Purpose
The Alliance Industry Program aims to systematically strengthen the integration of industry partners into the innovation campus and further expand the region's innovative strength.
The focus is on innovative projects across the health and life sciences, including, but not limited to, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological and psychiatric disorders, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, rare diseases, genomics, synthetic immunology, molecular engineering, medical technology, and novel applications of AI and deep-tech concepts.
The active involvement of industrial players in the Alliance's interinstitutional ecosystem is intended to accelerate the region's economic development and achieve stronger networking between academic research and industry in the long term. It must be clearly shown how the collaboration leads to new products, drugs, or applications with commercial and market value.
The program exclusively supports academic pre-commercial research projects, accelerating their progression to higher Technology Readiness Levels through strategic collaboration with industry partners.
Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to, the following areas:
• Target validation and prioritization
• Assay development for drug screening
• Development of preclinical models
• Validation of biomarkers or companion diagnostics
• Development of novel methods and technologies
• (Please note: The purchase of larger equipment is not covered by this program, except if the industry partner purchases/provides the equipment for use by the Alliance collaboration partner/institution. The installation of new equipment and on-site implementation must be consistent with the primary objective of this program, namely to promote collaborations aimed at developing new products, pharmaceuticals, or applications with a commercial focus.)
• AI applications, App development, software tools
The initiative allows industry access to academic excellence, high-caliber research infrastructure, and proximity to academic innovations. The academic partner benefits from practical research with translational potential, additional resources, and a stronger third-party funding base.
Funding measures
The industry program comprises two funding lines: (1) Postdoctoral Translation Funding and (2) Match-Making Funding
These funding measures are in line with the Alliance’s principle of providing seed funding for joint projects that have the potential to develop into long term collaborations and foster the transfer of knowledge into applications and products. A defined project proposal can only be submitted for one of the two funding lines.
1. Postdoctoral Translation Funding
The Postdoctoral Translation Funding creates a unique platform for Alliance postdocs who want to combine their scientific excellence with industrial practice and applications. The candidates will experience unique co-mentoring from the industry partner and expanded career options in science and product development.
The Alliance supports postdocs at Alliance institutions who already work or intend to work in industrial collaborations with up to €50,000 for consumables per year for up to two years.
Prerequisite: The industry partner commits to covering the postdoctoral researcher's salary at an Alliance institution in full for up to two years. The academic partner provides infrastructure, laboratories, and covers additional consumables costs for the project duration.
2. Match-Making Funding
Research projects between Alliance researchers and industry partners are funded if the industry partners commit to actively investing in the project for up to two years.
The project funds are provided proportionally by industry and the Alliance – with projects receiving a maximum of €400,000 from the Alliance over a period of up to two years. An industry contribution of at least 50% of the Alliance's share is required.
This means that, with maximum funding of €400,000 for up to two years from the Alliance, industry partners must contribute at least €200,000 as direct cash or in-kind to the Alliance academic partner institution.
Projects with higher industry contributions are desirable and will be given priority during the review process.
Application
Alliance researchers and industry partners are called upon to work together on project proposals, submission needs to done by the principal investigator of an Alliance institution. Funding recipients are exclusively PIs at Alliance institutions.
Applications are evaluated on quarterly basis, with the next deadline on October 15, 2026.
By submitting the application, the applicants confirm the accuracy of the information provided and ensure the consent of the partners involved. Only complete applications will be accepted. Applications should be submitted in English.
Project proposals
The targeted promotion of the call to relevant interest groups – in particular researchers, industry partners, and existing collaborations – will primarily be carried out by the TTOs, BioRN and other drivers of the regional innovation ecosystem.
