208 life science companies are currently active in the BioRiver region, including 121 biotechnology companies, 65 pharmaceutical companies and 22 contract research institutes (CRO). Pharmaceutical biotechnology, molecular diagnostics and analysis and bio process engineering are the small and medium-sized companies' main fields of activity in the BioRiver region, supplemented by innovative medical technology companies based primarily in the Aachen area. Amongst many other internationally active businesses, Germany's biggest biotechnology companies Qiagen and Miltenyi Biotec are located in the BioRiver region. The BioRiver region's universities and research institutes possess distinct competencies in the biomedical sector. The research foci of the Rhineland are united under the umbrella of BioRiver Science. The Bonn Science Region represents the neuroscience sector, Cologne focuses on inflammation, infection and oncology, Düsseldorf University and Forschungszentrum Jülich cooperate in the field of enzyme research and the Aachen region leads in the medical technology and biomaterials sectors.

As the first university in North Rhine-Westphalia, the University of Bonn established a new interdisciplinary centre for pharmaceutical research at the end of 2007. More than 20 teams of medical and scientific experts will work here in close cooperation to develop novel drugs. As one of three winners, the Neuroalliance of the University of Bonn successfully presented its concept at the national BioPharma competition. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research awarded 20 million euros in prize money to this alliance of six institutes and industrial partners (Siemens, SchwarzPharma) for the purpose of researching diagnostics and cures for neurodegenerative diseases. The "Neuroalliance" consortium puts into practice a new type of strategic partnership between publicly funded research institutes, the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology companies and government agencies, in which all links of the value added chain are represented. The twelve partners involved intend to develop therapeutic and diagnostic approaches for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases from the research stage to marketability.