BioWales event news

BioWales 2008, The LArgest UK BioScience Event outside London

BIOWALES 2008, THE LARGEST UK BIOSCIENCE EVENT OUTSIDE LONDON

BioWales, the largest bioscience event outside London is back on 12 and 13 March 2008 with a free conference, exhibition and biopartnering event at the Vale Hotel Resort, near Cardiff - showcasing the Welsh bioscience sector to an international commercial and academic audience.

The '08 conference programme features a world class line-up of speakers, including Dr. John Patterson of Astra Zeneca; Professor Stan Roberts of Manchester University; Ron Peterson of Boots Centre for Innovation; and Professor Ruth Duncan of Cardiff University, with further names to be announced. The programme themes for next year's event reflect the major interests in Wales - pharmaceuticals, industrial biotechnology and medical devices, and new for 2008 is a panel discussion on trading with the UK, to be chaired by Harriett Fear of UKTI, with the benefit of the experiences of major US and Asian bio companies.

BioWales 2008 features:

-           an impressive conference programme (see Editor's Notes for details to date)

-           a biopartnering event with pre-arranged, one-to-one brokerage meetings to discuss potential collaboration projects and new technologies

-           an exhibition and networking opportunity to share ideas and build profile

BioWales 2008 will attract bioscience industry professionals and academics from across Europe, seeking licensing and business development opportunities, taking the opportunity to learn about the latest trends and developments in the sector, or simply networking to make valuable connections. 

Under the organisation of the Welsh Innovation Relay Centre, the biopartnering event has been growing each year since it started in 2002, and provides high quality technology profiles with enhanced partnering opportunities.

The conference will be hosted by Dr Bob Wallis, BioScience Sector Manager with the event organisers, the Welsh Assembly Government. Bob said: "BioWales 2007 was the biggest yet with nearly 400 registrants and an equal number of meetings set up through the brokerage event. Deal making is the life blood of the bio industry and I and my colleagues are continuing to hear about deals that were initiated through the 2007 event.

"We can again look forward to an impressive programme in the spring of 2008, with some heavyweight speakers and the opportunity for first class networking with some of Europe's leading players in the bioscience community. This year we have a number of themes which reflect the major interests in Wales - pharmaceuticals, industrial biotechnology and medical devices. In addition we are trying a new idea for a panel discussion on trading with the UK."

 Professor Stan Roberts is one of this year's keynote speakers. He set up the £20m Centre of Excellence for Biocatalysis, Biotransformations and Biocatalytic Manufacture at Manchester University, having been Head of Chemical Research at GlaxoSmithKline. He says: "At a time when the biotechnology sector is really on the move, it is so encouraging to see the Welsh Assembly Government support this by developing an event that really builds on this momentum."

Dr. Ian Weeks, Director of Technology at Molecular Light Technology Research in Cardiff is a previous guest speaker at the event, and his company exhibits every year. Ian provides a ringing endorsement of the value of the event, saying: "BioWales has been great for the biotech sector in Wales. We, as a company, get a great deal of value from the partnering event - we made some particularly useful contacts this year. It's a perfect shop window, and it's encouraging for Wales to use this expanding event to project such a positive image of the sector to the wider world."

BioWales is a key focus of Wales Innovation Week, a significant week for Welsh innovation and technology, with the British Female Inventor and Innovator Showcase, Conference and Awards at City Hall, and the inaugural Innovation into Action event taking place at the Nation Cricket Centre, Sophia Gardens on March 10 and 11.

To register or find out more, please go to http://www.biowalesevent.com/

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