A visit from the Senegalese Ambassador

The future of global healthcare, innovative technologies for vaccine production, and Senegal as an attractive country for investors from Germany—these topics were recently the focus of a high-level visit to Ilshofen. Machinery manufacturer Bausch+Ströbel and its subsidiary KyooBe Tech GmbH S.E. welcomed Moustapha Ndour, Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Senegal to Germany. The diplomat gathered a wealth of information about new approaches in life sciences and pharmaceutical technology.

The visit began in Leinfelden-Echterdingen at the headquarters of KyooBe Tech, a company founded in 2020 by Bausch+Ströbel in cooperation with four Fraunhofer Institutes. The delegation then traveled on to the parent company's headquarters in Ilshofen, where the guest was welcomed by Bausch+Ströbel board member Dr. Hagen Gehringer. After a guided tour of the modern production facilities, which gave the ambassador a first-hand glimpse of the state-of-the-art filling and production technology, Dr. Gehringer and H.E. Moustapha Ndour continued their discussions in more in-depth. They discussed how technological expertise from Germany can contribute to strengthening the health infrastructure in West Africa.

Special attention was paid to KyooBe Tech GmbH's flexible vaccine platform eFIT. The underlying process represents an innovation in manufacturing, as it completely dispenses with the use of chemicals to inactivate pathogens. Instead, low-energy electron beams (LEEI) are used. These accelerated electrons are capable of literally shredding the DNA or RNA of pathogens, while leaving the outer structure of the pathogens intact. The latter is crucial for triggering effective immune protection in the human body. “The main advantage of this method lies in its speed and safety: since no toxic substances need to be removed and the process is highly efficient, new or unforeseen pathogens can be addressed very quickly,” explained Dr. Andrea Traube, CEO of KyooBe Tech.

Dr. Hagen Gehringer welcomed the ambassador's interest and emphasized the significance of the exchange. The visit clearly demonstrated how important international cooperation and technological transparency are for a rapid and secure vaccine supply. With eFIT, the companies want to help regions around the world become even more capable of taking action, Dr. Gehringer continued.