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New start-up center in Cottbus: health innovations planned!
Cottbus will open the “Lausitz Accelerator”, a start-up center for medical innovations, in 2026. Funding from Brandenburg.
New start-up center in Cottbus: health innovations planned!
There is exciting news in Cottbus: A second start-up center in the health sector, the “Lausitz Accelerator”, is in the starting blocks. The official opening is planned for 2026, making Cottbus once again a hotspot for innovative spirit in medicine. The aim of the accelerator is to develop promising medical technologies. One of the most exciting projects to come to life here is a therapeutic sleeping bag for babies called “Sleepy Dreams”. The inventor Johannes Wagner developed this out of the need to help his sleep-deprived niece. The sleeping bag is intended to provide a feeling of security and, thanks to special hypoallergenic glass balls, create the feeling of a “heavy hand”, which is said to contribute to the release of oxytocin. This makes the sleeping bag not only an innovative product, but also an example of the need for support in the area of early childhood sleep health. [RBB24].
Thiem-Research GmbH, a subsidiary of the Medical University of Lausitz, coordinates the development program. Martin Peuker, Head of Digitization at MUL-CT, explains that the goal is to enable start-ups to quickly enter the healthcare sector. The one-year development program will start in January 2026, during which the prototypes will be further developed in the modern workshops of the new start-up center. Users will have access to specialized laboratories and experts from the university, which will significantly improve the conditions for innovative ideas.
Structural change through start-ups
Economics Minister Daniel Keller emphasizes the importance of such innovations for the development of Brandenburg. In order to shape the region as a dynamic business location, promoting start-ups is seen as a key strategy. As the ILB reports, the state, together with the EU, is supporting the development and operation of a total of six start-up centers in Brandenburg with over 17 million euros. This funding is scheduled to last until 2028 and is a clear sign of promoting innovative strength in the region.
The new centers, which also include the Lausitz Accelerator, offer a variety of advantages for founders in future industries. The start-ups receive individual advice, training and access to valuable networks in order to anchor their ideas in the best possible way. A special highlight of the Lausitz Accelerator is the individual coaching opportunity for clinical questions and study planning, which is intended to help start-ups harmonize their products with the environment and market.
The Cottbus location, which already houses a start-up center, also benefits from its proximity to the university hospital, which enables direct exchange with clinical experts. This is particularly valuable because many innovative ideas arise in the field of medical technology and biotechnology. The following overview provides an insight into the other planned locations and their focal points:
| Location | Name of the start-up center | Areas of focus |
|---|---|---|
| Bad Belzig | Flämingo Startup Hub | Transport, logistics, healthcare, ICT |
| Beeskow | Incubator Village | Cross industry |
| cottbus | Startup Lausitz Accelerator | Health, biotechnology, medical technology |
| Potsdam | MediaTech Hub | Digital media, AI, health |
| Strausberg | HANGAR Strausberg | Autonomous systems, AI, climate and agricultural technology |
| Wildau | Reactor.Wildau | Energy technology, ICT, creative industries |
With the Lausitz Accelerator, Cottbus is once again becoming a center for innovation in the health sector. Start-ups can count on a wealth of support that helps them realize their ideas and thus improve the lives of many people. The future looks bright and we look forward to the successes these new companies will celebrate in the coming years.