Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is on its way to becoming Germany's number one state in the healthcare industry. In the versatile universities, traditional universities and non-university research institutions, life sciences and engineering have a promising symbiosis. This innovative research environment not only facilitates international cooperation and a high scientific level, but also produces urgently needed specialized experts, thanks to a high level of training and methodological competence. In addition to research, there are also many successful companies in the healthcare industry and centers of excellence with high technical competences.

Medical research has been conducted in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for 600 years. The universities of Rostock (from 1419) and Greifswald (from 1456) are among the oldest in the Baltic region and have had medical facilties from the start. Rostock's Unimedizin is in fact the oldest medical institution in Germany. One of its most successful spin-offs is the biotech pioneer CENTOGENE, the European market leader in genetic diagnostic analysis. Employees from more than 40 countries conduct research on rare hereditary diseases at its headquarters in Rostock. The company has been listed on the NYSE since 2019. In the east of the state on the island of Riems is the headquarters of the renowned Friedrich Löffler Institute. Here, research is conducted on molecular virology and cell biology, infectious medicine, virus diagnostics, new and novel animal pathogens, immunology and epidemiology. The Institute for International Animal Health/One Health (IITG) was also established here in early 2020.

The healthcare industry is growing steadily in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Gross value added has risen from 4.3 billion euros in 2011 to 6.1 billion euros in 2020. Its share of the regional economy as a whole is 14.4%, putting MV in second place nationwide. Our state ranks first in terms of the share of the total labor market employed in healthcare, at 20.8%. Around 12,300 companies work here in life sciences (biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, molecular biology, etc.) as well as in medicine and pharmacy.

The state government is well aware of the economic importance of the healthcare industry in MV and promotes its development. Among other things, it has launched the Health Industry Master Plan 2030 for this purpose.