ZURICH and MILAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leaders from the global biotechnology industry will gather for the 5th annual BIO-Europe Spring® partnering conference in Milan, Italy, March 14–16 at the Milano Convention Centre (MIC). The event will attract approximately 1,800 executives from more than 1,100 companies representing over 40 countries who will engage in upwards of 9,000 one-to-one partnering meetings. As a relative newcomer to the partnering conference scene, BIO-Europe Spring has quickly emerged as one of the “must attend” partnering events on the calendar.
When life science industry dealmakers join this year’s edition of BIO-Europe Spring in Milan, they will find an Italian biotech sector in full bloom. Leonardo Vingiani, Director of Assobiotec, the Italian biotechnology trade association, is focused on “getting delegates from around the world to build relationships with Italian companies. Delegates of BIO-Europe Spring will find an increasingly dynamic biotech sector that today consists of 300 companies, 200 of which are pure biotech. Nanobiotech is also a fast growing, innovative subsector that already boasts 52 companies, and holds much promise for adding to Italy’s competitiveness in life science.”
The recently published BioInItaly Report 2010, compiled by Assobiotec and Ernst & Young, found 196 Italian companies operating in the healthcare field, one third of which are located in the 26 science parks and incubators focused on nurturing biotech development. Total revenues in the biotech field amount to EUR 6.8 billion with investments in R&D totaling EUR 1.1 billion.
In addition, according to Farmindustria, the pharmaceutical trade association of Italy, and a major supporter of BIO-Europe Spring, the growth in R&D investments for innovative medicines over the past ten years has increased from USD 800M to USD 1.3B. This has resulted in the pharmaceutical industry becoming the leading sector in Italy in terms of R&D intensity, accounting for 1.5% of employment and 12.4% of R&D investment compared to manufacturing.
Leading pharmaceutical companies are supporting the event and are sending teams of scouts to BIO-Europe Spring to engage with new and innovative products, ideas and companies. Abbott, Almirall, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Baxter, Bayer Schering Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, MSD, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Serono, Novartis, Nycomed, Pfizer, Roche, Shire, sanofi-aventis and many other large drug development firms will be in attendance and ready to partner.
The previous edition of BIO-Europe Spring in Barcelona, Spain attracted 1,738 attendees who posted 1,908 licensing opportunities and scheduled 9,016 one-to-one meetings, representing a 27 percent increase over 2009.
Using the power of EBD Group’s partneringONE® advanced web-based partnering system, delegates of the event are able to quickly identify and meet with potential partners from across the life science value chain, from large biotech and pharma companies to financiers and innovative start-ups. BIO-Europe Spring also boasts a program featuring many of the leading industry decision makers who address the most pressing challenges confronting biotech’s future growth and competitiveness.
Notes to Editors:
Entry to BIO-Europe Spring 2011 is free to members of the press, including full access to the partnering system, sessions, press conferences, workshops, and pre-arranged partnering meetings. Visit the BIO-Europe Spring 2011 conference website at http://www.ebdgroup.com/bes/press_reg.htm for registration details.
About EBD Group
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.
EBD Group’s conferences are run with the support of leading corporations and international trade associations, and include:
- BIO-Europe® and BIO-Europe Spring®, Europe’s largest life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
- BioPharm America™, the fastest growing partnering event in North America
- EuroMedtech™, EBD Group’s partnering event for the innovative medical technology industry
- BioEquity Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury Publications and BIO
- ChinaBio® Partnering Forum, the first dedicated biotech/pharma partnering conference in China, co-produced with ChinaBio® LLC
- Biotech Showcase™, a unique forum in San Francisco for presenting to investors and business development executives, co-produced with Demy-Colton Life Science Advisors
EBD Group’s sophisticated web-based partnering service, partneringONE®, is used as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around the world.
Outside of the conference format, EBD Group’s consultants provide hands-on assistance for firms seeking to in- or out-license products and technologies.
EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe.
For more information visit www.ebdgroup.com