Biotech Initiative Bavaria-Western Cape

On 4 November 2025, during Minister-President Dr Markus Söder’s visit to South Africa, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Free State of Bavaria and the Western Cape Province in South Africa to launch a new biotechnology initiative. The Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR), through its Scientific Coordination Office (WKS) Bavaria-Africa, is taking over the coordination of the Biotechnology Initiative Bavaria-Western Cape in order to support the 18 participating institutions in their joint activities.

The Biotechnology Initiative Bavaria-Western Cape promotes an international, strategic partnership that combines scientific excellence and entrepreneurship with a positive social impact. It is a flagship project for sustainable biotechnology, international cooperation and the promotion of innovation – a strong signal of global responsibility and technological progress ‘made in Bavaria and the Western Cape’.

The MoU was signed by a total of 18 institutions, including ten universities and three other institutions from Bavaria, as well as four universities and one other institution from the Western Cape. This initiative builds on a 30-year partnership between the two regions, and both regions have also been working together for many years within the framework of the Regional Leaders Summit (RLS).

The initiative aims to achieve the following outcomes:

Complementary strengthening of both regions by combining their respective existing strengths, so that they can learn from one another and make the most of synergies.
International visibility: Both regions position themselves as pioneers in sustainable biotechnology and as attractive locations for international collaboration and investment.
Innovation chain from research to market: Involving entrepreneurship hubs enables research findings to be translated into marketable products more quickly.
Sustainable development and knowledge transfer: The initiative supports the Sustainable Development Goals and the Innovation Agenda of the European Union and the African Union, and strengthens South-North knowledge exchange.
Solving global challenges together: Issues such as antibiotic resistance, food security and climate adaptation are cross-border challenges. Joint research and innovation in biotechnology creates a broader impact and greater societal benefits.

Project objectives

Overarching objective: In light of rapid developments, both regions aim to collaborate more closely in the field of biotechnology across science, research, innovation and entrepreneurship, to jointly develop and implement biotechnological solutions in the areas of health, agriculture, the environment and the bioeconomy.

Specific objectives:

Establishing a long-term research and innovation alliance between universities, research institutes and other research and innovation-related institutions in Bavaria and the Western Cape.
Promoting research, development and innovation for sustainable biotech solutions, particularly in areas such as health and food security, climate protection and a bio-based circular economy.
Strengthening knowledge transfer and talent mobility through joint programmes, such as by supporting the mobility of early-career researchers.
Initiating joint research and innovation projects, e.g. to establish biotech incubators for prototyping and technology testing.

Target groups

The Biotechnology Initiative aims to deepen and strengthen cooperation between participating institutions from science and business in Bavaria and the Western Cape.

To this end, the following activities are planned:

Regular meetings, networking events, delegation visits and conferences
Information on calls for proposals, funding advice and application support (including Horizon Europe)
Support for mobility between the cooperating institutions.

BayFOR as a partner

The Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) and its Scientific Coordination Office (WKS) Bavaria-Africa coordinate the activities of the Biotechnology Initiative Bavaria-Western Cape. It possesses extensive expertise in establishing international collaborations (e.g. through BayIntAn and mobility grants between Bavaria and Africa, as well as ongoing EU-funded projects), in international networking and advising inter- and transdisciplinary consortia, particularly with regard to establishing and strengthening cooperation between Africa and Bavaria in the fields of research and innovation, as well as in the field of biotechnology.

Funding period

The Bavarian State Chancellery will fund the Biotechnology Initiative Bavaria-Western Cape from 2026, initially for a period of three years.

Consortium

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Biotechnology Initiative Bavaria-Western Cape was signed by five institutions from the Western Cape and thirteen institutions from Bavaria. Each of these institutions has appointed contact persons to represent the Biotechnology Initiative at their institution and within the wider network of the initiative.

The participating institutions are:

in the Western Cape, South Africa:

in Bavaria, Germany:

Contact at BayFOR

Please direct any enquiries to: biotech@no-spam-pleasebayfor.org

Dr. phil. Sabrina Maurus
Scientific Coordinator and Scientific Officer
WKS Bavaria-Africa & Social Sciences and Humanities |
Security and Defence Research
Phone: +49 89 9901 888-221
Email: maurus@no-spam-pleasebayfor.org

M. Sc. Anna Stegmann
Scientific Coordinator WKS Bavaria-Africa
Phone: +49 89 9901 888-128
Email: bayern-afrika@no-spam-pleasebayfor.org

Dr. Evamaria Stütz
Scientific Officer
Health Research & Biotechnology
Phone: +49 89 9901888-155
Email: stuetz@no-spam-pleasebayfor.org

Competence Centre for Research and Innovation Funding in Bavaria, Europe and the World

Quick links

Competence Centre for Research and Innovation Funding in Bavaria, Europe and the World

BayFOR Bavarian Research and Innovation Agency

Contact information of the Bavarian Research Alliance