The guests were welcomed by Prof. Martin Hrabě de Angelis, spokesperson for the DZD Executive Board and acting scientific director of Helmholtz Munich, and DZD managing director Dr. Astrid Glaser. The French delegation consisted of representatives from Inserm headquarters and several institutes specializing in specific topics. The delegation was accompanied by the science attaché of the French Embassy and the managing director of BayFrance (Bavarian-French University Center).
The meeting focused on mutual insights into the research activities of Inserm, Helmholtz Munich, and the DZD. On this basis, concrete cooperation formats were discussed. The initiative presented by Prof. Didier Samuel on so-called “joint labs,” which are intended to enable structured and long-term cooperation between German and French research groups, met with particular interest. In addition, Prof. Chantal Boulanger, Director of the Inserm Institute for Pathophysiology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, presented possible structures for joint projects in metabolism research.
A third Franco-German diabetes conference is planned. This will serve as a platform for deepening existing cooperation, initiating new collaborations, and further developing the cooperation approaches discussed during the meeting. A particular focus will be on the possible joint use of data, biobanks, and cohorts to enable innovative approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes.
The personal exchanges and constructive discussions during the visit have laid an important foundation for further deepening Franco-German cooperation.
