Germany’s life sciences sector is facing a paradox. Technologically, the industry is stronger than ever – with mRNA, CRISPR, AI-driven drug discovery, and new biomanufacturing approaches. Yet these very innovations are starting to hit their limits: companies can’t find the skilled professionals they need. Talent shortages in pharma, biotech, and medical technology are no longer a minor issue – they have become a structural constraint that is increasingly slowing Germany’s competitiveness as a business hub.

Hard to find: Highly qualified professionals

The Hays Skilled Workers Index Life Sciences shows: Demand for life sciences specialists in Germany is well above average, even though dynamics have slowed somewhat since 2022. A study by the Institute of the German Economy on the pharmaceutical industry underscores that the shortage of skilled workers is increasingly perceived as a hindrance for the German pharmaceutical location, particularly for qualified activities in production, technical, and regulatory professions. At the same time, the IW Skilled Workers Check Chemistry 2025 shows that in 2024, in professions relevant to the chemical-pharmaceutical industry, more than 71,000 vacant positions could not be filled with appropriately qualified candidates.

The shortage of skilled professionals is not limited to Germany. Hays’ Europe Life Sciences Talent Report 2024 shows that over 50% of surveyed companies in Europe have difficulty finding qualified workers in biotechnology, pharma, and medical technology. Across Europe, life sciences companies name the shortage of skilled workers as their greatest business challenge, even though Europe, with around 1.87 million employees in the sector, is one of the most important ecosystems in the world.

Shortages in metropolitan areas

When it comes to talent shortages, metropolitan areas are the real hotspots. In cities and metropolitan regions, companies and research institutions are competing intensely for talent – and therefore for the future of their innovation ecosystems. In major life sciences clusters such as Life Science Nord, companies are searching for thousands of qualified professionals who cannot be found on the labor market. In the race for talent, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are coming under particular pressure.

The topic of securing skilled workers is also at the very top of the agenda in the Life Science Nord Cluster. With the new project TALENTready, six Hamburg cluster organizations – including Life Science Nord – aim to support companies in acquiring and retaining skilled workers, primarily through digital solutions. LSN project manager Marina Holstein and HR expert Julia Brilling are involved in the project and understand the challenges faced by businesses firsthand. We spoke with both of them about pathways and hurdles in the search for skilled workers.

Interview

What distinguishes the skilled labor shortage in the life sciences from that in other industries? Where do you see the specific challenges?

Marina Holstein: Life sciences companies need to translate highly complex, explanation-heavy activities and the broader industry context into messaging tailored to specific target groups. This becomes especially challenging when the product portfolio is aimed at B2B customers within the life sciences sector. There is also room to improve how visible companies are as employers.

Due to scarce internal resources, strategic communication initiatives are sometimes not implemented.

It is also difficult to attract early-career talent for specific roles such as technical assistants. In some training occupations, there is a fundamental shortage of new talent. Skilled labor shortages are also evident in industrial and technical roles (production, logistics, technicians), especially since companies in this sector compete directly with other industries for the same talent.

In SMEs in particular, digital tools are often not strategically embedded within the company’s overall process architecture – not only in the life sciences.”

Marina Holstein

How does Life Science Nord support its members in recruiting and retaining talent?

Julia Brilling: One key initiative is the organizational development working group, which has increasingly focused on skilled labor topics in recent years and has now evolved into a peer group for senior HR leaders. Members meet quarterly to discuss current HR topics and share best practices.

We also want to deepen our collaboration with universities and increase our visibility there, for example by participating in the Molecular Life Science Conference at the University of Hamburg or in student conferences at local universities. At the T5 Job Fair, we had our own booth. Our goal is to reach the student audience and showcase career opportunities, thesis topics, and internships. To do this, we use the LSN member database and our job portal.

Are there activities that specifically address young people?

Julia Brilling: Going forward, we want to make greater use of partnerships with other networks that target groups such as students – audiences that LSN has not previously focused on consistently.

Members can post an unlimited number of job openings. Premium LSN members can also promote their listings via the newsletter, further increasing their reach.

The LSN job board is the most-visited page on our website.

Julia Brilling

In addition to these measures, you launched the TALENTready project in fall 2025 together with other clusters. How do you contribute your specific expertise?

Marina Holstein: LSN is primarily responsible for implementation formats such as workshops, design workshops, working groups, networking events, webinars, and information sessions within the project.

LSN is also co-lead in project communications and supports the cluster Hamburg Aviation. Our event team contributes extensive experience in designing and delivering the event formats planned for TALENTready.

The project is still in an early phase. Do companies have to wait until they can benefit from the results, or is this possible even before the project ends?

Marina Holstein: The project is driven by continuous exchange with companies and their active participation. Both take place throughout the entire project duration.

While the project primarily targets SMEs, all interested stakeholders can participate and benefit from the results – including large companies and research institutions.

Is there ongoing practical exchange with companies during the project? What does that look like?

Marina Holstein: To identify concrete HR challenges faced by SMEs in the participating clusters, interviews and TALENTready working groups are conducted in workshop formats. Following the initial working group phase, creative workshops are planned to develop solutions. Ideally, companies will adopt these solutions after the development phase. We are also planning a networking event to further deepen thematic exchange.

Digital solutions are frequently mentioned. Which digital HR tools can help address the challenge?

Marina Holstein: In general, HR tools that are well integrated into processes and help reduce operational workload can be beneficial for SMEs. In addition, AI solutions that can take over certain process steps from limited HR resources should increasingly be considered. However, which specific tools these will be can only be determined by the end of the project. One of the project’s goals is to develop a digital HR toolbox.

What advice do you have for companies currently facing an acute shortage of skilled workers?

Julia Brilling: We recommend actively engaging in the LSN network and TALENTready activities. Use our job portal and our wide range of offerings to exchange ideas with others and benefit from their experience.

Life Science Nord also participates in collaborations and initiatives led by partner organizations, such as a career orientation day for students organized by the Student Research Center Hamburg and HCAT+. Subscribe to our LSN newsletter to stay informed about regional activities – and last but not least: get in touch with us!

Keeping employees in the company

Since skilled professionals are difficult to recruit, it is all the more important to retain existing employees and provide them with a working environment in which they feel comfortable. A wide range of measures can help retain skilled professionals in the long term. These include targeted training opportunities as well as genuine development prospects within the company, enabling the team to grow both professionally and personally. Fair compensation, financial benefits, childcare support, and flexible working hours are key building blocks for strengthening work-life balance. Equally important are open, transparent communication and a culture of appreciation and trust. These factors, in particular, determine whether individuals become a team that works together successfully and with motivation over the long term.

Text: Maren Kühr, Uta Mommert

Cover image: Unsplash+