DR. PIOTROWIAK LIFE SCIENCES INDUSTRY CONSULTING was established by Ralf Piotrowiak in 1998. Since then, our firm has been dedicated to serving pharmaceutical, animal health, biotech companies, medical device manufacturers, governments & agencies, as well as associations.

Ralf Piotrowiak studied Biology and Philosophy at the Universities of Münster, Bochum, and Cologne, earning a degree in Biology followed by a PhD in molecular gene technology at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. 

He began his career in 1986 as one of the first employees at QIAGEN, an early European biotech startup, where he worked as an R&D scientist and Product Manager, contributing to the development of nucleic acid purification technologies. By 1990, he had advanced to CEO roles within a biomedical-pharmaceutical company group, an innovation center, and a venture capital firm. In 1998, he became CEO and President of an international drug delivery company specializing in liposomal transdermal technologies. Under his leadership, multiple products (including Diclofenac 4% spray) were developed, clinically validated, approved, and licensed to major pharmaceutical companies such as Wyeth, Novartis, and Bayer. Concurrently, he led Health Care NRW e.V. for nine years, fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government in the life sciences sector. 

Since 2010, following the sale of his company shares, Ralf has worked as an international consultant in the biopharmaceutical industry, advising pharmaceutical, biotech, animal health, and medical device companies, as well as governments and investors. He has also spent over five years at Bayer in Scientific Competitive Intelligence. 

Since February 2022, he has been a part-time technology scout at ZEPAI - Center for Pandemic Vaccines and Therapeutics (Paul-Ehrlich-Institut), supporting since 2026 the development of the European Vaccines Hub. He also lectures on innovation and pandemic preparedness at the University of Ilmenau. 

Outside his professional work, Ralf enjoys paragliding and motorcycling and is married with three children.