Lab-Tech Company Hosts Visit by Berlin's Senator for Economic Affairs

Laboratory instruments manufacturer Knauer Wissenschaftliche Geräte GmbH, had the honour of welcoming Berlin's Senator for Economic Affairs, Ms. Franziska Giffey (SPD) and State Secretary Michael Biel to the company's headquarters based in the city on 14vJune. The visit was part of the 'Made in Berlin' event series initiated by Ms Giffey's predecessor Mr Stephan Schwarz.

By continuing this tradition of visiting manufacturing companies, Senator Giffey is seeking to strengthen dialogue with managers and their employees to make Berlin's dynamic and innovative economy more visible and to discuss its needs and development in talks on site.

During her visit, Ms Giffey received an insight into mechanical production and instrument assembly by head of production Thomas Müller; while application expert Dr Ulrike Krop, explained about the instruments and applications in the laboratory, with the tour highlighting the strategies and production processes that were driving the company’s pipeline of technologies to the market.

"It is a great honour for us to welcome Senator Giffey and State Secretary Biel here at Knauer," said Managing Director Carsten Losch. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to show our company and talk to the Senator about our challenges and successes."

The visit began with a round of talks, during which the senator and her state secretary were informed by the managing directors and the founding couple about the company's growth, product range and latest business field. For her part, the senator spoke about her priorities in her new office and was particularly interested in the IJM systems developed during the Corona pandemic for the production of lipid nanoparticles, which are important for mRNA vaccines and used in the production of BioNTech's Corona vaccine Comirnaty. The company was honoured for its innovative achievements as a 'Vorsprung' award winner at the East German Business Forum in Bad Saarow on 11 June.

Surprisingly for Senator Giffey, many Knauer employees were waiting in the company courtyard when she left. She enthusiastically praised the employees: "Great example of Berlin's economy, with innovative strength and the great products that represent Berlin in the world."

The visit provided an ideal opportunity for a productive exchange about the current challenges not only in terms of decarbonisation and skills shortages, but also about the opportunities and strengths of Berlin's SME sector and underlined Knauer's commitment to innovation, quality and local production.

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