BIO.NRW

What BIO.NRW does

BIO.NRW (full name: Biotechnologie & Bioökonomie Netzwerk NRW) is the designated biotechnology and bioeconomy network organization for the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was founded in 2009 and is headquartered at Merowingerplatz 1 in Düsseldorf. BIO.NRW is not a commercial company; it is operated by the Geschäftsstelle BIO.NRW office, which is legally run by Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, a state-affiliated research entity, on behalf of the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of NRW (MWIKE). Its mission is to connect people, ideas, and resources across the NRW biotechnology ecosystem, spanning specialized biotech companies, academic and research institutions, and political stakeholders. The NRW biotech sector represented through BIO.NRW comprises 122 specialized companies, approximately 6,790 employees, 27% of Germany's annual biotech turnover, and 29.9% of national biotech R&D investment.

BIO.NRW's product portfolio is structured as a set of networking and support services rather than a unified software platform. Core offerings include: a searchable Company Database (Firmendatenbank) of NRW biotech and life sciences firms; Funding Services (Fördermittel) and Financing Services (Finanzierung) that connect companies with public grants and private capital; Networking Services (Vernetzung) that link academia, industry, and politics; Trade Fairs and Delegation Trips (Messen und Delegationsreisen) that organize joint exhibition stands at events such as BIO International Convention, BIO-Europe, and Deutsche Biotechnologietage; Events & News; a Spotlight editorial feature; Press & Downloads; and a bimonthly newsletter. The organization is active on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Digital infrastructure integrations are limited to Google Maps API (for office directions) and Google Forms (for surveys); no proprietary technology, AI features, or app exists.

The business model is government-funded and non-commercial. BIO.NRW receives public funding from the NRW state ministry and provides its services free of charge to the biotech ecosystem, so no pricing model, ARR, or commercial revenue is disclosed. The customer base consists of NRW biotech companies (primary), research institutions, and international biotech organizations seeking market entry into Germany, segmented geographically rather than by size or vertical. Strategic priorities visible in 2025 include international market access via delegation trips (e.g., Singapore and Malaysia) and continued participation in global trade fairs, positioning BIO.NRW as the public-sector bridge between the NRW biotech cluster and global markets.

Name

BIO.NRW

Legal name

Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH

Website

https://bio.nrw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BIO.NRW is a government-funded network organization for the biotechnology and bioeconomy sector in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Operated by Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH on behalf of the state ministry, it connects 122 specialized biotech companies, research institutions, and policymakers through networking, funding guidance, trade fairs, and delegation trips.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded operations: BIO.NRW is operated by the Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH on behalf of the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The organization appears to be government-funded and does not operate on a commercial revenue model.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BIO.NRW is a government-funded network organization (Biotechnologie & Bioökonomie Netzwerk NRW) that connects biotechnology and bioeconomy stakeholders across North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It provides a searchable company database, funding and financing guidance, networking services, and organizes joint exhibition stands at international trade fairs as well as customized delegation trips. The organization is operated by Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH on behalf of the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of NRW.

Product overview

BIO.NRW is a network organization (Netzwerk) for biotechnology and bioeconomy in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a portfolio of networking and support services to connect the biotech ecosystem. The core offerings include: a Company Database (Firmendatenbank) for locating biotech companies in NRW; Funding Services (Fördermittel) and Financing Services (Finanzierung) for financial support; Networking Services (Vernetzung) for connecting stakeholders; Trade Fairs and Delegation Trips (Messen und Delegationsreisen) for international market access; Events & News for ecosystem updates; and a Newsletter for regular communication. These services collectively position BIO.NRW as the central hub connecting academia, industry, and government for the advancement of biotechnology in the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Company Database (Firmendatenbank) Searchable online database of specialized biotech and life sciences companies operating in North Rhine-Westphalia, available for networking, business development, and locating partners across the NRW biotech ecosystem.
• Funding Services (Fördermittel) Information and guidance on public funding programs and grants available to biotech companies and research institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia.
• Financing Services (Finanzierung) Services connecting biotech companies with financing options, investors, and business angels in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, including the annual Business Angel Congress.
• Trade Fairs and Delegation Trips (Messen und Delegationsreisen) Organization of joint exhibition stands at national and international biotech conferences (Deutsche Biotechnologietage, BIO International Convention, BIO-Europe) and planning and conducting individually tailored delegation trips worldwide for NRW biotech companies.
• Newsletter Approximately bimonthly email newsletter providing updates on biotech events, news, and developments in the NRW biotech and bioeconomy sector, available free of charge.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klimaschutz und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (Ministry for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of NRW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia is the governing authority that commissioned and funds BIO.NRW. The ministry sets the strategic direction for the network and provides policy-level support for biotech initiatives in the state.
• Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH operates the BIO.NRW office (Geschäftsstelle) and is responsible for creating and managing the internet offering on behalf of the Ministry. It provides institutional backing and research expertise to the network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg: State-level biotechnology and bioeconomy network for Baden-Württemberg with comparable services (company directory, funding support, events) and similar government-backed structure.
• BioM Biotech Cluster Development GmbH: State-level biotech cluster network for Bavaria, operating a near-identical model: company database, investor matchmaking, international delegations, and government-backed mandate to grow the regional biotech ecosystem.
• Cluster Industrial Biotechnology (CLIB): German open innovation cluster for industrial biotechnology covering the bioeconomy overlap with BIO.NRW, with comparable internationalization and member-networking services.
• biosaxony: Saxony-based biotech and bioeconomy cluster organization providing networking, events, and internationalization services to regional life science companies — same coordination model, different geography.
• BioNord: Northern Germany biotech network spanning several federal states, offering cluster coordination, networking events, and funding guidance for biotech firms — directly comparable to BIO.NRW's regional mandate.
• HessenBiotech: Regional biotech network for the German state of Hesse — provides company directory, events, and political advocacy mirroring BIO.NRW's service mix in a different federal state.

Regional players

• ScanBalt: Nordic-Baltic biotech and bioeconomy network coordinating members across multiple countries; relevant as a multi-country cluster-network peer with similar internationalization and ecosystem-building goals.
• One Nucleus: UK-based life sciences membership organization connecting Cambridge/London-area biotech with investors and international partners — comparable cluster/network function, different geography.
• FlandersBio: Flanders' life sciences cluster organization with a similar member-network, event, and advocacy model — relevant as a regional peer because Flemish biotech policy is often cited alongside German state-level biotech strategies.

Broad incumbents

• BioIndustry Association (BIA): UK's national trade association for the life sciences industry; broader remit than BIO.NRW but overlaps heavily in networking, policy advocacy, and international promotion of biotech.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BIONRW
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/bionrw
• Instagraminstagram.com/bio.nrw
• Xx.com/bionrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/bio.nrw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BIO.NRW