BIO-Europe 2008 sets new record for partnering productivity
Close to 10,000 meetings between life science executives were confirmed even before the doors opened for BIO-Europe 2008 in Mannheim-Heidelberg on November 17, an increase of 25% over last year’s event.
While participation increased 5% to a record 2,400 delegates attending the three-day event, it was the extraordinary growth in the number of meetings per delegate that distinguished this year’s event.
“Biotech and pharmaceutical executives are clearly demonstrating a bullish attitude despite the sour economic mood touching other industries,” said Carola Schropp, President of EBD Group that produces the landmark industry meeting.
The 14th annual edition of BIO-Europe strengthened its claim to being the world’s largest stand-alone partnering event with the participation of 1,250 biotech, pharma and professional service organizations.
The program features 190 company presentations and a series of workshops and panels.
“When you think that only 15 years ago biotech partnering did not even exist, we have all come a long way,” said Schropp in her comments welcoming delegates during the opening plenary session.
In her presentation, Schropp paid tribute to the man responsible to driving the growth of biotechnology in Germany, Alfred Mueller, and dedicated this year’s event to his memory.
Dr. Mueller passed away last year. Read the story Special Tribute: Alfred Mueller, Founding Father of German Biotech.
In welcoming delegates to the conference, the Lord Mayor of Mannheim, Peter Kurz, the host for the event, noted that the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region in September received research funding totaling EUR 80 million from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research for two excellence clusters, one for Biotechnology and the second for Organic Electronics.
“This investment of 40% of Germany’s total funding for advanced research recognizes the region’s outstanding concentration of high level universities, special research institutions, industry and start-up businesses”, said Kurz.
Read more about the Abbott, BASF to join Roche and Merck Serono in Biotechnology Cluster Rhine-Neckar.
For more about the opening plenary panel discussion, read the story Cash Rich and Hungry, Big Pharma Hunts for Deals.
The number of scheduled partnering meetings among participants continued to climb on the first day of BIO-Europe 2008 with EBD Group reporting an exceptionally high activity on its Web-based networking platform.
With offices in the USA and Europe, EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry. Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have leveraged EBD Group’s partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships essential to their success. For more information please visit EBD Group.
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