charité holds about two-thirds of the stake, while Bayer AG claims one-third at the Translation Center in Berlin. The construction is slated for 2025. According to Scholz, the aim is to develop treatments that enable patients worldwide to recover or maintain their health. "That's precisely the gap we aim to bridge with this center, from basic research to application," Scholz said. "In basic research, we excel traditionally in Germany. However, when it comes to application, we occasionally still face language barriers. We aim to change that."
Clearly, innovative technologies like these necessitate initial government funding, and thus the Government is backing the project with approximately 80 million Euros. Scholz is optimistic that the center will "soon" become financially independent. In the long term, sustainable technologies always prevail. In the Translation Center's case, these are technologies that could save or enhance lives.
