Festive opening of the Si-M and BeCAT research centers

The two research centers "The Simulated Human" (Si-M; right) and "Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies" (BeCAT; left) on the Bio- and Medical Technology Campus.

The Si-M is officially opened. (from left: Prof. Dr. Joachim Spranger, Dr. Ina Czyborra, Dorothee Bär, Astrid Lurati, Prof. Dr. Sina Bartfeld, Prof. Dr. Fatma Deniz, Prof. Dr. Heyo K. Kroemer, Prof. Dr. Andreas Thiel)

The Charité – University Medicine Berlin and the Technical University of Berlin opened the research centers "Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies" (BeCAT) and "The Simulated Human" (Si-M) on April 22, 2026. The highly specialized buildings offer scientists excellent conditions for researching and developing effective therapies for diseases previously considered incurable.

From Vision to Reality

With the research centers BeCAT and Si-M on the Campus for Bio- and Medical Technology, the vision of pioneering medical research for the benefit of patients has taken concrete form. Both centers will actively shape the development of innovative technologies.

Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space, Dorothee Bär, emphasized in the presence of numerous guests from science, health, and politics: "Top-level research requires excellent infrastructure. With investments like the more than 31 million euros that the BMFTR provided for the research centers opened today, of particular scientific quality, we send a clear signal: Germany aims to be at the forefront worldwide in developing new therapies. Our vision for the medicine of the future is clear: making incurable diseases curable. We are strategically strengthening key technologies with our High-Tech Agenda Germany and creating the foundation for medical progress to reach people faster. This is modern research and health policy from a single source."

Interdisciplinarity as the Key to Success

The focus of the "The Simulated Human" (Si-M) research center of TU Berlin and Charité is the realistic replication of human biology, from molecular processes to complex tissues and organ functions. Through close integration of engineering and medical expertise, innovative models can be developed that enable a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms and open new approaches for diagnostics and therapy.

At Charité's "Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies" (BeCAT), specialized units and laboratories develop so-called "living" medicines. These innovative drugs are based on genes, cells, and tissues. They not only treat tangible symptoms but aim to fundamentally treat diseases and sustainably restore patients' health.

The Senator for Science, Dr. Ina Czyborra, stated: "BeCAT and Si-M represent a fundamental change in how we think about, develop, and make medicine accessible to people. Here, bold cutting-edge research becomes tangible hope – with new therapies for previously incurable diseases and technologies like 3D bioprinting and multi-organ chips, which will revolutionize research and reduce animal testing. And what is especially important to me: we accelerate the path from idea to actual treatment for patients – all under the shared roof of the innovative and dynamic campus in Wedding. This solidifies Berlin's role as the pulsating heart of health innovation."

Both research centers are conceived as places for exchange among themselves and with an interested public. This is also reflected in the architecture of Si-M: open space concepts, diverse communication areas, and public spaces such as the so-called Theatron, an auditorium in the center of the ground floor where listeners sit in a ring on terraces, are intended to promote dialogue between science and society.

President of TU Berlin, Prof. Dr. Fatma Deniz, added: "If we want to understand the complexity of the human body, we need to bring disciplines together anew. That is exactly what we are advancing. With TU Berlin's engineering strength and Charité's medical expertise, we are creating a unique place in Si-M where excellent basic research becomes concrete application."

The close connection between research and technology is also reflected in the infrastructure: The buildings are connected via a shared technical platform and were planned to meet the future demands of highly complex biomedical research.

Prof. Dr. Heyo K. Kroemer, Chairman of the Charité Board, added: "Both research centers represent a strategic shift in medicine: it is about establishing innovative methods of personalized medicine with a focus on cell and gene therapy. Together with strong partners from university and private industry, we are creating an environment here in Berlin that enables innovation from idea to application for our patients."

BeCAT and Si-M are also central components of the growing Campus for Bio- and Medical Technology in Berlin-Wedding. The Si-M, as a joint building of TU Berlin and Charité, particularly exemplifies the strategic collaboration of leading institutions with the goal of transferring scientific insights more quickly into clinical practice so that they benefit patients as early as possible.

Additional Voices on the Opening of the Si-M and BeCAT Research Centers:

Prof. Dr. Sina Bartfeld, spokesperson for Si-M, TU Berlin: "Many diseases can only be inadequately studied so far because our models do not accurately reflect humans. In Si-M, we develop and use new model systems such as organoids and organ-on-a-chip to understand human biology more precisely and to make differences between patients visible. This creates the foundation for research that is closer to humans and opens new pathways for medicine."

Prof. Dr. Andreas Thiel, spokesperson for Si-M, Charité: "The new research institute 'The Simulated Human' stands for a conscious departure: We are creating excellent conditions specifically for young research groups because innovation arises precisely there, and excellence can be established where new ideas are given early room. At the same time, this institute thrives on interdisciplinarity and openness – TU Berlin and Charité together – as a dynamic research space that will continually evolve."

Prof. Dr. Joachim Spranger, Dean of Charité: "With BeCAT and Si-M, we are laying the groundwork for therapies that directly benefit people – from personalized cell and gene therapies to more precise disease models. Our goal is to improve healing chances, reduce side effects, and bring research more quickly into effective applications for patients."

Astrid Lurati, Board Member for Finance and Infrastructure of Charité: "With the opening of BeCAT and Si-M, we are making a significant step toward modern research infrastructure on the Charité campus. This was made possible through forward-looking funding for research by federal and state governments, covering construction costs of 40.9 million euros for Si-M and 37.9 million euros for BeCAT. Si-M also demonstrates how a highly complex construction project can be successfully implemented in close partnership with TU Berlin."

Prof. Dr. Annette Künkele-Langer, Director of BeCAT: "The possibilities of these novel therapies seem limitless, and bringing these hope-bringers into the clinic is the task of BeCAT. Researchers from Charité, the Berlin Institute of Health in Charité (BIH), the Max Delbrück Center (MDC), or Si-M come to us so that we can jointly develop and produce drugs for early clinical trials. Additionally, we bring these under Berlin's leadership into national networks such as the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT)."

Joel Hahn, Managing Director of Telluride Architecture: "The Si-M building is unusually public for a research facility. Interior and exterior spaces merge. It is a place that fosters encounters and exchange. This openness, along with the connection between science and the public, makes the building a transformative space that goes far beyond pure research."

Almin Peljto, Managing Director of DGI Bauwerk: "BeCAT is a specialized research and cleanroom building that provides state-of-the-art laboratories and infrastructure for developing innovative therapies. Both buildings, BeCAT and Si-M, are not only architecturally but also in their research logic consistently oriented toward the future and interdisciplinarity. They exemplify the connection between architecture, science, and innovation."