Gießen, Germany, July 16, 2026 – S.O.L.A.R.I.S., a new EU-funded project by Horizon Europe, will develop and test novel approaches to CAR T cell manufacturing to improve patient access to therapies across Europe.
S.O.L.A.R.I.S. brings together 13 partners from across Europe, spanning industry, healthcare, research, and regulatory authorities. Together, they will improve the efficiency, robustness, and scalability of CAR T cell manufacturing, helping to make these therapies available to more patients. While advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), including CAR T cell therapies, have expanded treatment options for patients with severe diseases, their availability remains limited due to complex, labour-intensive, and costly manufacturing processes that are difficult to scale.
“Scaling cell therapy manufacturing can’t come at the cost of sustainability. Through S.O.L.A.R.I.S., we’re contributing our expertise in sustainable product design to ATMP production. This is exactly the kind of collaboration Europe needs to make advanced therapy manufacturing both scalable and sustainable at once,” says Joel Eichmann, Co-founder and CTO/CEO at Green Elephant Biotech.
Developing new manufacturing solutions
Over the next four years, S.O.L.A.R.I.S. is set to develop and implement seven new modules into CliniMACS Prodigy®, the automated cell manufacturing platform developed by Miltenyi Biotec. These modules will integrate into the existing system to support a digitally enhanced, highly automated manufacturing workflow that complies with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
Testing across European sites
The new technologies will be tested and validated at six ATMP manufacturing hubs across Europe, covering clinical, industrial, and newly established production settings. This includes both centralized facilities and point‑of‑care environments, such as hospital-based manufacturing. This will allow the technologies to be evaluated across different settings, support the development of best practices, and reduce implementation risks.
At the same time, partners will contribute their specific expertise in areas such as clinical application, manufacturing, or technology development. The SME Green Elephant Biotech based in Gießen, Germany, leads the development of biopolymer-based consumables and the design of a pilot recycling system to reduce the environmental footprint of CAR T manufacturing.
Supporting implementation and sustainability
S.O.L.A.R.I.S. will also assess ways to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, and environmental sustainability in advanced cell therapy manufacturing. In parallel, project partners will work with regulatory authorities to support the future adoption of these technologies in clinical and manufacturing environments.
By combining technology development with validation in real-world settings, S.O.L.A.R.I.S. will support more efficient and scalable manufacturing of CAR T therapies, help improve patient access, and strengthen Europe’s capabilities in advanced cell therapy manufacturing.
About S.O.L.A.R.I.S.
S.O.L.A.R.I.S. (Sterile Optimized Lean Automated Robust Integrated Scalable) is a Horizon Europe Innovation Action bringing together 13 partners from across Europe. The project aims to advance CAR T cell manufacturing through innovative automation technologies, sustainability-focused process development, regulatory integration and a European validation network.
The project receives funding from the European Union under the Horizon Europe program. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Key facts
Full name: S.O.L.A.R.I.S. – A new dawn in next generation CAR T manufacturing
Grant agreement: 101286693
Start date: July 1, 2026
Duration: 48 months (until June 30, 2030)
Budget: EUR 7,997,648
Coordinator: Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG (MB), Germany
Website: solaris-atmp.eu
Contact
Green Elephant Biotech
Joel Eichmann
joel@greenebt.com
Project Coordinator
Ian Johnston
Miltenyi Biotec
ianj@miltenyi.com
Project Management
Annika Enning
future8 gGmbH
a.enning@future-8.eu
Partners
Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG
Stichting IMEC Nederland
Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum (IMEC Be)
Autolus Limited
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Karolinska University Hospital Region Stockholm
University Medical Center Groningen
Fundacio Privada Per A La Recerca I La Docencia Sant Joan De Deu
Hsjd Hospital Sant Joan De Deu
Icosagen Cell Factory Ou
Cell Therapy Catapult Limited
Green Elephant Biotech GmbH
2.-0 Lca Consultants Aps
future8 gGmbH
