SaxoCell Conference 2026 - Achieving progress in cell and gene therapy together

Information and objective

Shape the future of cell and gene therapy and meet leading minds from academia, clinical, industry and policy to find out how innovative ATMPs (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products) are making their way from the lab to the clinic.

The SaxoCell Conference 2026 offers you the opportunity to connect with experts, innovators and decision makers in the field of cell and gene therapies. As part of the BMBF's Clusters4Future initiative, SaxoCell is one of Germany's leading centers dedicated to researching new applications and production methods for personalized therapies and "living drugs".

What you can expect:

• Insights into the latest scientific advances in cell and gene therapies
• Networking opportunities with experts from science, industry and politics
• Discussions on how Germany is contributing to the future of cell and gene therapy

SaxoCell - Living drugs from Saxony

SaxoCell - Saxony's cluster for precision therapies - has set itself the goal of providing effective, safe and affordable cell and gene therapies for patients with serious, previously incurable diseases. It combines excellent basic and applied research expertise in Saxony with industrial resources and the know-how of national and international partners to build a strong network for cell and gene therapies.

The core partners are

• the Technical University of Dresden
• the University of Leipzig
• the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI)
• the Chemnitz Hospital

SaxoCell is the winner of the BMBF's nationwide Clusters4Future initiative and is being funded with 15 million euros each for the first (2021-2024) and second (2024-2027) implementation phases.

With currently seven innovative research projects on topics such as CAR-T and (CAR-)NK cell therapies, gene therapy approaches based on designer recombinases and regenerative approaches, SaxoCell covers a broad spectrum of therapies that are precisely tailored to the needs of patients. These innovative cell and gene therapies are developed and optimized in Saxony in order to bring them into automated production and ultimately into application with the help of 22 industrial partners as well as preclinical and clinical studies. In this way, the entire value chain is represented in Saxony. In the long term, the aim is to reduce the costs of such forms of therapy for patients and health insurance companies and to strengthen Saxony as a business location.

As an innovative cluster, SaxoCell is always interested in expanding its network, entering into discussions with new partners and developing project ideas together. The cluster is open to all technologies and sees interdisciplinary approaches as a means of advancing developments in cell and gene therapy from Saxony in a targeted and rapid manner. SaxoCell pays particular attention to partners from the fields of automation and artificial intelligence.

In addition to the actual research and development, SaxoCell also sees itself as a support platform in the areas of research transfer, IP and innovation management. The members of the SaxoCellutions team - the SaxoCell cluster management - are excellently positioned with their many years of experience and are happy to provide advice. The network supports start-ups with a focus on cell and gene therapy on their way to becoming spin-offs and tries to attract companies to settle or set up in Saxony. Regional value creation is a particularly important concern of the cluster.

Agenda

June 2, 2026

• 17:15: Registration
• 6:00 pm: Welcome
• 6:30 pm: Dinner
• 18:45: Dinner key notes
• until 22:00: Get-together

June 3, 2026

• 08:15 am: Registration
• 09:00 am: Welcome
• 09:15 am: Session 1 - Cell and gene therapy in oncology
• 10:40 am: Session 2 - Cell and gene therapy in autoimmune diseases
• 11:45 am: Lunch break
• 12:45 p.m.: Pitch session
• 1:10 p.m.: Break
• 13:35: Session 3 - Transfer systems and new trends in genetic engineering
• 14:40: Break
• 15:10: Session 4 - Challenges in clinical translation and funding
• 4:30 p.m.: Poster Award & Closing