WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 2011 BIO International Convention, the global event for biotechnology, wrapped up today at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. with a record number of partnering meetings, increased international attendance and participation, and panel sessions on the latest scientific, policy and business opportunities and challenges facing the biotechnology industry. Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the event drew 15,626 industry leaders from 48 states and 65 countries.
“The 2011 BIO International Convention was an enormous success, bringing together leaders from industry, government and academia who are working to solve some of the sector’s biggest challenges,” said President and CEO of BIO Jim Greenwood. “Bringing the global biotech industry to Washington, D.C. gave us the critical opportunity to showcase to key policymakers our industry’s promise to offer real solutions to the most pressing global challenges such as curing disease, reducing health care costs, combating hunger, discovering alternative forms of energy and creating high-wage jobs. We continue to advocate for a policy and regulatory environment that will support innovation and inspire industry growth.”
Greenwood interviewed Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Tony Blair at Tuesday’s keynote. Wednesday’s keynote featured U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY); former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD); Governor Howard Dean and Republican political strategist Karl Rove discussing the implementation of health care reform. The Convention program featured more than 125 breakout sessions across 15 tracks, which included Global Innovations and Markets, Health Policy and Reimbursement, Biosecurity, Business Development, Food and Agriculture, and Biofuels and Biobased Chemicals.
The top 10 largest international delegations included (in order): Canada, UK, Germany, France, Korea, Belgium, China, Japan, Spain and Australia.
The event attracted 11 U.S. Governors and more than 100 international public officials, including:
His Royal Highness Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, Prince of Belgium
His
Excellency Steven Vanackere, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium
The
Right Honourable Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Deputy Prime Minister of
Malaysia
The BIO Business Forum hosted a record breaking 21,183 partnering meetings between 2,410 companies and featured 157 company presentations. The BIO Business Forum Partnering Report indicated that there is high demand for Phase I assets as well as CNS, immunology, and metabolic therapeutic areas compared to 2010. In addition, the top three highest interest therapeutic areas in 2010 include cardiovascular, oncology and respiratory categories are now all in the bottom half of this year's top 10 areas.
The BIO Exhibition featured more than 1,800 exhibitors and covered 180,000 square feet with 61 state and international pavilions.
“The BIO International Convention is the number one event for us,” said Mgr. Marek Polach of the Association of Czech Biotech Companies. “Most of the companies within the Czech Republic Pavilion are small enterprises and the U.S. is the biggest market; being at this event is critical for us to engage with the global biotech industry.”
“We had a great experience at the 2011 BIO International Convention and the interactions we had this week created strong momentum for the Convention’s return to Boston in 2012,” said Susan R. Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. “Our ‘road to revolution’ began this week and we invite everyone to Boston to see and experience everything our region has to offer the life sciences industry.”
The 2012 BIO International Convention will take place June 18-21 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Mass. For more information, please visit http://convention.bio.org/2012.aspx.
The BIO International Convention is the largest global event for the biotechnology industry, offering networking and partnering opportunities with policymakers, scientists, CEOs and newsmakers, and hundreds of sessions covering biotech trends, policy issues and technological innovations. The Convention also features the BIO Business Forum, a unique platform for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, academic research institutions, and investors from around the world to gather and discuss strategic opportunities.
About BIO
BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIO produces BIOtechNOW, an online portal and monthly newsletter chronicling “innovations transforming our world.” Subscribe to BIOtechNOW.
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BIO Upcoming Events
BIO
India International Partnering Conference
September 21-22,
2011
Hyderabad, India
BIO
China International Conference
October 12-13, 2011
Shanghai,
China
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