Digital/AI (R)Evolution in Drug Development & Manufacturing
Stadthaus Ulm
December 5, 2025
4th Joint Meeting of GBM & BioPharma Cluster South Germany
Welcome
Dear colleagues and friends,
The successful series of joint events between the BioPharma Cluster South Germany and the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) continues.
The 4th edition centres on the Digital (R)Evolution in Drug Development and Manufacturing, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence.
What are the opportunities for developing new drugs or improving production processes and therapies?
What methods are already in use in the pharmaceutical industry?
What will the future hold, and what challenges must we overcome?
The event will cover a broad range of expertise, from market developments and drug design to process simulation, optimisation and monitoring with perspectives ranging from basic and applied research to industrial study cases.
The event is designed for students, researchers, developers, and engineers from industry and academia, as well as anyone interested in this rapidly growing field, which already is and will continue to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry.
At the event, we will offer all participants the opportunity for a vivid exchange and networking with speakers and other experts.
We would be pleased to welcome you on December 5th at the Stadthaus Ulm, located at Münster Platz, and look forward to an inspiring meeting with you!
Uwe Bücheler
(Senior Advisor Biopharmaceuticals and Chairman of the BioPharma Cluster South Germany)
Programm
13:00 - 14:00
Welcome & Keynote
Welcome note
Prof. Dr. Uwe Bücheler (Chair Biopharma Cluster South Germany)
Prof. Dr. Katharina Hieke-Kubatzky (Managing director GBM)
Keynote lecture
Dr. Franziska Thomas & Volker Pfirsching (Arthur D. Little)
AI in Biopharma: Turning Evolution into Revolution
Keynote lecture
Thomas Reith (Boehringer Ingelheim)
AI in Pharma – Hype or Hope or Help?
14:00 - 15:30
Protein/Drug Design and Screening
Prof. Dr. Andrea Volkamer (Saarland University & Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland)
Shaping the Future of Drug Design with Open and Hybrid AI
Prof. Dr. Stefan Zielonka (Technical University Darmstadt & Merck Healthcare KGaA)
Antibody engineering supplemented by AI enables tailor-made biology
Dr. Rainer Wittig (Institute for Laser Technologies in Medicine & Metrology (ILM), Ulm University) &
Prof. Dr. Karin Danzer (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases & Ulm University)
AI-assisted quantitative phase imaging for label-free cell phenotyping in preclinical drug screening
15:30- 16:15
Networking, Coffee & Fingerfood
16:15 - 17:45
Process Simulation, Optimisation and Monitoring
Lukas Döring (Rentschler Biopharma)
Digital Process Development - How to combine Laboratory, Molecular Modeling and Mechanistic Modeling
Ignasi Bofarull-Manzano (Körber Pharma)
Integrating Physics-Informed AI into End-to-End Digital Twins in the Biopharmaceutical Industry
to be announced
17:45 - 18:30
Networking & Coffee
18:30 - 19:30
Panel Discussion AI/Digital (R)Evolution – From Innovation to Application
Moderation
Prof. Dr. Katharina Hieke-Kubatzky (Managing Director German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Guests
Thomas Reith (Boehringer Ingelheim)
Dr. Johannes Sarx (BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg)
Dr. Franziska Thomas (Arthur D. LittIe)
Further guests to be announced
19:30 - 20:30
Networking
Registration
Start registration: October 9th
Registration fees:
| Students & Members of the GBM |
30 € |
| Academia | 100 € |
| Alumni & Retirees BPC | 50 € |
| Industry | 300 € |
Information
Accommodation
Participants are expected to book and pay for their own accommodation and travel expenses.
We recommend booking via online portals such as booking.com or hotel.de.
Venue
Stadthaus Ulm
Münsterplatz 50
Office: Münsterplatz 2
89073 Ulm
Organization & Contact
Organizer
BioPharma Cluster
South Germany e.V.
Olgastr. 95-101
89073 Ulm
Phone: +49 731 173225
E-Mail: info@biopharmacluster.com
Meeting Secretariat
Gesellschaft für Biochemie
und Molekularbiologie e.V.
Mörfelder Landstr. 125
60598 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 69 660567-0
E-Mail: info@gbm-online.de