The Taiwan-Germany Biotech Industry Exchange, hosted by the Institute for Biotechnology and Medicine Industry (IBMI) and the German Trade Office Taipei (AHK), convened in Taipei to connect Taiwan’s biotech firms with German counterparts. The event showcased Taiwan’s R&D and biomanufacturing strengths alongside Germany’s clinical, regulatory, and medical technology expertise, laying the foundation for practical and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Since 2002, IBMI has championed Taiwan’s healthcare sector by fostering global partnerships that blend Taiwan’s R&D and manufacturing strengths with international clinical and regulatory expertise. “We’re shifting from medical to holistic healthcare, integrating ICT,” said Dr. Chung-Liang Chien, IBMI’s CEO, highlighting their vision for a broader healthcare ecosystem. IBMI drives policy advocacy, healthcare quality certification, startup incubation, and global collaboration, connecting industry leaders like Asus, Acer, Quanta, and Wistron—who are expanding into healthcare—with international partners to accelerate innovation.
Building on this foundation of innovation and partnership, Niklas Mahlke, representing the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWK), emphasized the strategic importance of the event. “As part of our Healthcare Export Initiative, funding over 150 projects worldwide, we aim to facilitate knowledge exchange and technological innovation,” he stated. “Taiwan’s dynamic healthcare market, combined with Germany’s reputation for quality, creates immense potential for collaboration that can improve patient outcomes globally.”
This collaborative spirit extended to an event supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) through its Foreign Market Entry Programme, organized in partnership with DEinternational Taiwan Ltd. and the German Health Alliance (GHA). The event facilitated targeted B2B matchmaking to ignite tangible collaborations between German and Taiwanese biotech and healthcare enterprises, fostering innovation and strengthening bilateral economic ties.
The GHA, represented by Rajani Sabanantham, Senior Manager, plays a pivotal role in promoting German healthcare small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on a global stage. GHA delivers keynotes highlighting Germany’s €498 billion healthcare market and coordinates with BMWK to secure delegation funding and manage logistics for international initiatives. The organization seeks long-term partnerships with Taiwanese biotech and pharmaceutical companies, focusing on drug development, medical devices, and digital health solutions to drive mutual growth. “Germany is focused on diversification, entering markets like Asia and Southeast Asia,” Sabanantham emphasized, underscoring the strategic importance of expanding into dynamic regional markets.
DEinternational Taiwan Ltd., represented by Nico Cron, Senior Manager of Market Entry, spearheads efforts to connect German and Taiwanese firms through B2B matchmaking, providing critical regulatory and market insights while emphasizing cultural exchange. Operating under BMWK’s Foreign Market Entry Programme, DEinternational supports German companies entering the Taiwanese market and facilitates Taiwanese firms’ participation in German trade fairs. Their goal is to foster collaborations in research and development (R&D), manufacturing, and market entry. “We’re connecting German biotech firms with Taiwanese partners for targeted B2B matchmaking,” Cron stated, highlighting the organization’s commitment to building lasting business relationships and deepening Taiwan-Germany biotech ties.
The Foreign Market Entry Programme, overseen by Niklas Mahlke, Manager at Germany Trade and Invest under BMWK, drives the Healthcare Export Initiative, funding over 150 global projects to support SMEs in the biotech and healthcare sectors. The program promotes knowledge exchange and technological innovation by connecting German firms with international markets, including Taiwan’s robust healthcare ecosystem. BMWK seeks partnerships with Taiwanese companies to leverage Taiwan’s healthcare market for mutual innovation and global health solutions. “As part of our Healthcare Export Initiative, we aim to facilitate knowledge exchange and technological innovation,” Mahlke noted, reflecting the program’s dedication to advancing global healthcare through strategic collaborations.
|
Name |
Representative & Position |
What They Do |
What They Need |
Statement |
|
BioMed X GmbH |
Dr. Christian Tidona, Managing Director |
Heidelberg-based institute crowdsourcing global talent to solve oncology, immunology, and neuroscience challenges via AI-driven drug discovery. Teams work at sites in Germany, USA, Israel, and Barbados with €7M budgets. |
Taiwanese biotech firms for early-stage R&D in oncology, autoimmunity, neurosciences, especially SMEs open to global markets. |
“BioMed X is based on a very new model… tackling tough biology problems with no current solution.” |
|
HWI Pharma Services GmbH |
Dr. Philipp Wissel, Site Manager |
CDMO/CRO offering end-to-end solutions from preclinical (API, formulation) to market release, excelling in European regulatory navigation for Asian firms. |
Taiwanese firms with early-stage drugs/devices needing CDMO/CRO services for European market entry. |
“We support companies from the start of the pharmaceutical value chain to registration.” |
|
Primacyt Cell Culture Technology GmbH |
Dieter Runge, Co-Founder & Managing Director |
Family-run firm producing in vitro liver/skin assays to reduce animal testing, offering GLP-certified CRO services. Faces export delays due to regulatory issues. |
Taiwanese pharma/cosmetic firms for assay/CRO services; distributors to streamline cell culture exports. |
“We produce cells for science to cut down on animal experiments.” |
|
ROHDE KG |
Karl-Heinz Rohde, CEO |
Family-owned firm providing antimicrobial coatings for hospital clean rooms, trusted by German Cardiac Center, tailored for sterile environments. |
Taiwanese hospitals/biotech firms upgrading clean rooms, architects for coating implementation. |
“We provide niche solutions for clean areas like operating rooms.” |
|
Name |
Representative & Position |
What They Do |
What They Need |
Statement |
|
AnnJi Pharmaceutical |
Wendy Huang, Chair & CEO |
Clinical-stage firm developing small-molecule drugs for rare diseases like Kennedy’s disease, with Phase 1/2 projects. |
German CROs for clinical/regulatory support to expand rare disease drugs globally. |
“We’re wrapping up exciting Phase 2 studies.” |
|
PharmaEssentia Corporation |
Gary Tsai, Investment Manager |
Taipei-based biopharma innovating biologics for hematology/oncology, with BESREMi® approved in 40+ countries, leveraging pegylation and a Taichung cGMP facility. |
German CDMO/CRO firms for late-stage trials, commercialization; R&D partners for novel targets. |
“We’re redefining therapies for hematologic diseases.” |
|
Pharmosa Biopharma |
Weishu Liu, Senior Director |
Biopharma advancing liposome-based lung disease treatments, with Phase 3 (L606) and Phase 1 projects, building a manufacturing site. |
Partners for late-stage clinical development, manufacturing, and global commercialization. |
“Our projects are in global Phase 3 and Phase 1 stages.” |
|
Excelsior Biopharma |
Joseph Chen, President & Founder |
Focuses on rare disease drugs, antidotes, and natural products, with five research centers and ties to Academia Sinica, NTU Hospital. |
German firms for gene therapy, new drug development, building on existing German partnerships. |
“We’re focused on rare diseases and new drug development.” |
The forum highlighted complementary strengths: Taiwan’s $43 billion biotech sector excels in R&D and manufacturing, while Germany offers clinical and regulatory expertise. IBMI’s Dr. Chien stressed clarity, suggesting templates for delegates to outline needs, as face-to-face talks outshine virtual meetings. “This kind of successful story is what we like to hear,” he said. Challenges, like Primacyt’s export issues, underscore needs for Taiwanese regulatory partners.
Looking ahead, IBMI not only actively expands international cooperation through bilateral meetings but also significantly enhances Taiwan's medical technology visibility through its annual flagship event, the Healthcare+ Expo Taiwan (December 4–7, 2025, Nangang Exhibition Center). As the world's first hospital-centered the largest exhibition in the APAC region, featuring 650+ exhibitors, more than 81,000 visitors worldwide and attracting industry giants such as Acer, Intel, and Microsoft to participate annually. With global outreach actively underway, particularly with a greater focus on the Middle East and South America, IBMI extends an invitation to global firms to join this pivotal platform.
IBMI is pleased to play a key role in the greater healthcare industry, continuously promoting deep cooperation between Taiwan and the world. “We look forward to attracting more delegations from Europe and around the globe in the future to jointly explore the limitless possibilities of Taiwan's medical technology and collaboratively drive innovation in the global healthcare industry.” Dr. Chien said.
