Israeli high-tech company becomes a member of the medical technology family in Saxony-Anhalt

New start-up at the Health + IT Campus Magdeburg

IBD Science + Technologies GmbH (IBD), which has been newly founded by Moshe Golan, president of Kidod Science & Technologies Ltd. from Israel, and Mathias Schulz, managing director of the Health + IT Campus in Magdeburg, forms the basis for an important future project. With investments of around 10 million euros in the medium term, the new company plans to develop, manufacture and sell high-tech diagnostics devices for viral infections and other diseases. This promising symbiosis came about with the help of the Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt (IMG). The IMG, as the state's economic development agency, accompanied the settlement project from the beginning and specifically arranged contact with the Health + IT Campus.

Using the latest technology in the field of molecular science, the company IBD Science + Technologies will play a pioneering role in medical diagnostics. The diagnostic procedure, which is already in use in Israel, can detect the presence of viral and bacterial infections, such as vaginal infections, in bodily fluids within a very short time. The ongoing development of the software will allow other diseases to be diagnosed in the future. The approval process for Europe and North America is already underway.

Magdeburg is a Center of Excellence for high-tech companies from the medical technology industry

The goal of IBD is to develop Magdeburg into a center for international research and development. The nearby universities and research institutions and the specialist employees available there are important features of the location. Other factors include its central position in Europe, the easy accessibility via Berlin and the small time difference of only one hour between Tel Aviv and Magdeburg. These things give it a clear advantage over other cities in Europe and North America. The Israelis first made contact with IMG at the MEDICA industry exhibition in Düsseldorf 2013. Moshe Golan has visited Magdeburg several times since then and held meetings with IMG. He also had the opportunity to meet the Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt Dr Reiner Haseloff who traveled to Israel in 2018. All of these things contributed to Golan’s choice of Magdeburg as the location for the company.

Under the interim management of Mathias Schulz and with the help of the opportunities available at the Health + IT Campus, the new business is already starting to take off, despite the restrictions resulting from the pandemic. The administrative activities in particular, such as production planning, establishing a worldwide IT infrastructure, marketing and sales, are in the experienced hands of people who are familiar with the German and European markets.

As a committed networker, who also runs the office of the innoMed Netzwerk für Medizintechnik Sachsen-Anhalt e.V., a medical technology association, Mathias Schulz is in his element. The launch of IBD Science + Technologies GmbH is ultimately due in large part to Schulz’ enthusiasm for making new contacts. The contact with IMG was made on LinkedIn and the connection with Moshe Golan followed soon after that. Only a few months after the first meetings, the interim management of IBD Science + Technologies GmbH was announced in January 2021.

The campus is the ideal location for people with pioneering ideas in the field of medical technology

Moshe Golan is grateful for the support that his company has received in Magdeburg and Saxony-Anhalt: “The government of Saxony-Anhalt is committed to attracting and developing high-tech companies which will make market entry much easier for us.”

“This project takes us an important step further toward bringing the vision of the Health + IT Campus to life,” says Schulz, with obvious pleasure. “If things only go almost as we expect, then high-quality jobs will be created and high-tech devices manufactured on the campus in the future.” By establishing the Health + IT Campus, which only started work in October of last year, the founders intend to pave the way for people with ideas.


Interview

Three questions for Moshe Golan, president of Kidod Science & Technologies Ltd. and founder of IBD Science + Technologies GmbH:

Why did you decide to make this investment now?

We actually decided on Magdeburg as a location two years ago. We began establishing IBD Science + Technologies GmbH in 2019 and we have only now successfully completed this phase, because the COVID-19 pandemic caused a delay in the project. With the support of Mathias Schulz and his team at the Health + IT Campus, we have the opportunity to begin developing the Magdeburg site without the need to travel or to be there in person.

What benefits does the Health + IT Campus offer you?

It is very important to us to be close to the medical institutes at the university. In addition, the Health + IT Campus has a peaceful atmosphere which is good for research. Well-trained engineers and other specialist staff are also available in Magdeburg and Saxony-Anhalt.

What type of support do you still need to successfully implement your plans?

We are currently in the financing phase, which involves acquiring the necessary funding from venture capital companies, private investors and, if necessary, state subsidies so that we can hire and train experienced employees to carry out the research and development. Another important step is to get rapid approval for manufacturing our products in Magdeburg. We are establishing contacts with medical faculties and institutions throughout Germany in order to share scientific knowledge.

 

Three questions for Mathias Schulz, managing director of the Health + IT Campus and IBD Science + Technologies GmbH:

Will the Israeli investment give a boost to the Health + IT Campus?

The Israeli mentality is to wait and see, but when something is successful, other investors soon become interested. For this reason, this investment represents an important future opportunity for Magdeburg and for Saxony-Anhalt as a whole.

How has the Health + IT Campus developed over the first few months?

We only began actively developing the campus in October and we are very pleased with the progress so far. We have concluded long-term contracts for the real estate which has given the project security. The building management company has been very cooperative and is currently working with us to modernize the site to meet our needs. Tenants have already been found for the majority of the office space and we have also been able to ensure that our warehouse and production areas will be in permanent use.

What are your next plans?

The very latest news is that we are in discussions with a Spanish manufacturer of 3D bioprinters which are used to make biotissue. The company is looking for a showroom where it can present its product to research groups from all over Germany. As a research group from Otto von Guericke University is already using one of these printers, we hope that we can reach an agreement.

Our own accelerator program is starting in April and we will be holding our hackathon, which has been postponed because of the pandemic, at the end of May. We expect both projects to generate exciting, innovative ideas that could revolutionize medical technology.