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BIO CM is a new „Catalyser” for China in the Global Bridgehead Program of EIT Health

In February 2021, the BIO Clustermanagement NRW GmbH (BIOCM), an associated business partner of BIO.NRW was selected as “Catalyser” for EIT Health’s Global Bridgehead Program with China as a target country.

The Global Bridgehead Progam enables European startups from the biotechnology, MedTech, and digital health sector to enter a non-European market more easily. Startups can apply for the program each spring and fall and are then selected for the program by EIT Health. At the heart of the program is the market entry support provided by the so-called “Catalysers”. These Catalysers are experts for the respective target country and support the market entry with their local contacts.

Due to successfully implemented projects in the immediate past, BIO Clustermanagement NRW GmbH already has a lot of experience in supporting life science startups and SMEs in their market entry in China. The experts of BIO CM – among them Chinese employees – provided support on various issues, be it regulatory, financial, or even cultural ones. The local presence of BIO CM in China gives its employees a deep understanding of the Chinese market and they can thereby make the entry into this very market for startups and SMEs more effective.

BIO Clustermanagement NRW GmbH also sees great potential for European (biotech) startups and SMEs in China in the future, as the country plans to make access to the Chinese healthcare system more attractive* through leaner approval processes and longer patent terms for foreign companies. Similarly, the Chinese are more open to innovative, digital applications in healthcare, which will also be further driven by the state’s “Healthy China 2030” strategy**.

Should you want to learn more about the Bridgehead Program, either visit the digital “10th BIO.NRW Business Angel Congress” on March 8th, 2021 where, among others, Dr. Kurt Höller (Director Business Creation, EIT Health) will present the Bridgehead Program.
Alternatively, you can also visit the homepage of EIT Health or contact the experts of BIO CM for the Chinese market:

Ms. Qi Liu,
Ms. Yang Song,
Mr. Sebastian Schnurr,

References:
[*] Investment Plattform China/Deutschland 02/2019, Page 52 -55 – Expert Survey.
[**] German Trade and Invest, Digital Health in China: Ziele und Strategien, 2020. Online access under https://www.gtai.de/gtai-de/meta/ueber-uns/was-wir-tun/schwerpunkte/digitalisierung/digital-health-in-china-ziele-und-strategien–262020 , on 24.02.2021.