News Category: Health Network

  • Mira Vision accelerates innovation at VENTURE SPRIN-D

    Mira Vision accelerates innovation at VENTURE SPRIN-D

    At VENTURE SPRIN-D 2025, over 50 teams presented their innovative ideas to more than 250 international investors. The event featured live pitches, a networking exhibition area, and opportunities to make valuable connections. Alongside other members of the Cyber Valley Community, Cyber Valley Start-up MIRA Vision seized this opportunity to show how they are revolutionizing the health industry.

    We interviewed MIRA Vision founders, Lukas Mürdter and Leonid Mill, to gain insights into VENTURE SPRIN-D and what their start-up is all about. 

    Cyber Valley: How has attending this event impacted Mira Vision? What were your key takeaways? 
     
    Leonid Mill, MIRA Vision CTO & Founder, explains, “Attending the VENTURE SPRIN-D event was an outstanding experience for us. VENTURE SPRIN-D showcased the incredible innovation power of all the SPRIN-D portfolio start-ups, and it was truly inspiring to be part of such a dynamic environment. We deeply appreciated the opportunity to be part of this ecosystem and to participate and pitch on stage during the Superconnector session — it was a fantastic moment for us.” 

    “The event provided an excellent platform to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, industry experts, and investors. We had the pleasure of engaging in valuable conversations, receiving insightful feedback from investors, and exchanging ideas with other forward-thinking innovators.” 

    “Overall, it was an exceptional opportunity that has positively impacted our journey, and we are grateful to have been part of it. Shoutout to SPRIN-D for this amazing event, creating such an inspiring platform that brings together so many bright minds and visionary thinkers – it’s initiatives like this that truly accelerate innovation,” Mill concludes.  

    Cyber Valley: What is MIRA Vision? How is it already revolutionizing the health industry? 

    CEO & Founder, Lukas Mürdter, explains: “MIRA Vision is a pioneering company in medical diagnostics. We use synthetic intelligence to analyze pathological images faster, more accurately, and at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional methods. By relying on fully parametric synthetic training data – not real patient data and without using generative models – we’re solving three of the biggest issues in medical AI: bias, privacy, and data scarcity.”  

    Mürdter further clarifies, “Right now, we’re already outperforming state-of-the-art models in key areas with just a fraction of the resources that are normally needed to train such systems. This means not only better diagnostics but also global accessibility – even in regions with limited infrastructure.” 

    Cyber Valley: Where do you see MIRA Vision being used in the future?  

    Lukas emphasizes, “Our vision goes beyond pathology. We see MIRA Vision as the backbone of diagnostics across all image-based disciplines – radiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, even surgery. Wherever an image can be taken, MIRA will analyze it. Ultimately, we want to give every doctor on this planet an AI-powered assistant that helps detect diseases early, accurately, and affordably – no matter where they are.” 

    Cyber Valley: What are your plans to make a positive impact on the world? 

    Lukas responds enthusiastically, “By being radically different – and radically better. Instead of building another AI that requires millions of patient records and insane GPU farms, we’ve designed a lightweight, scalable system built on expert-guided synthetic data. Our platform works out of the box, is regulation-friendly, and can be used for free in non-commercial settings.” 

    “We’re opening the platform to the global pathology community, offering unmatched accuracy, no data privacy concerns, and unbeatable economics. Once they start using it – they won’t want to stop. That’s how we scale. And yes – we’re just getting started,” Mürdter concludes.

  • Cyber Valley bündelt KI- & Robotik-Kompetenzen für das Gesundheitswesen

    Cyber Valley bündelt KI- & Robotik-Kompetenzen für das Gesundheitswesen

    Stuttgart, 28. Oktober 2024 – Am letzten Donnerstag fiel der offizielle Startschuss für das Cyber Valley Health Cluster mit einem öffentlichen Kickoff-Event am Standort Tübingen. Diese Initiative, die von Cyber Valley ins Leben gerufen wurde, zielt darauf ab, die Kräfte von Wissenschaft, Industrie und Start-ups zu vereinen und durch den Einsatz von Künstlicher Intelligenz und moderner Robotik die Gesundheit aller langfristig zu verbessern.  

    Synergien zwischen Forschung und Industrie für KI-getriebene Gesundheitstechnologien 

    Das Health Cluster setzt auf eine enge Verzahnung von Forschung, Praxis und Technologie. Es fördert gemeinsame Projekte zwischen KI-Expertinnen und -Experten, Forschenden und Unternehmen, um innovative Lösungen für aktuelle und zukünftige Herausforderungen im Gesundheitswesen zu entwickeln. Dabei liegt der Fokus auf interdisziplinärem Wissensaustausch, der neue Ansätze und Lösungen ermöglicht, die über einzelne technologische Fortschritte hinausgehen.   

    Rebecca C. Reisch, Geschäftsführerin der Cyber Valley GmbH, hebt die Bedeutung dieser Zusammenarbeit hervor: „Das Cyber Valley Health Cluster ist mehr als nur eine akademische Initiative; es ist eine kollaborative Allianz, die den Austausch zwischen Industrie, Start-ups und Forschung fördert. Das Health Cluster bietet den Rahmen, um KI-basierte Lösungen zu entwickeln, die zur Bewältigung der drängendsten Herausforderungen der modernen Medizin und darüber hinaus beitragen.“

    Starke Cyber Valley Partner und Freunde sind bereits an Bord  

    Das Cyber Valley Health Cluster wird von starken Partnerschaften getragen und unterstützt. Zu den bereits bestätigten Partnern zählen namhafte Akteure wie Boehringer Ingelheim, ZEISS, die Universität Tübingen, die Universität Stuttgart sowie das renommierte Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme (MPI-IS). Diese investieren maßgeblich in die Cyber Valley Community und spielen eine zentrale Rolle bei der Weiterentwicklung des Clusters.  

    Darüber hinaus wird das Cyber Valley Health Cluster von einer Vielzahl engagierter ‘Friends’ unterstützt, die das Netzwerk durch ihre Expertise und Vernetzung bereichern. Zu diesen zählen Immatics, Cegat, Ovesco, BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg, BioRegio STERN Management, sowie der Medical Innovations Incubator und die Start-ups Osora und Cerebri.   Weitere sind bereits in Planung.  

    Reisch unterstrich die Rolle der Cyber Valley Community: „Gemeinsam mit unseren Partnern und Freunden schaffen wir ein Umfeld, das die Entwicklung von Technologien vorantreibt, die nicht nur wegweisend, sondern auch praktikabel und ethisch sind. Denn nur gemeinsam haben wir die Chance, Baden-Württemberg und ganz Deutschland an die Spitze der globalen KI-Gesundheitsinnovationen zu etablieren.“ 

    Langfristiges Ziel: Eine enge und nachhaltige Gesundheits-Allianz 

    Das Cyber Valley Health Cluster wird gezielt Start-ups und Innovationsprojekte unterstützen, um den Wissenstransfer zwischen Forschung und Industrie zu fördern. Teilnehmende des Clusters profitieren von einem weitreichenden Netzwerk und neuen Verknüpfungsmöglichkeiten, die einen schnellen Transfer und die Entwicklung zukunftsweisender Lösungen ermöglichen. 

    Das langfristige Ziel des Clusters ist es, eine nachhaltige und aktive Community mit gebündelter Gesundheits-Expertise zu schaffen, in der interdisziplinäre Teams zusammenarbeiten, um globale Gesundheitsherausforderungen zu bewältigen. In den kommenden Monaten sind weitere Veranstaltungen und Interaktionsformate für das Cyber Valley Health Cluster geplant.  

    Über Cyber Valley 

    Cyber Valley ist Europas größtes und führendes Zentrum für Exzellenz in künstlicher Intelligenz und moderner Robotik. Die Mission und der öffentliche Auftrag bestehen darin, sich für Forschung, Entwicklung, Anwendung und Akzeptanz von Technologien sowie Methoden intelligenter Systeme einzusetzen. Cyber Valley fördert die Gründung von KI-Start-ups, indem es wissenschaftliche Exzellenz mit Innovation und Technologietransfer verbindet. Außerdem unterstützt Cyber Valley die kritische Reflexion der ethischen und sozialen Auswirkungen von KI. Cyber Valley strebt eine Zukunft an, in der das Potenzial intelligenter Systeme zum Wohle der Gesellschaft voll ausgeschöpft wird.  

    Pressekontakt: 

    Laura Neusser 
    Public Outreach Manager 
    Cyber Valley GmbH 
    laura.neusser@cyber-valley.de 

  • Cyber Valley Research Fund treibt Fortschritte in der Soft-Robotik voran

    Cyber Valley Research Fund treibt Fortschritte in der Soft-Robotik voran

    Dieser Artikel ist nur auf Englisch verfügbar. 

    The Cyber Valley Research Fund has supported a research project that has successfully enabled the development of flexible, stretchable sensors. Through contributions from six of Cyber Valley’s founding partners—Amazon, BMW, Bosch, IAV, Porsche, and ZF—the fund facilitates scientific research and innovation. 

    Dr. Ardian Jusufi and his team researched innovative materials that improve proprioception (the body’s ability to sense movement and position) in unpredictable and irregular environments. Insights from the project have deepened understanding of how the body moves and interacts with its environment. These advancements in soft active materials and sensors will revolutionize the fields of biomedical devices and soft robotics.

    Some of the project’s key achievements include:

    • Enhanced pumping system performance: The project team improved a hydrogel-encapsulated soft actuator pumping system. The system demonstrated improved competitive pressure and fluid velocity performance, offering potential insights for cardiovascular and renal applications. 

    • Addressing sensor challenges: The project addressed the inherent trade-offs of soft sensors. While offering greater flexibility and sensitivity, these sensors often lack robustness, repeatability, linearity, and durability. Various use cases were evaluated to balance these trade-offs effectively. 

    • Innovative manufacturing and materials: The team developed advanced manufacturing techniques and synthesized new materials responsive to environmental stimuli, such as hydrodynamic pressure. This was relevant for studying locomotion, like the undulatory swimming of fish, using fluidic actuators. 

    • System integration with mobile soft actuators: Soft sensors were integrated with mobile soft fluidic actuators in robots. This integration provided valuable insights into the neuromechanics of movement, particularly in aquatic environments. 

    • Electroactive polymer-driven pumping systems: The team aimed to reduce the tissue stress associated with traditional implanted pumps. Although current limitations related to in-body electricity use means that these systems are not yet feasible for in vivo applications, the research marks significant progress in understanding the biomechanics of movement. 

    This project yielded the following publications:

    1. Souri H, Banerjee H, Jusufi A, Radacsi N, Stokes A, Park I, Sitti M, Amjadi M. Advanced Int. Sys. 2 (8) 2000039. Wearable and Stretchable Strain Sensors: Materials, Sensing Mechanisms, and Applications. 2020. Advanced Intelligent Systems, Volume: 2, Issue: 8, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202000039 
    2. Banerjee H, Kalairaj MS, Ren H, and Jusufi A*. Advanced Engineering Materials. Strong, Ultrastretchable Hydrogel-Based Multilayered Soft Actuator Composites Enhancing Biologically Inspired Pumping Systems. [Cover inside] Adv. Eng. Mater 2021, 23, 2100121. 
    3. Wright B, Vogt D, Wood R, Jusufi A*. IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft). Soft Sensors for Curvature Estimation under Water in a Soft Robotic Fish. COEX, Seoul, Korea, 2019.
    4. Siddall R, Fukushima T, Bardhi D, Perteshoni B, Morina A, Hasimja E, Dujaka Y, Haziri G, Martin L, Banerjee H, Jusufi A*. Advanced Robotics 35 (7). Compliance, Mass Distribution and Contact Forces in Cursorial and Scansorial Locomotion with Biorobotic Physical Models. 2021. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01691864.2021.1887760.
    5. Fukushima Toshihiko, Robert Siddall,Fabian Schwab, Severine Toussaint, Greg Byrnes, John Nyakatura, and Ardian Jusufi. Inertial tail effects during righting of squirrels in unexpected falls: From behavior to robotics. Integrative and Comparative Biology, icab 023, 2021.
    6. Lin Yu-Hsiang, Siddall R, Schwab F, Fukushima T, Banerjee H, Youngjoon Baek, Daniel Vogt, Yong-Lae Park, and Jusufi A. Modeling and control of a soft robotic fish with integrated soft sensing. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 2000244, 2021.
    7. Fabian Schwab, Elias T Lunsford, Taehwa Hong, Fabian Wiesemüller, Kovac M, Park YL, Akanyeti O, Liao J C, and Jusufi A. Body caudal undulation measured by soft sensors and emulated by soft artificial muscles. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2021.
    8. Fabian Schwab, Fabian Wiesemüller, Claudio Mucignat, Yong-Lae Park, Ivan Lunati,Mirko Kovac, and Ardian Jusufi. Undulatory swimming performance explored with a biorobotic fish and measured by soft sensors and particle image velocimetry. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, page 387, 2021.
    9. Robert Siddall, Greg Byrnes, Rob J. Full and Ardian Jusufi, Tails stabilize landing of gliding geckos crashing head-first into tree trunks‘, Communications Biology, 2021. 

    This research project primarily aimed to expand knowledge of biomechanics through robophysical models, rather than immediate practical applications. It started in April 2020 and concluded in February 2023. Dr. Ardian Jusufi was formerly a Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Intelligent Systems (March 2018–January 2024). He is now Head of Soft Kinetic group in the Engineering Sciences Department of the Empa Swiss Federal Labs for Materials Science and Technology.

  • Cyber-physische Zwillinge menschlicher Organe

    Cyber-physische Zwillinge menschlicher Organe

     

    Dieser Artikel ist nur auf Englisch verfügbar.

    A research project funded by the Cyber Valley Research Fund has developed cutting-edge cyber-physical twins of human organs. This breakthrough was facilitated by unrestricted resources and support for scientific research through the contributions of six Cyber Valley founding partners: Amazon, BMW, Bosch, IAV, Porsche, and ZF.  

    Dr. Tian Qiu led the project in collaboration with three medical departments at the University Hospitals in Tübingen and Freiburg. The project team successfully created and studied six highly realistic organ models, including the kidney, bladder, prostate, liver, vagina, and brain. These models combine the advantages of physical and cyber models to improve the collection of hard-to-get biomedical data under realistic conditions for analysis and modeling.

    For the physical models, the project team optimized 3D printing and soft material molding techniques to replicate the anatomy and texture of human organs. Additionally, they engineered new hydrogel materials that behave like real soft tissue in surgical procedures. The team also created a brain model comprising composite hydrogel that exhibits life-like mechanical properties and high optical transparency, enabling high-resolution imaging.

    The project’s cyber models incorporated sensing technologies such as optical imaging, ultrasound imaging, and electrical sensing. These integrated systems can generate large amounts of data, making possible real-time feedback and quantitative evaluation of surgical outcomes. The project also leveraged Augmented Reality (AR) to enhance medical training. Medics participated in initial trials by applying the new cyber-physical organ models to optimize surgical instruments and digital surgical training.

    The Cyber Valley Research Fund has allocated five million euros to promote innovation and scientific excellence. Research groups were encouraged to submit project proposals that were evaluated according to ethical and societal considerations.  

    This project yielded the following peer-reviewed publications: 

    1. Choi et al. (2021): Soft urinary bladder phantom for endoscopic training, Ann. Biomed. Eng., 49, 2412-2420, DOI: 10.1007/s10439-021-02793-0 

    2. Hackner et al. (2021): Panoramic imaging assessment of different bladder phantoms – an evaluation study, Urology, 156, e103-e110, DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2021.05.036

    3. Kim et al. (2022): A high-fidelity artificial urological system for the quantitative assessment of endoscopic skills, J. Funct. Biomater., 13(4)301, DOI: 10.3390/jfb13040301 

    4. Tan et al. (2021): Soft liver phantom with a hollow biliary system, Ann. Biomed. Eng., 49, 2139-2149, DOI: 10.1007/s10439-021-02726-x 

    5. Tonyali S., Mueller A.-S. et al. (2024): Automated and quantitative surgical technique evaluation for TURP. In preparation

    6. Mueller A.-S., et al. (2024): Surgical training of bladder tumor resection on hydrogel models with quantitative assessment based on 3D ultrasound scanning. In preparation

    7. Li et al. (2020): Realistic full urinary tract phantom for endoscopic training, The European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES), Poster 

    8. Kim et al. (2021): Organ Phantom for the Assessment of Robotic Surgeries, Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics (HSMR), Poster 

    9. Kim et al. (2021): Computer-assisted quantitative assessment of endo. skills based on a urological phantom, 55th DGBMT Ann. Conf. on Biomed. Eng., Talk, 66, S212-217, Link to abstract

    10. Kim et al. (2022): A hybrid surgical simulator for interactive endoscopic training, IEEE Inter. Conf. of the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), Poster, DOI: 10.1109/EMBC48229.2022.9871697 

    11. Tan et al. (2021): A realistic liver phantom for the training and quantitative evaluation of endoscopic skills, 17th World Congress of Endo. Surgery (WCES), Poster, 344272, P201 

    12. Mueller A.-S., et al. (2023): Surgical training of tumor resection on hydrogel models with quantitative assessment based on 3D ultrasound scanning. DKFK German Cancer Research Congress (GCRC). Poster 

    13. Fischer, F.; et al. (2023): Wireless force sensing of a micro-robot penetrating a viscoelastic solid, International Nonlinear Dynamics Conference (NODYCON), Talk 

    14. Fischer, F. et al. (2022): 3D fabrication of microvascular networks on artificial organ models for endoscopic surgical simulation. Poster. Future 3D Additive Manufacturing – The 3DMM2O Conference

    Public events and public media reports: 

    1. Presentation of German Chancellor Dr. Merkel during virtual visit of Cyber Valley, 2020; Link to article

    2. University of Stuttgart representing at Hannover Messe 2023; Link to article

    3. Stuttgarter Zeitung; Link to article

    4. Spotify, Cyber Valley Podcast, AI in Medicine; Link to spotify episode

  • Universität Stuttgart mit Clusterskizzen erfolgreich

    Universität Stuttgart mit Clusterskizzen erfolgreich

    "The decision of the panel of experts offers us the opportunity to sharpen and further expand our excellent profile as an interdisciplinary university with great strength in research. We will seize this opportunity and use our cutting-edge research to make an even greater contribution to solving major global challenges," explains Prof. Wolfram Ressel, Rector of the University of Stuttgart. Ressel was delighted with the success of the cluster outlines, congratulated the scientists at the University of Stuttgart and their cooperation partners, and thanked everyone involved for their commitment. Initiatives for the clusters of excellence "Bionic Intelligence for Health" and "Chem4Quant" are eligible to apply.

    Bionic Intelligence for Health: New approaches to the therapy and diagnosis of neuronal diseases

    “The Bionic Intelligence for Health cluster project is searching for fundamentally new approaches to integrate technology and medicine in order to better diagnose and treat neuronal diseases. It thus addresses one of the greatest challenges facing our healthcare system and our society as a whole", says Wolfram Ressel.

    In the Bionic Intelligence for Health cluster project, an interdisciplinary research team is combining the neuronal and physical intelligence of the human body with a fundamentally new approach to intelligent technology. The aim is to better recognize neuronal diseases, treat them adaptively, and thereby improve the quality of life of those affected in their everday lives. To this end, innovative technical systems are to be intelligently integrated with the body. The cluster project is an initiative of the University of Stuttgart in cooperation with the University of Tübingen. The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart and Tübingen as well as the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen are involved as cooperation partners. The project builds on the complementary expertise of outstanding scientists from the fields of neuroscience, materials science, biomechanics and systems theory, among others. It benefits from the excellent Stuttgart-Tübingen ecosystem and has the potential to significantly reduce the social challenges posed by neuronal diseases.

    Chem4Quant: Chemical platform for high-precision quantum architectures

    "Quantum technology has the potential to revolutionize numerous applications, such as making communication secure or exponentially accelerating computing power. Our cluster initiative Chem4Quant researches novel quantum materials and structures and thus makes a fundamentally new contribution to achieving this goal”, says Wolfram Ressel.

    Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Ulm and the University of Stuttgart want to purposefully develop material structures for future quantum technologies in the joint Chem4Quant initiative. Despite the breakthroughs already achieved in quantum technologies, many of the platforms currently in use are limited in terms of scalability, adjustability, positionability, and error correction. Chem4Quant is therefore proposing a fundamentally new approach with a chemistry-based platform: Chemically, precisely-definable quantum architectures can be used to plan atomically accurate material structures and their quantum properties in a targeted manner. For example, qubits can be positioned in electrical or photonic components with a precision below the nanometer range. The initiative aims to develop novel qubit materials and create the first components for the future quantum internet. Chem4Quant can draw on globally unique expertise in the field of molecular quantum systems as well as established collaborations.

    Successful Clusters of Excellence apply for further funding period

    "Our already very successful Clusters of Excellence Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture (IntCDC) and Data-integrated Simulation Science (SimTech) also stand for cutting-edge interdisciplinary research that uses fundamentally new investigative approaches and methods to advance solutions for social challenges," emphasizes Ressel.  For example, IntCDC is paving the way towards greater sustainability in the construction industry, and thus making a decisive contribution to the development of a climate- and environmentally-friendly society. With its innovative data-based simulation models, SimTech enables significant progress in the research, testing, and application of new technologies. Both Clusters of Excellence are now applying for a further funding period.

    IntCDC: Research for more sustainability in the construction industry

    Launched in 2019, the Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture (IntCDC) cluster uses digital technologies to rethink planning and construction in an integrative and interdisciplinary approach, and thus enable greater sustainability in the construction industry. To this end, the University of Stuttgart and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) merge their internationally recognized research expertise. More than 150 scientists from the fields of architecture, computer science and robotics, engineering, production and systems technology as well as the humanities and social sciences are currently working together to modernize the construction sector. They are focusing on the co-design of integrative computer-based planning and construction methods, on cyber-physical manufacturing and construction processes, as well as on next-generation sustainable material and construction systems. In the second funding phase, the cluster aims to take up new initiatives and scientific challenges in order to lay the methodological foundations for sustainable architecture.

    SimTech: New simulation models for science and innovation

    Without simulations, advances in science and technological innovations for the benefit of society are not possible. Since 2019, researchers at the Cluster of Excellence Data-integrated Simulation Science (SimTech) have been working on new data-driven methods that go beyond improving the applicability and accuracy of simulation models. The systematic integration of data into simulation science is also changing the way science and technology are conducted. Developments include data-based representations of physical phenomena, new methods for designing and optimizing micro-materials, and data-based models for optimizing control processes and algorithms. Although we have already come a long way in data-integrated simulation science, there is still a great deal of untapped potential in dealing with knowledge and understanding. This untapped potential will be the focus of research in the next funding phase and will be systematically integrated into models, methods, and algorithms in the future in order to further promote our insights.

    Press contact

    Dr. Florian Krüger, University of Stuttgart, Head of University Communi­ca­tions, Phone: +49 711 685-82555.

    Dr. Jutta Witte, University of Stuttgart, University Communi­ca­tions, Phone: +49 711 685-82176.

  • 1,5 Millionen Euro für Mikro-Medizinroboter

    1,5 Millionen Euro für Mikro-Medizinroboter

    How could drugs be used in the body in a more targeted way in the future? Biomedicine could provide an answer. Dr. Tian Qiu is researching tiny robots that travel through the human body. Tian Qiu and his team already succeeded in steering nanorobots through the dense tissue of an eyeball for minimally invasive drug delivery, which had never been achieved before.

    In the “VIBEBOT” project, Qiu and his team are taking this approach further: They are going to build the first micro-sized robot that can actively propel and wirelessly sense in deep biological tissues. For the project, Qui was inspired by nature: “We know that worms, for example, can penetrate human skin to infect humans. Why can't we build a similar-sized robotic system that can penetrate soft tissue to treat disease?” Research on this holds enormous potential for future minimally invasive medicine, “such as targeted drug delivery for tumor therapy,” Qiu said.

    Tian Qiu has been Cyber Valley research group leader for “Biomedical Microsystems” since 2019. The group is based at the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart. Previously, he studied mechanical and biomedical engineering at Tsinghua University in Beijing, which is considered China's leading technical university. He came to Europe in 2012, earning a PhD in biotechnology and bioengineering at Switzerland's Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and conducting research at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS).

    With the ERC Starting Grants, the European Research Council supports outstanding young scientists for innovative projects in basic research. The ERC evaluates the applications exclusively according to the criterion of scientific excellence. The research project “VIBEBOT” will receive funding of 1.5 million euros; the funding will run for five years. With the new grant, the University of Stuttgart is home to twelve active ERC grants, including six ERC Starting Grants (overview of scientists at the University of Stuttgart who have been awarded an ERC Grant). Two other Cyber Valley researchers were also awarded ERC Grants, an ERC Starting Grant and an ERC Consolidation Grant.

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    Further information
    From researcher to founder
    Scope of Cyber Valley research expanded to include intelligent biomedical microsystems