# Insurance for research institutes, laboratories and development companies in Germany

> In a laboratory, years of work sit in a single freezer: cell lines, samples and prototypes that cannot simply be bought again. Add equipment worth as much as a family home, chemicals and confidential data. If you run studies with human participants, German law also requires specific insurance. This page explains what you need and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-research-development.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Are our samples insured if the freezer fails?

Only if you have agreed it. Standard contents insurance pays for fire, water and burglary, not when a compressor dies or the power goes off. There are extensions for spoilage of refrigerated goods, usually tied to temperature monitoring with an alarm. What matters is how the value is calculated: often the insurer only pays the cost of recreating the samples, not the research time that was lost.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No general duty. Clinical trials of medicinal products require trial participant insurance under § 40a of the German Medicines Act (AMG) with at least 500,000 euros per person; there are also rules for medical devices and for handling radioactive substances
- **Biggest risk:** Loss of samples, cell cultures and equipment, and liability for development results
- **Basic cover from:** around 1,000 euros a year for the public liability cover of a small development company
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BG RCI (the Berufsgenossenschaft for raw materials and the chemical industry) for chemical and biological labs, otherwise usually VBG; universities through the public accident funds (Unfallkassen)
- **Often forgotten:** The value of frozen samples is not automatically insured against a power failure; it has to be agreed explicitly
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 72.10 Forschung und Entwicklung im Bereich Natur-, Ingenieur-, Agrarwissenschaften und Medizin

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Frozen samples:** A freezer failure over the weekend destroys cell lines and samples collected over years. This is often the most expensive claim in a lab.
- **Lab equipment:** Mass spectrometers, microscopes and sequencers cost six figures and are sensitive to power surges, water and operating errors.
- **Chemicals and fire:** Solvents, gases and heating cabinets are typical causes of fire. A fire often also hits neighbouring tenants in the technology park.
- **Studies with people:** In clinical trials and observational studies, participants can be harmed. The compulsory insurance must be in place before the first participant is enrolled.
- **Knowledge and data:** Research data, patent drafts and formulations are sought after. Attacks aim to steal or encrypt them.
- **Prototypes at partners:** If you supply samples and prototypes to partners, you are liable for damage they cause, even before the product is on the market.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 4, Fire and water 4, Theft 2, Cyber 4, Downtime 4, Health 3

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers injury and property damage from lab operations, environmental risks and prototypes; product and environmental liability are part of it. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Insures lab equipment and measuring devices against breakage, operating errors, power surges and water. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces furniture and supplies and, with the right extension, spoiled refrigerated goods after fire, water and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Pays running costs and staff while the lab cannot work after a loss. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Helps with data theft, encrypted servers and reporting duties for study data. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Depends on the business): For refrigeration, cleanroom systems and test rigs against machinery breakdown. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Cargo insurance** (Depends on the business): For shipping samples and moving equipment to partners, including under cold chain conditions. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cargo-insurance.php
- **D&O insurance** (Depends on the business): For managing directors of investor-backed start-ups who are personally answerable for grants and funding. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-directors-and-officers.php

## What it costs: example prices

What counts is the type of research, the value of equipment, the handling of hazardous substances and whether people take part in studies. Trial participant insurance is priced per study.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Development company with 15 staff, lab and prototypes | around 1,000 to 3,500 euros a year |
| Electronic equipment | Lab and measuring equipment worth 500,000 euros | around 1,500 to 4,000 euros a year |
| Business contents | Furniture, supplies and refrigerated goods worth 1 million euros | around 1,200 to 3,000 euros a year |
| Cyber insurance | Research company with study and patent data, 500,000 euros cover | around 800 to 2,500 euros a year |
| Cargo insurance | Shipping samples in cool boxes within Europe | around 200 to 600 euros a year |

For comparison: Liability and contents cover for a small development company cost about as much a year as one or two months' salary for a lab assistant.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026, from our own quoting experience; published tariff examples for this sector are rare. Insurers price trial participant insurance per study. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [§ 40a AMG: Versicherung bei klinischen Prüfungen](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/amg_1976/__40a.html)
- [Finanzchef24: Cyberversicherung](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/cyber-versicherung)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start-up** (New company with a small lab or development office): Business liability, Business contents, Cyber insurance. Together: around 2,000 to 5,000 euros a year
- **Laboratory** (Lab with expensive equipment, frozen samples and sample shipping): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Business contents, Business interruption, Cyber insurance, Cargo insurance. Together: around 6,000 to 14,000 euros a year
- **Institute** (Research company with installations, investors and a management team): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Business contents, Business interruption, Cyber insurance, Machinery breakdown, D&O insurance. Together: from around 15,000 euros a year, calculated individually

## The worst day in the lab

Six things that really happen in labs and development companies, all on a single Monday after a long weekend. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 07:30: The freezer has been off since Saturday, and the alarm went to an old mobile phone. Cell lines and samples are lost. (€60,000, Paid by: Business contents)
- 09:15: The freezer's compressor cannot be repaired. (€14,000, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 10:40: A water hose on the lab washer bursts and runs into the mass spectrometer next door. (€120,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 12:20: A prototype overheats during a partner's test and damages the partner's test rig. (€35,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 14:50: A phishing email opens access to patent drafts. Forensics, lawyers and informing the partner. (€30,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 16:30: Until the instrument is replaced, two projects stand still for four weeks. Salaries and rent keep running. (€45,000, Paid by: Business interruption)

**Damage so far:** €304,000

## Practical tips from your broker

- Agree cover for spoilage of refrigerated goods explicitly and clarify how samples are valued: cost of recreation or a fixed amount.
- Route temperature alarms to several people and document it; insurers often make this a condition.
- Insure lab equipment at replacement value under an electronics policy, including leased and borrowed devices.
- Take out trial participant insurance before each study begins and check sums, duration and the late reporting period.
- For prototypes and deliveries to partners, look for extended product liability that includes removal and installation costs.
- With grants and investors, check whether D&O cover for management is required or sensible.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We look at assets and downtime together:** As a broker we align contents, electronics, machinery and business interruption cover so that a lab loss leaves no gap between policies.
- **We know claims settlement from the inside:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. We know what evidence an insurer expects for the value of lost samples.
- **Several insurers compared:** Only a few insurers have suitable terms for research. We collect quotes and explain the differences.
- **Family business since 1989:** No cost to you, as the insurer pays our commission. You have one contact for the company and private matters.

## FAQ

### Do we need compulsory insurance for studies with people?

Yes, for clinical trials of medicinal products § 40a AMG requires trial participant insurance of at least 500,000 euros per person for death or permanent incapacity. Medical devices are subject to their own rules.

### Can research results themselves be insured?

The value of knowledge cannot be insured directly. What can be insured is the cost of recreating samples and data, and the loss of income after property damage.

### What does insurance for a small lab cost?

Liability, contents and cyber for a start-up are usually between 2,000 and 5,000 euros a year. With expensive equipment and business interruption cover, 6,000 to 14,000 euros is usual.

### Which statutory accident insurer is responsible?

For chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech labs usually the BG RCI, for development offices without a lab the VBG. Universities and public institutes are insured through the public accident funds.

### Are leased lab devices insured by the leasing company?

The lease often requires you to insure the devices yourself. Check the contract and add the devices to your electronics policy.

### Does liability cover damage caused by our prototypes?

If product liability includes prototypes and samples, yes. Deliveries to the USA or in series production need special agreements.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-research-development.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.