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InnovationLab GmbH | Speyerer Street 4 | 69115 Heidelberg
GENESIS 26
The LIFE SCIENCE TECH DAY
Engineering Next-Generation Platforms for Disease Modeling and Drug Screening
In Heidelberg's innovation corridor: where forward-looking industry meets cutting-edge science — and top universities meet applicable high-tech. The Genesis 26 event creates growth and success through collaboration.
How can disease processes be simulated more realistically, and how can drug candidates be tested more quickly, safely, and reproducibly? This question was the focus of LIFE SCIENCE TECH DAY 2026. 

Speaker
Leading experts from industry and science at a glance
Dr. Oskar Staufer
Head of Immunological Materials, IMN
Talk Title
"Building immunity from the ground up – engineering synthetic immune microenvironments in tumoroids"
Dr. Emma Robertson
Cellular Workflow Business Development Manager
Talk Title
"CellXpress.ai: An AI-driven cell culture innovation hub for automating 2D and 3D cell culture"
Dr. Oliver Tress
Business Developer, Software at Carl Zeiss Microscopy
Talk Title
"Decoding Complexity: 3D Image Analysis of Cellular Dynamics"
Dr. Sylvia Boj
Chief Scientific Officer at HUB Organoids B.V.
Keynote
"From Bench to Bedside: Patient-Derived Organoids as Predictive Preclinical Models"
Professor Dr. Haikun Liu
Head of the Department of Molecular Neuroengineering at the DKFZ and founder of AIPTP TechBio GmbH
Talk Title
"Toward Precision Glioblastoma Therapy: Predictive Organoids and AI Agents"
Dr. Jasper Van Hoorick
CEO and co-founder of BIO INX
Talk Title
"Bioinks: The Key to the Biofabrication of Cells and Tissues"
Dr. Holger Becker
Chief Scientific Officer at microfluidic ChipShop
Talk Title
"Organ-on-a-Chip Devices: From Academic Prototypes to Industrial Products"
Dr. Albert van Breemen
Program Manager, Organ-on-a-Chip at TNO-Holst Centre & Principal Investigator, Scalable Solutions at Bio/MicroSystems Centre
Talk Title
"Scaling Smart: A Cost-Effective Path to Standardized Well-Plate-Based Organ-on-Chip Systems"
Dr. Ramsey Najm
Scientific Director, Organoid Engineering Lab at Heidelberg University
Lightning Talk
"Engineering Organoids: From Mapping Connectivity to Integrated Multi-Organ Systems"
Dr. Simon Binder
Research Group Leader at the University of Freiburg
Talk Title
to be determined
Dr. Hinnerk Ossmer
Managing Director at memetis GmbH
Talk Title
"Shrinking Fluidics, Expanding Possibilities: Integrated Systems for Cell Culture and Diagnostics"
Dr. Anna Vidina
Business Developer at memetis GmbH
Talk Title
"Shrinking Fluidics, Expanding Possibilities: Integrated Systems for Cell Culture and Diagnostics"
Dr. Christoph Grün
CEO and Founder
Talk Title
“Beyond 3D Cell Culture: Integrating Oxygen Sensing into Drug Screening”
Dr. Hossein Eslami Amirabadi
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of ARTIC Technologies
Talk Title
"Scalable Platform with Physiological Flow"
Dr. Hasfa Munir
Junior Group Leader at the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology
Talk Title
“Engineering Immune Niches in the Skin and Draining Lymph Nodes in Health and Disease”
Dr. Oskar Staufer
Head of Immunological Materials, IMN
Talk Title
"Building immunity from the ground up – engineering synthetic immune microenvironments in tumoroids"
Dr. Emma Robertson
Cellular Workflow Business Development Manager
Talk Title
"CellXpress.ai: An AI-driven cell culture innovation hub for automating 2D and 3D cell culture"
Dr. Oliver Tress
Business Developer, Software at Carl Zeiss Microscopy
Talk Title
"Decoding Complexity: 3D Image Analysis of Cellular Dynamics"
Dr. Sylvia Boj
Chief Scientific Officer at HUB Organoids B.V.
Keynote
"From Bench to Bedside: Patient-Derived Organoids as Predictive Preclinical Models"
Professor Dr. Haikun Liu
Head of the Department of Molecular Neuroengineering at the DKFZ and founder of AIPTP TechBio GmbH
Talk Title
"Toward Precision Glioblastoma Therapy: Predictive Organoids and AI Agents"
Dr. Jasper Van Hoorick
CEO and co-founder of BIO INX
Talk Title
"Bioinks: The Key to the Biofabrication of Cells and Tissues"
“With InnovationLab, Heidelberg has a unique platform within the life sciences and biotech cluster. Here, excellent research, international industry partners, and bold startups are brought together across the entire value chain—from the initial idea to the market-ready application. The fact that globally leading players such as BASF, HEIDELBERG, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and Heidelberg University are jointly taking on responsibility demonstrates the particular strength of our location. InnovationLab stands for collaborative research, successful technology transfer, and the promotion of young talent—right in the heart of our university city of Heidelberg. GENESIS 26 underscores, in a lasting way, just how innovative and forward-looking Heidelberg is as a hub for science and business.”
Professor Eckart Würzner, Ph.D.
Mayor of Heidelberg
About the event
Rethinking the Future at the Old Indoor Swimming Pool
Every year, InnovationLab brings together leading translational researchers, international technology pioneers, and experts from the public sector to jointly develop ideas, initiate collaborations, and accelerate innovation in an inspiring environment. Renowned experts from the scientific community moderate the sessions. International high-tech companies and startups present their new technologies, share their expertise, and thereby set the thematic tone for the event. A particular highlight in 2026 was an outstanding group project from Heidelberg University, which provided insights into reproducible tissue culture, robotics, and scalable assays during a “lightning talk.”
The event was held at the FRAUENBAD Altes Hallenbad—a historic building complex in the center of Heidelberg that combines tradition with an inspiring, focused environment for interdisciplinary exchange.
On the topic
Integrated, human-based 3D systems
The event focused on technologies for integrated, human-based 3D systems—ranging from organoids to organ-on-a-chip. The focus was on essential components in the areas of the brain, heart, and gut, disease models, cancer research, and drug screening. The speakers’ presentations each highlighted specific technological areas and introduced workshop participants to current methods and developments. In doing so, they provided deep insights into the precision microfabrication of complex tissue and barrier models, the further development of bioinks and biofabricated constructs, as well as the latest microfluidic platforms—featuring valves, perfusion, and controlled microenvironments. The range of topics was complemented by smart materials for membranes, scaffolds, and soft actuation; highly automated systems for sample and high-throughput applications; and embedded sensor technology and micro- and nanoelectronics for the precise measurement of electrical, optical, and chemical signals. AI-based imaging pipelines combine data acquisition, analysis, and automated feedback, thereby enabling fully integrated experiments and representing a third focus of GENESIS 26.
Services
Contact
InnovationLab, Inc.
Speyerer Straße 4 | 69115 Heidelberg
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