News | 03/07/2025
Dialogue on global challenges in research and innovation

Learnings and Strategies to Prevent Future Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Panel discussion at BayOConnect 2025
On July 2, 2025, BayOConnect2025 in Munich hosted a session on “Dealing with Infectious Diseases – Strategies to Prevent Future Outbreaks”, bringing together leading scientists and industry experts to discuss innovative approaches to pandemic prevention. Prof. Michael Hoelscher, Director of the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (LMU University Hospital Munich), was one of the panelists at the two-day conference held at Design Offices München Macherei.
Panel discussion at BayOConnect2025

Moderated by Prof. Dr. Percy A. Knolle from the TUM School of Medicine and Health, the panel featured the following speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Ulrike Protzer (TUM School of Medicine and Health)

• Prof. Dr. Michael Hoelscher (LMU University Hospital Munich)

• Dr. Julia Riedlinger (Roche Diagnostics)

• Dr. Hubertus Hochrein (Bavarian Nordic)

• Dr. Thomas Taapken (InflaRx)

The panelists underlined that effective pandemic preparedness relies on collaboration between academic research, public health institutions, biotechnology companies, and the pharmaceutical industry, with active societal engagement and communication playing a key role.

In addition to cross-sector collaboration, the panelists emphasized the importance of data sharing, advanced modeling, and the need to sustain momentum through scalable solutions and global partnerships. They agreed that successful preparedness relies on effective coordination and communication, both within scientific research and public health messaging. They also pointed out that Munich’s unique ecosystem of biotech companies, research institutions, and healthcare networks provides an ideal breeeding ground for developing innovative solutions to address global health challenges.

BayOConnect 2025, organized by BioM Biotech Cluster Development GmbH, serves as a key platform for dialogue on global challenges in research and innovation, emerging technologies, developments in infectious disease prevention, and the role of AI in biotechnology.

Further information on the BayOConnect2025 conference