7th European Biotechnology Crossroads welcomes more than 4,000 visitors to Nantes, France
Results for the three main events Conferences:,167 speakers - well-known scientists, financial and legal experts, business developers, company heads - took part in more than 20 sessions covering scientific and economic issues. The topics selected by the organizers addressed current concerns of the 1,654 conference delegates, of whom more than one third were from abroad. International exhibition:,256 French and international companies and bio-regions were present at the show which filled the 4,000 sq m of exhibition space at the Nantes Cité des Congrès. Exhibitors were rewarded by a constant stream of visitors. Business convention:,The 169 companies registered for the business convention generated more than 1,000 meetings. The aim of these meetings between established and start-up companies, financiers, legal and other experts was to encourage partnerships, equity or other investments, and the use of professional services. The Careers Track for students saw a significant rise in European participation thanks to the efforts of Biochim'Action and the post-graduate faculties of the University of Nantes. France Biotech's annual general meeting brought together close to 300 people to discuss "Biotechnology and Research: beyond controversy". Philippe Pouletty, President of France Biotech, urged the French government to invest more in research. ,Satellite events - With more than 60 bio-poles form all over the world (Asia, North America, South America, Europe), the first international conference for bio-technopoles, life science parks and bio-incubators exceeded the most optimistic forecasts. It is clear that enterprise creation in biotechnology is a strategic economic and social issue all over Europe and the whole world. - The Start-Up Networking Event 2003, organised by the Aventis Foundation, brought together more than 80 biotech start-ups in discussions that lasted well into the night. - Inserm's Showcase day, presided over by Christian Bréchot, director general of Inserm, hosted 230 researchers from Brittany, Pays de la Loire, and the Centre regions during the afternoon of 24 September. - Inserm's Cell and Gene Therapy-Vaccinology Club was the scene of lively debates moderated by Inserm Transfert. They allowed researchers to discuss the challenges they face with people from industry and financial sectors, particularly the issue of how to finance clinical trials. ,The Nantes and Saint-Nazaire Chamber of Commerce took advantage of the event to present the "Biotech Nantes 2003" trophies to three young start-ups from Atlanpole: Bioceane, Chelatec and Tc Land. Photographs of the event can be downloaded at: http://www.biotech-nantes.com/presse.html(se abrirá en una nueva ventana) ,The next European Biotechnology Crossroads will be held in Marseille on 27-29 October 2004. About the European Biotech Crossroads, Biotech Nantes 2003:,http://www.biotech-nantes.com,The European Biotech Crossroads is one of the key annual events for biotechnology in Europe. Initiated in 1997 by the French Ministry of Research and organised in a different French city each year, the seventh European Biotech Crossroads took place at the Cité des Congrès conference centre in Nantes, on September 25th and 26th, 2003. It brought together all the key players in French and European biotech as well as a significant number of biotech companies from the rest of the world. The European Biotech Crossroads comprises:,A two-day programme of world-class scientific seminars ,Europe's second biggest annual trade show for biotech professionals ,A business convention bringing together European investors, businesses, start-ups and specialised service providers such as lawyers and patent attorneys. ,The 2002 Biotech Crossroads held in Lille brought together 3,208 delegates (35% of whom were from outside France, with 27 countries represented), 308 exhibitors at the trade show event and 180 participants in a business partnering convention which generated more than 1000 business meetings., ,The European Biotech Crossroads is organised by Atlanpole on behalf of the French Ministry of Research and New Technologies with support from the Pays de la Loire Regional Council, the Loire Atlantique General Council, Greater Nantes, the Brittany Regional Council, the Poitou Charentes Regional Council, the European Union, the Angers Development Agency, Nantes and Saint Nazaire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ANVAR (the French Innovation Agency), Digitip (the French government's Directorate General for Industry and ICT), the French Ministry of Finance and Industry and INSERM Transfert. The European Biotech Crossroads is organised in partnership with a number of official bodies: France Biotech (France's national biotech industry association), EuropaBio, ADEBIO (the French Association for the Development of Biotechnology and the Bioindustry), Génopole Ouest, France Technopoles Entreprises Innovation, EBN (European BIC Network), IASP (the International Association of Science Parks), CNRS (the French National Research Council for Scientific Research), Ifremer (the French Research Institute for Marine Studies), INRA (the French National Agronomic Research Council), Inserm, the France Atlantique university network, the University of Nantes, BioChim action, the Atlantic Innovation Relay Centre, Ouest Atlantique, and Alcimed. ,About Atlanpole:,Atlanpole is a technopole, incubator and business innovation centre. It has been contributing to the company start-up process since 1987 and fuels the "Nantes Atlantique" business region's strong entrepreneurial spirit. Given official recognition by the French Ministry of Research in 1999, the Atlanpole Bio-incubator has provided business support to more than 80 innovative start-up projects, including 32 in the life sciences.,Atlanpole draws on the experience of a multidisciplinary team serving entrepreneurs in three areas:,- Building and running a skills network ,- Project engineering and innovation management,- Marketing the region and welcoming companies that choose it as a business location.,
Países
France