NEWS

MAYOR AND JENA WIRTSCHAFT VISIT SMARTDYELIVERY

How do scientific discoveries lead to concrete medical applications? And what is needed for such innovations to flourish in the region?

These were the questions posed by Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche and Jena Wirtschaft Managing Director Wilfried Röpke during their visit on March 23.

During their discussion, it became clear that for such innovations to be exported into the world in the long term, the right framework conditions are needed – ranging from funding opportunities and reliable processes to an attractive location for qualified personnel.

The company currently has one application in a clinical trial and continues to grow. The development of SmartDyeLivery exemplifies how funding and equity capital can make a difference from the startup phase through to application.

“Companies like SmartDyeLivery are key building blocks for the region’s economic future. They combine scientific excellence with entrepreneurial development and create highly skilled jobs,” summarizes Dr. Nitzsche. SmartDyeLivery impressively demonstrates how innovation ‘made in Jena’ is successfully brought to market.

The City of Jena and JenaWirtschaft are actively supporting SmartDyeLivery’s next development steps to ensure that value creation, expertise, and innovation are firmly anchored in Jena for the long term. We thank you for the intensive dialogue and support!

Read the full article from Jena Wirtschaft here

NEW STIFT LOCATION IN ERFURT OFFICIALLY OPENED

On March 11, 2026, the Thuringian Foundation for Technology, Innovation, and Research (STIFT) officially opened its new premises in the historic Defensionskaserne on Erfurt’s Petersberg. Executive board members Christiane Kilian and Dr. Sven Günther welcomed numerous guests from the business, scientific, and political communities, including Thuringia’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Agriculture, and Rural Areas, Colette Boos-John. In her welcoming remarks, the minister highlighted the importance of STIFT’s work in strengthening the innovation ecosystem throughout Thuringia.

By moving into the impressive building in Thuringia’s state capital, STIFT is clearly demonstrating its commitment to growth, its long-term dedication to Erfurt as a location, and the close linking of tradition and innovation.

The newly renovated space in the historic building combines historic architecture with a modern working environment. The spacious layout creates an inspiring environment for exchange, collaboration, and the development of innovative future projects.

STATE SECRETARY MARIO SUCKERT VISITS SMARTDYELIVERY

On February 25, Thuringia's State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Mario Suckert, visited SmartDyeLivery in Jena. Managing Director Dr. Marc Lehmann and two department heads presented the company's key areas of development, successes to date, current challenges, and planned activities. Following an on-site demonstration, Mr. Suckert was able to gain a comprehensive picture of our innovative technology.

The State Secretary acknowledged the innovative strength and dedicated attitude of the team. He emphasized that the combination of innovation and entrepreneurial courage in particular was crucial to ensure regional competitiveness.

FIT FOR THE FUTURE: APPLICATION DAY AT CARL-ZEISS GYMNASIUM JENA

Last Friday, SmartDyeLivery once again actively participated in the application training program for 11th grade students at Carl Zeiss Gymnasium in Jena. In short, simulated job interviews, students received individual feedback and were able to ask questions about career paths and entry opportunities.

RUBIN ALLIANCE ATHANA: INTERVIEW ON BMFTR WEBSITE ONLINE

On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR), the funding body for the RUBIN Alliance ATHANA, Dr. Marc Lehmann and Dr. Christoph Englert were interviewed. Together, they explain the goals, current status, and challenges of the research alliance in the fight against fungal infections.

Read the full interview on the BMFTR's Innovation & Structural Change website

BMFTR RESEARCH CAMPUS INITIATIVE: JOINT PROJECT APPROVED

In fall 2025, the jury of the BMFTR Research Campus Initiative approved the third phase of the InfectoGnostics Research Campus, with SmartDyeLivery as an industry partner. Since October 2025, the campus partners have been working on seven new lead projects for diagnostic solutions of the future.

At the kick-off on January 14, 2026, at the Center for Applied Research in Jena, SmartDyeLivery and its partners provided an insight into the planned research work. The focus is on the use of SmartDyeLivery's nanomedical platform technology, which will be used to integrate active ingredients and dyes into the research campus's diagnostic and theranostic concepts.

Through close collaboration with academic, clinical, and industrial partners, SmartDyeLivery aims to contribute to the faster transfer of innovative infection diagnostics into patient-oriented applications, thereby enabling more precise and individualized treatment of infectious diseases in the long term.

NEW RESEARCH PROJECT STARTED

Together with Jena University Hospital (UKJ), we are developing a novel nanotherapy for steatohepatitis, an inflammatory form of fatty liver disease, as part of the RESOLVE joint project. Targeted nanocarriers will be used to deliver drugs directly to liver and immune cells in order to slow down inflammation, metabolic disorders, and fibrosis at an early stage.

“We combine state-of-the-art nanomedicine with molecular liver research to bring innovative therapeutic approaches to preclinical proof-of-principle,” say Jun.-Prof. Adrian Press (UKJ) and Dr. Marc Lehmann (SmartDyeLivery GmbH).

The Free State of Thuringia is funding the consortium with funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and state funds.

SMALL EXPERIMENTS – BIG FUN

On Friday evening, 21 November 2025, the popular science evening took place once again at the Talschule in Jena. The event is held every two years at this primary school since 2013 and inspires children, parents and teachers alike – with fascinating insights into the world of science. Four dedicated employees demonstrated their commitment at one of 30 stations: with mega particles, colourful reactions and many ‘aha’ moments, they brought smiles to many faces – and not only those of the young visitors. The motto was: Hands-on instead of just watching – a wonderful combination of learning, amazement and shared joy of discovery.

15 YEARS OF JCSM: SMARTDYELIVERY AT ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

On 17 November 2025, Friedrich Schiller University Jena celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Jena Centre for Soft Matter (JCSM) with a festive event at the Centre for Applied Research. Dr. Bernd Uwe Althaus, State Secretary in the Thuringian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, praised the important role played by the JCSM in science, innovation and technology transfer in Thuringia. University President Prof. Dr. Andreas Marx highlighted the central importance of the center for the university's excellence strategy, while Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible, President of the University of Bayreuth, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation.

Over 120 guests from science, business and politics attended. SmartDyeLivery presented its development and innovative approaches as an example of a successful spin-off from the JCSM, illustrating the center’s strong transfer performance.

The event included specialist lectures, a poster session and laboratory tours, demonstrating the JCSM's deep networking and innovative strength.

BMFTR RESEARCH CAMPUS INITIATIVE: JOINT PROJECT APPROVED

As part of the initiative ‘Research Campus – Public-Private Partnership for Innovation’, the InfectoGnostics Research Campus Jena e.V. will receive funding from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) for another four years starting in October 2025. SmartDyeLivery is a partner in one of seven lead projects in which automated organ-on-chip platforms will be used to test the effectiveness of substances against bacterial pathogens. In a sub-project, SmartDyeLivery will develop nanoparticulate transport systems for this diagnostic tool, which is intended to contribute to the development of new effective antibiotics.

For more than eleven years, InfectoGnostics has been bringing together partners from science, industry and clinical practice. With the overall goal of diagnosing infectious diseases more quickly and accurately, identifying antibiotic resistance before treatment begins, and translating innovative research results into practical solutions, InfectoGnostics is entering the third and final funding period.

TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE ‘ELMUG4FUTURE’: PRESENTATION OF OUR SMART PLATFORM

The conference, organised by the Industry Cluster Elektronische Mess- und Gerätetechnik Thüringen (ELMUG) eG on 21–22 October in Jena, provided a forum for exchange on innovative measurement technology in the life sciences sector. SmartDyeLivery also presented its platform technology as part of the interdisciplinary series of lectures. The ideas generated by the lively discussions can be incorporated into future projects.

SEVENTH ALLIANCE COMMITTEE OF THE ATHANA CONSORTIUM

 On 16 October 2025, the seventh committee of the ATHANA alliance met, this time at the University Hospital Jena. During the two-hour meeting, all eight project partners presented their progress. The focus was particularly on the newly developed test samples and their application.

www.athana.net

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE VISION VILLAGE OF THE VISCERAL MEDICINE CONGRESS

The ‘Vision Village’ provided a special space for young companies with visionary ideas at this year's Visceral Medicine Congress in Leipzig. SmartDyeLivery was also selected to take part and gave a presentation yesterday on its innovative technology to an interested audience. Visitors had the opportunity to talk directly to our team at the information booth.

SECOND ATHANA STRATEGY WORKSHOP

Two-thirds through the project, the second strategy workshop of the ATHANA consortium took place this week at the premises of BioControl Jena GmbH. In the presence of Projektträger Jülich (PtJ), the eight consortium partners presented the status of their research and development work and discussed the further course of the planned work steps. According to the milestone plan, the project is right on schedule, providing us with extra motivation for our collaboration with Dyomics, Dynamic42 GmbH, Jena Bioscience GmbH, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie - Hans-Knöll-Institut Jena, HAPILA GmbH, BioControl Jena GmbH und Innovativ Thüringen.

www.athana.net

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE INVESTOR DAYS THURINGIA: ANNIVERSARY IN A HISTORIC ATMOSPHERE

On June 4 and 5 in Erfurt, young companies met with investors for the 10th time. The prelude with 10 innovative “scale-ups” presenting, took place at the Horticultural Museum in Egapark, providing a special setting for the topic of “growth”. The event continued in St. Peter's Church, which was bathed in a festive light for the 34 start-ups introducing themselves there. The companies from the partner country South Africa provided a special spirit and internationality. A truly all-round successful event organized by the initiators, bm|t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen gmbh and the Stiftung für Technologie, Innovation und Forschung Thüringen (STIFT), with a wonderful finale at a barbecue party over the rooftops of the city.

The topic of internationalization was explored in greater depth on the second day – hosted by Thüringen International of the Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft Thüringen and the Enterprise Europe Network Thüringen.

WITH TEAM SPIRIT TO THE FINISH

The 14th Jena Corporate Run (Jenaer Firmenlauf) took place yesterday. SmartDyeLivery participated in this event for the first time. In perfect conditions and in high spirits, the team completed the approx. 5 km course in the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld together. It was a superbly organized event with a total of 3,500 starters. Part of the proceeds went to social projects in Jena.

CLINICAL PHASE I STUDY WITH POLYMERIC NANOPARTICLES STARTED

SmartDyeLivery’s Nanocarrier SDL-M1 was administered to humans for the first time. In the Phase I study, the safety and tolerability of the intravenously administered nanocarriers are being tested in healthy volunteers. SDL-M1 is the first application from SmartDyeLivery's technology platform and is designed to deliver an active substance specifically into the metabolic cells of the liver.

Read the official press release here

MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

In order to align the positioning of our ‘first-in-class’ medication for septic cholestasis with the exact clinical target groups and needs, a Medical Advisory Board set up by SmartDyeLivery met for the first time in January. The expert panel, consisting of five doctors with specialised knowledge of various liver diseases, discussed with us in a workshop format the various issues relating to future development goals, preparatory aspects for Phase II and other potential areas of application. After a very intensive and helpful exchange, we are pleased about the great added value of this first board meeting and are sure that more will follow.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LONG NIGHT OF SCIENCE

A night full of amazement and experiments is over and attracted numerous visitors to the Long Night of Science. We are delighted with the many young and old revellers who tried their hand at dropping our colourful particles and admired the display case for fluorescent dyes.

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE LONG NIGHT OF SCIENCE

Today is the day. We are looking forward to welcoming every visitor to our stand at the Centre for Applied Research (Philosophenweg 7 in Jena) from 6 pm!

SMARTDYELIVERY AS A NEW MEMBER OF JENAVERSUM

Following a unanimous vote by the Executive Board, SmartDyeLivery is now the newest member of the regional network of the science and business location Jena. JenaVersum promotes the long-standing and successful tradition of cooperation between the institutions in the region through new formats and joint initiatives. The players from science collaborate with partners from business and the town in order to take the long-standing co-operation at the location to a new level. We are delighted to be one of 29 members in this exciting environment.

LONG NIGHT OF SCIENCE IN JENA

On 22 November 2024, SmartDyeLivery will present itself to a wide audience as part of the Long Night of Science from 6 pm to midnight. Young and old alike will be able to try out, explore and discover science at many stands spread across the city. Together with the InfectoGnostics research campus, SmartDyeLivery will have a stand at Philosophenweg 7 (Centre for Applied Research) and invites visitors to experiment and find out more. As a translational application example, the RUBIN-funded ATHANA project with 8 involved partners from Thuringia with the participation of Jena University Hospital and the Centre for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC) will also be presented. The University Hospital will be providing more detailed information and other hands-on activities at its main event venue Am Klinikum 1.

FOURTH ALLIANCE COMMITTEE OF THE ATHANA CONSORTIUM

The 4th alliance committee of the eight partners of the Thuringian RUBIN alliance ‘ATHANA’ met on 17 October. In addition to discussing the progress of the project, the focus was on milestone planning and future public relations work.

Almost halfway through the project, the partners can look back on an intensive and successful collaboration and are looking forward to the second half of the funding period.

www.athana.net

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE CPHI IN MILAN

The renowned pharmaceutical trade fair is taking place in Milan from 8 to 10 October with two SmartDyeLivery representatives. For 35 years, CPHI Milan has been the most important platform for pharmaceutical innovation and global networking. We are delighted to be visiting this global hotspot with over 2,400 exhibitors from around the world.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BACHELOR THESIS

We congratulate our bachelor student Pierre-Pascal Keup on the successful defense of his bachelor thesis at the Hochschule Mittweida. He passed with the best possible grade for his work on the Formulation of Nanoparticles for the Development of a Size Prediction Model.
Congratulations to him!

MP THORSTEN FREI AS A GUEST AT SMARTDYELIVERY

On August 27, the First Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group Thorsten Frei visited SmartDyeLivery GmbH. Together with CEO Dr. Marc Lehmann and co-founder Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schubert, who is running for the Thuringian state parliament in the upcoming election, SmartDyeLivery introduced itself to MP Thorsten Frei and presented the latest results and innovative ideas from its development work.

FIRST ATHANA STRATEGY WORKSHOP

After one year since the start of the project, the first strategy workshop of the ATHANA consortium took place this week at the Hans Knöll Institute in Jena. In the presence of the project sponsor Jülich, the eight alliance partners presented the status of their research and development work and discussed the further course of the planned work steps. According to the milestone planning, the project is currently right on schedule and motivates us for the further collaboration with Dyomics, Dynamic42 GmbH, BioControl Jena GmbH, Jena Bioscience GmbH, Universitätsklinikum Jena, HAPILA GmbH and the Thüringer ClusterManagement.

For more information visit www.athana.net

RUBIN ALLIANCE MEETING IN MAGDEBURG

With a total of 25 funded alliances, including five from Thuringia, the RUBIN committee met in Magdeburg in June. SmartDyeLivery introduced one of its key topics, the ATHANA project, to a large audience and illustrated findings from its collaboration with eight partners from industry and academia in various workshops and a presentation in Pecha Kucha style. The "RUBIN" funding program of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research improves strategic cooperation between companies and with universities and research institutions. The aim is to support regional entrepreneurial alliances in the development of innovations with high application potential. As part of the ATHANA project, SmartDyeLivery is developing a nanoparticle-based platform technology that enables innovative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of fungal infections in the lungs.

SMARTDYELIVERY AS A GUEST AT THE INVESTOR DAYS THURINGIA       

After two days, 36 pitches and countless interesting conversations with founders, investors and stakeholders, we can take stock: the Investor Days 2024 have blown our minds and make us proud to be part of Thuringia's innovative community. A big compliment goes to the initiators of STIFT and bm-t - both the choice of locations (Central Club and egaPark Erfurt) and the entire programme speak of incredibly good teamwork and organizational talent. We are already looking forward to next June!

START-UP CENTER WITH SPACE FOR EXPANSION

A new start-up center called "lab2fab" is being built on the Landgrafen Campus of Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The 4,680 square meter building will help young high-tech companies prepare for market entry and give existing companies the opportunity to expand their infrastructure. The city of Jena is investing 21 million euros in the center to also strengthen the link between university research and industrial companies. The start-up center will work closely with research institutions such as the Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry (CEEC) and drive forward innovation in the field of polymer science.

SmartDyeLivery is delighted about the prospect of being able to expand its laboratory capacities and make internal GMP processes possible with the new premises. CEO Dr Marc Lehmann attended the opening of the center and gained first impressions of the site.

Read more here.

SMARTDYELIVERY CHEERING ALONG THE CYCLE PATH

We‘re keeping our fingers crossed for our Bachelor student Pierre-Pascal Keup and wish him best of luck and ideal asphalt at the FISU World Cycling Championships in Costa Rica!

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE STIFT FUTURE CONFERENCE

Space for innovation and exchange. The STIFT Future Conference on 23 May 2024 brought together leading minds from education, science, business, politics and civil society to create new ideas and rethink the future. With a focus on inspiration, discussion and celebrations to mark its 30th anniversary, the conference provided impetus for innovation in Thuringia and beyond. SmartDyeLivery was part of the exciting event, which addressed the pressing issues of our time and focused on a shared future.

MEMBERSHIP OF BIO DEUTSCHLAND

SmartDyeLivery is now a new member of BIO Deutschland. BIO Deutschland is the association of the biotechnology industry and, with 380 member companies, the voice of innovative SMEs in this sector.

The association is not only active in the fields of medicine and health, but also in the areas of sustainable industries, food and agriculture. Germany and Europe need biotechnology in order to achieve sustainability goals. This is why BIO Deutschland enables research to be carried out in all areas of application of biotechnological processes and the results to be used for a sustainable future of tomorrow.

https://www.biodeutschland.org/en/

SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER

As in previous years, SmartDyeLivery GmbH and its investors are supporting the Cultural and Social Foundation and its International Young Orchestra Academy. As part of the Festival Brass, each concert calls for donations for children with cancer and serious illnesses in the respective regions in order to help the weakest members of society. SmartDyeLivery is committed to the foundation's intention of using the universal language of music to overcome borders and bring people from different nations together.

The next concert will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 8 pm in Jena's Volkshaus. The returns will also be donated to children with cancer in Jena.

SECOND ALLIANCE COMMITTEE OF THE ATHANA CONSORTIUM

The second quarterly meeting of the eight partners of the Thuringian alliance "ATHANA" took place on April 11. The RUBIN alliance develops innovative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of infectious diseases, in particular fungal infections, and is coordinated by SmartDyeLivery. The other regional alliance partners are Jena Bioscience, BioControl Jena, Dynamic42, Hapila, Dyomics, Leibniz-HKI and the Jena University Hospital, jointly supported by the Thuringian ClusterManagement of LEG. Together, they aim to save human lives with innovative therapies and to develop the region into the European heart of anti-infective nanotechnologies.

Last Thursday, all partners came together to discuss the joint progress of the project and future milestones in project planning. We are pleased about the positive interim results and the promising research results of the individual partners.

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE TRIP-WORKSHOP OF THE STIFT

The Thuringian Regional Innovation Program, TRIP, is an initiative of the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia (STIFT) and helps start-ups to successfully enter the business world. In the final round of the program, both investors and founders were invited to report on their experiences. As a long-standing STIFT investment partner, SmartDyeLivery GmbH was of course also on site and depicted its own career as a start-up and the various steps towards investment to the audience.

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE NANOMEDICINE MINISYMPOSIUM

As part of a mini-symposium at the Jena School of Molecular Medicine (JSMM), Dr. Christoph Englert, representing SmartDyeLivery GmbH, was able to give the audience exciting insights into the world of translational nanomedicine.

Together with numerous interdisciplinary experts from a wide range of research fields, topics such as cancer therapy, infectious diseases and sepsis research in the field of nanomedicine were exchanged and discussed.

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE APPLICANT DAY AT CARL-ZEISS-GYMNASIUM, JENA

On 9 February, the Bildungswerk der Thüringer Wirtschaft organised an "Applicant Day" at the mathematical, scientific and technical grammar school.

Interested pupils had one-on-one interviews with the companies taking part in this event in order to practise the special situation of a job interview.

SmartDyeLivery was happy to participate in this great way of promoting young talent and presented itself to the pupils.

SMARTDYELIVERY INSPIRES YOUNG AND OLD AT THE SCIENCE EVENING AT JENA TALSCHULE

Surrounded by teddy bear surgery, a robot dog and laser shows, pupils and families from the Talschule in Jena were able to experiment with particle production at the SmartDyeLivery stall. Equipped with laboratory utensils, magnetic stirrers and alginate powder, interested children and adults tried their hand at being chemists and were able to take the results of their experiments home with them. With almost 1,000 visitors and 35 booths, the event was a great success and brought scientific phenomena closer to potential young researchers.

LIVE AND IN COLOUR AT INNOCON

After SmartDyeLivery's last participation at InnoCON was only possible digitally, it was now even nicer to visit Thuringia's leading innovation policy event on site again. Under the slogan "More technological independence" the event dealt with the opportunities and possibilities that the new EU funding period 2021-2027 offers for Thuringian companies and researchers. SmartDyeLivery participated at InnoMARKT and informed visitors about its new BMBF-funded project "ATHANA - Antifungal therapy approaches with nanoparticle-based targeting of drugs" in a presentation.

SMARTDYELIVERY RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR PHASE I CLINICAL TESTING

We've got reason to celebrate: After the examination of our clinical trial application, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) has given permission to transition our first product into the clinical phase. Thus, nanocarriers that are developed for the treatment of septic liver failure can be tested on healthy subjects for the very first time.

Read the official press release here

BMBF FUNDS NEW ATHANA PROJECT TO THE TUNE OF MILLIONS

The RUBIN alliance "ATHANA" is developing innovative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of infectious diseases, specifically fungal infections (Antifungal therapy approaches with nanoparticle-based targeting of drugs). SmartDyeLivery has joined forces with seven Thuringian companies and research institutions from the pharmaceutical-biotechnology and the infection and clinical research sector and acts as alliance coordinator. Together they aim to save human lives with innovative therapeutics and to develop the region into the European heart of anti-infective nanotechnologies. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project with a total funding volume of almost 6 million euros over three years as part of the RUBIN program - Regional Entrepreneurial Alliances for Innovation.

View press release

AFTER FOUR YEARS OF COVID BREAK: Highly-motivated members of the SmartDyeLivery team were back on the startline of the Thuringian Unternehmenslauf RUN, pounding the streets in the oldtown of Erfurt along with almost 8.600 others, completing the 5-kilometer course in style. All team members managed the run, with the odd drop of sweat shed, and enjoyed the rest of the evening on the Domplatz in Erfurt.