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GITEX Europe is one of Europe’s leading tech trade fairs, bringing together innovators, start-ups, and established companies from the digital and healthcare sectors to shape the future of technology and society. In a panel moderated by Mikula Jung, Jutta Klauer (MSD Deutschland), Dr. Larisa Wewetzer (Ottobock), and Maria Scham (Pfizer Healthcare Hub Berlin) shared key success factors and best practices for effective collaboration between corporates and healthtech start-ups.

Three Key Takeaways

Win-win for both sides

Startup–corporate collaborations work best when both sides benefit: while start-ups bring technological expertise and disruptive ideas, corporates like Pfizer contribute regulatory know-how, access to networks, and market experience.

Improving healthcare as a shared goal

Together, we aim to develop solutions that address unmet medical needs and improve patient care and quality of life. A shared understanding of goals is essential for successful collaboration.

Successful partnerships take time

In addition to a certain level of maturity, start-ups need patience when working with corporates. Not every collaboration leads to immediate success – but every experience brings valuable insights.

Best Practice: Our Partnership with Cortrium

A great example of successful collaboration is our partnership with Danish start-up Cortrium.
Read more: Pfizer and Cortrium: This is how a successful sales partnership between a pharmaceutical company and a medtech startup works

Gitex Europe clearly demonstrated: when start-ups and corporates collaborate as equals, they create solutions that go far beyond technological innovation.

The Healthcare Hub as Pfizer's contact point for innovative start-ups

This year, the Pfizer Healthcare Hub team was once again present to find innovative solutions for patients and healthcare professionals. At our stand in the DiGA & Mobile Health area, we had exciting and inspiring conversations about digital solutions for the healthcare industry, challenges for startups, and potential collaborations with Pfizer. 

Our highlights included: 

• digital solutions for therapy support and study recruitment in oncology
• solutions for earlier diagnosis of rare diseases
• solutions for better care for patients with dermatological conditions
• promising approaches to process optimization, emission reduction, and efficiency improvement in production

We look forward to further deep dives and to strengthening the connections we have made!

Matchmaking of industry-specific challenges with creative solutions

The main actors of an InnoSession are new technologies that have the potential to significantly optimize processes at Pfizer. This information and exchange format brings together innovative technologies from external companies and startups with challenges and application fields at Pfizer. Developers and engineers present their solutions to department heads and interested employees, outlining the functionality, requirements, possibilities, and limitations of the new technology.

In the second part, there is room for questions about specific applications. This allows for a quick and efficient assessment of whether it is worth considering a challenge with the proposed solution.

Requirements for a cooperation with Pfizer

We are often asked what requirements we place on our cooperation partners. For this purpose, we have designed a matching test that checks the potential for a collaboration with Pfizer based on a few questions. 
Take the matching test!

InnoSession with quantum computing pioneers D-Wave and QuantumBasel

Two companies that meet our requirements for innovation, maturity, and application potential are D-Wave and Quantum Basel. D-Wave, a leading company in the field of quantum technology, specializes in quantum annealing technology. QuantumBasel is a competence center for quantum computing and AI, aiming to make the potential of quantum computing accessible to as many companies as possible. During an InnoSession at Pfizer's production plant in Freiburg, the two international teams presented how optimization problems can be solved using quantum annealing. In the second part, interested Pfizer representatives discussed possible application fields. We are excited to see what develops from this and will keep you updated!

If you have developed an innovative technology that you would like to present in an InnoSession, please fill out our matching test and contact us! We look forward to inviting innovators from the ecosystem to an InnoSession!

arise is part of the innovation platform badenCampus and supports startups with its accelerator program to master market entry. The program's initiators place great emphasis on personal development and aim to specifically promote the entrepreneurial personalities and teams behind the startups.

Participating startups also gain exclusive access to a strong network of mentors, potential customers, and strategic partnerships. This includes offers for proof-of-concept partners, funding search, test infrastructure, and more. 

Particularly in the health ecosystem, arise is well-connected: there is close collaboration with clinics, health insurance companies, and health enterprises, which is especially beneficial for startups in the health sector – the Pfizer Healthcare Hub is also a cooperation partner of badenCampus.

The accelerator program

• 03.03. & 04.04.2025: Kick-off and workshop on business model, testing, and mentoring
• 10.04. & 11.11.2025: Workshops on financing and organization
• 08.05. & 09.05.2025: Workshop on personality, team, and resilience, as well as mentoring
• 22.05. & 23.05.2025: Workshop on marketing and sales
• 24.06. & 25.06.2025: Summer School (pitch and mentoring)
• 24.07.2025: arise Startup Day – pitch to investors and the startup ecosystem

Thanks to funding from Start-up BW, participation in the arise Accelerator is free of charge.