Two new research centres open at Charité

Brain City Berlin

What if diseases considered incurable today could be treated tomorrow? That is the goal behind two new research centres that opened on 22 April 2026 in Brain City Berlin. Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin have inaugurated the Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT) and the Centre for the Simulated Human (Si-M): two highly specialised facilities offering researchers the best possible conditions for exploring and developing effective therapies.

Living medicines and simulated humans

At BeCAT, specialised units and laboratories are developing so-called "living" medicines based on genes, cells and tissues. These innovative treatments do not merely aim to relieve symptoms; they target the underlying causes of disease, with the goal of restoring patients' health in a lasting way.

Si-M, a joint project of TU Berlin and Charité, takes a complementary approach, focusing on true-to-life modelling of human biology, from molecular processes through to complex tissues and organ functions. Brain City Berlin Ambassador Prof. Sina Bartfeld, spokesperson for Si-M, captures the idea behind it: "Many diseases can currently only be studied inadequately, because our models do not represent the human body well enough. At Si-M, we are developing and using 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 real human experience and opens up new pathways for medicine."

A strong signal for the medicine of the future

Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär spoke at the opening in the presence of guests from science, healthcare and politics: "Cutting-edge research requires excellent infrastructure. With investments such as the more than 31 million euros that the BMFTR has provided for the research centres opened today, we are sending a clear signal: Germany wants to lead the world in developing new therapies. Making the incurable curable: that is our vision for the medicine of the future."

Spaces for exchange, including with the public

Both centres are deliberately designed as spaces for exchange, not only with each other but also with an interested public. Si-M reflects this in its very architecture: open spatial concepts, versatile communication areas and a so-called Theatron, a circular lecture space on the ground floor where audience members sit on terraced levels, are all intended to actively foster dialogue between science and society. The two buildings are also connected via a shared technical platform and have been designed to meet the future demands of highly complex biomedical research.

A growing campus in Berlin-Wedding

BeCAT and Si-M are key components of the growing Campus for Bio and Medical Technology in Berlin-Wedding, one of the most dynamic research locations in the capital. Si-M in particular represents the strategic collaboration between leading institutions, with the aim of translating scientific findings into clinical practice more swiftly so that patients can benefit as early as possible.

For Brain City Berlin, BeCAT and Si-M are more than new buildings: they are a signal that Berlin has not only world-class research infrastructure, but also the networks and institutions to actively shape the medicine of tomorrow.

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