We are very pleased that our ExTENd project will receive approximately 800,000 euros in funding until 2029 as part of the zukunft.niedersachsen grant program from the Volkswagen Foundation and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture!

Here you can find our press release with more information about the project:

Press Release

Hannover/Göttingen/Braunschweig – Modern biomedical and translational research increasingly relies on complex technologies, high-performance data infrastructures and interdisciplinary collaboration. At the same time, specialized infrastructure and expertise are often spread across different research institutions and are therefore not available to all researchers in a region. This is where “ExTENd – Expertise & Technology Exchange Lower Saxony” comes in—a project aimed at establishing a central digital platform that makes it easier to find suitable technologies and contacts and to initiate cross-site collaborations.

ExTENd has emerged from the Translationsallianz in Lower Saxony (TRAIN) network. The project’s partners are the Hannover Medical School (MHH), the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), and the Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH. Niedersachsen.next BioRegioN is supporting the project as a technical and innovation-focused partner, with a focus on digital platform structures and integration into Lower Saxony’s innovation ecosystem via the innomatch platform. The project is scheduled to run from September 2026 to August 2029.

The new platform is intended to simplify access to existing resources, increase their visibility and strengthen collaboration between research institutions, technology platforms and other innovation stakeholders. To this end, organizational and legal frameworks are being developed to ensure transparent access pathways and cross-institutional use of research infrastructures. The platform is also intended to be used by startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the future.

In an initial pilot phase, ExTENd will focus on omics technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics a well as biobanks. The platform is designed not only to highlight equipment, software and services but also to document the associated methodological and scientific expertise. In this way, the project deliberately goes beyond simply cataloging research equipment: The goal is to bring together expertise, technologies and institutional contacts on a digital platform, thereby creating better conditions for interdisciplinary and translational research.

Another focus of the project is the more efficient use of existing resources. Greater transparency regarding existing infrastructure and expertise can reduce duplicate purchases, improve utilization rates and ensure that public investments are used more sustainably. At the same time, ExTENd enhances Lower Saxony’s visibility as a research hub and is intended to help further expand excellent conditions for science, innovation and knowledge transfer.

Dr. Sara Haag, Head of the Translational Alliance in Lower Saxony (TRAIN), says:

“With ExTENd, we are creating a shared, cross-institutional structure that makes research infrastructure and scientific expertise in Lower Saxony more visible and accessible. This not only facilitates access to technologies but also strengthens collaboration across locations and disciplines.”

Prof. Dr. Thomas Illig, Director and Scientific Director of the Hannover Unified Biobank (HUB) at Hannover Medical School (MHH), says:

“The platform can make an important contribution to using existing resources more efficiently and providing targeted support for translational research. By bringing together expertise, technologies, and key contacts, ExTENd creates new opportunities for scientific collaboration and innovation.”

A key component of the initiative is its integration into existing scientific and innovation structures in Lower Saxony. The project is supported by the “zukunft.niedersachsen” funding program with a grant of approximately 800,000 €. “zukunft.niedersachsen” is a joint funding program of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the VolkswagenStifutng.

ExTENd is designed to be scalable in the long term. Following its launch in the omics field, the platform is to be gradually expanded to other technological fields. This will enable the creation of a sustainable, modular ecosystem for research infrastructures that permanently links science and application in Lower Saxony.

About the Participating Institutions

ExTENd is being developed as part of the Translational Alliance in Lower Saxony (TRAIN) and its TRAIN Omics working group. TRAIN, represented by Dr. Sara Haag, serves as the overarching network framework for translational health research in Lower Saxony. TRAIN Omics contributes expertise in the interdisciplinary networking of omics technology platforms, bioinformatics, data analysis and data management.

The consortium partners—Hannover Medical School (MHH) (Prof. Dr. Thomas Illig), Göttingen University Medical Center (UMG) (Prof. Dr. Bernd Wollnik), and the Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH (Prof. Dr. Meina Neumann-Schaal) contribute their scientific and infrastructural expertise in the fields of omics technologies, data analysis and research services. Niedersachsen.next BioRegioN (Dr. Lena Oesterlin-Meret) supports the project with its experience in digital platform development through innomatch, innovation promotion and the linking of science, technology transfer offices and industry.

Press Contact

Dr. Sara Haag

Head of the Translational Alliance in Lower Saxony (TRAIN)

Sara.haag@translationsallianz.de