New Center for Integrated Drug Research Dortmund (ZIW) opens: New impetus for biomedicine, life sciences and drug development
Dortmund, October 1st, 2026. With the ceremonial opening of the Center for Integrated Drug Research Dortmund (ZIW) as an extension of the Biomedicine Centre Dortmund (BMZ) Dortmund is setting a strong signal for the further expansion of the science and technology location. Around 100 invited guests from business, science and politics came together on October 1, 2026 to inaugurate the new research and development site of TechnologieZentrumDortmund to officially open at the Science and Technology Campus Dortmund. The opening was attended by Mona Neubaur, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economy, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, accompanied.
Mona Neubaur: „Behind every new active ingredient are people who hope for better treatment. Until a drug reaches them, it is a long journey. It begins in laboratories like these. When research and companies work hand in hand here, new therapies can find their way faster to clinics and doctors“ offices. Dortmund shows what structural change looks like in practice: Young biotech companies find laboratories and cutting-edge research right next door here. That is why the state co-financed the construction. Here, the jobs are being created that NRW will need in the future.”
With the ZIW are created on 3,600 m² of usable space, highly specialized laboratory and office areas For companies in the fields of biomedicine, life sciences and drug development. The new center is aimed at technology-oriented companies that want to translate scientific insights into applications, new therapeutic approaches, and marketable solutions.
The ZIW This not only expands the available space for biotechnology companies but also specifically strengthens the Dortmund life science ecosystem. In the immediate vicinity of research institutions such as the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, the Dortmund University of Technology, the CALEDO, the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften (ISAS) This creates short routes for cooperation between science, start-ups, and established companies. This new center creates ideal conditions for the transfer of knowledge and technology along the entire value chain of drug development.
„With the ZIW, we are investing specifically in the future viability of the scientific and technological location of Dortmund“, ," says Dirk Stürmer, Managing Director of TechnologieZentrumDortmund. „The center expands our offering for technology-oriented companies with much-needed laboratory and development space. This creates the conditions for young companies to grow at the site, network with one another, and become part of the Dortmund innovation ecosystem in the long term.“
The ZIW is also an important component of the implementation of the Master Plan Wissenschaft Dortmund 2.0. The field of expertise anchored there, Biomedicine, is one of the key future topics for the science and business location. Initiatives such as the Drug Discovery Hub Dortmund show how close academic cutting-edge research, translational drug development and entrepreneurial transfer are already interconnected at the site.
„Innovations arise where research, entrepreneurship and strong networks come together. With the ZIW, we are creating the conditions for scientific findings to lead to the creation of new companies, high-quality jobs and sustainable value creation in Dortmund.“, So, Friedrich-Wilhelm Corzilius, Deputy Managing Director of Dortmund Economic Development Agency.
The opening event combined political impulses with professional exchange. After the official welcome and the opening remarks by Minister Mona Neubaur stated Ernst & Young the current German biotechnology report Beforehand. Subsequently, representatives from academia and industry discussed the future of drug research and the Life Science location of North Rhine-Westphalia. The final part of the event was a tour of the laboratory and office spaces of the new center, during which the guests were able to get a first impression of the infrastructure for innovative companies.
With the ZIW Dortmund continues to strengthen its position as a location for knowledge-based startups, biotechnology, and life sciences. Companies benefit not only from modern S1 and S2 laboratories and office space, but also from an established network of research institutions, technology companies, and support services offered by the city. TechnologieZentrumDortmund.
„With the Center for Integrated Drug Research, we are creating exactly the infrastructure that innovative biotechnology companies need: professional laboratory conditions, flexible space, short paths to cutting-edge research, and a strong innovation network in Dortmund. Now we look forward to bringing this place to life together with our companies and partners.“, ," says Dr Joanna Stachnik, Head of the Biomedizin Zentrum Dortmund.
The construction of the ZIW was caused by the Special assets Leasing Technology Center of the City of Dortmund The project was funded as part of the Community task „Improving the regional economic structure“ (GRW) with funds from the federal and state governments of North Rhine-Westphalia.
About the Center for Integrated Drug Research Dortmund (ZIW)
The Zentrum für integrierte Wirkstoffforschung Dortmund is located on the Science and Technology Campus Dortmund and is part of the Biomedical Center Dortmund. It offers highly specialized laboratory and office space for companies in the fields of biomedicine, life sciences and integrated drug development. The goal is to strengthen the technology transfer in biotechnology, provide professional development conditions for startups and growth companies, and further expand collaboration between academia and industry in Dortmund.
The press release can be found here. Press release – ZIW opening
Caption: From left to right: Stefan Schreiber (Managing Director of the IHK in Dortmund), Mona Neubaur (Minister of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia), Dr. Joanna Stachnik (Head of the BiomedizinZentrum Dortmund), Dirk Stürmer (Managing Director of the TechnologieZentrum Dortmund) – Photo: Sabrina Richmann
