Spotlight

Dr Sharon Thomas

Interview with Dr Sharon Thomas, Healthcare & Life Science Specialist, Welsh Assembly Government. One of the original BioWales team and the Brokerage event organiser.

Tell us a little about the history of BioWales?

It started in 2002 as a very small conference with the help of friends and "family" and was mainly centred on bioscience research in Wales, for academia and industry to get to know each other. There had never been a conference like this before in Wales.

What was it like in 2002 and how does that compare to what's planned for 2008?

The first event had 170 delegates, and it was held at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff, on a very tight budget, so tight in fact my co organiser's father helped with the catering and this was a great success! we received a tremendous amount of positive feedback.

It took us 18 months to get a budget and arrange the next BioWales. This took place in 2004 and was a much bigger event. It has been an annual event with increased delegate numbers year- on - year ever since. BioWales 2008 is going to be our biggest yet!

The brokerage event was introduced in 2004, and that too has grown become a substantial part of BioWales.

Tell us about your expectations for this year's event?

Firstly, it's in a new, larger venue (at the Vale Hotel's conference facilities). We are expecting increased numbers of delegates to attend from England and Europe now that we are established, and on the bio-technology and science calendar.

Secondly, there will be more people looking for deals, and we envisage an increase in the number of technology partnerships being brokered at the event.

What is the hardest thing in organising an event like this?

Getting people to stick to deadlines! To put a brokerage event together there's a good six months lead-in. To get all 200 profiles assessed and validated by February involves a lot of communication!

What are the kind of outcomes that people can expect out of the brokerage event?

We get 6 monthly feedback from delegates. The brokerage event has produced a growing number of deals and collaborative projects. There have also been successful collaborations for DTI programmes and EU framework projects.

Also, if you are looking to get into Europe, the brokerage event attracts SMEs, large business organisations, and collaborators from Europe - an excellent venue for networking.

What can people look forward coming to the event?

We are very accommodating, and can even help people arrange meetings on the day of the event. We put together a catalogue of technology profiles, arrange your one to one meetings and provide vital introductions.

I look forward to meeting this coming year's delegates and don't forget to register for both the conference and the brokerage event.

Biographical notes:

Dr Sharon Thomas graduated with a BSc in Applied Biology from Cardiff University in 1980 and a PhD from the University of Wales College of Medicine in 1983. Following graduation Dr Thomas held a number of post doctoral research positions in the Welsh Medical and Dental schools working on projects for Schering Plough, Nobel Pharma and the British Heart Foundation. She has worked for the Welsh Development Agency since 1992, initially on a consultancy basis, and since 1999 as the Welsh Development Agency's and now the Welsh Assembly Government’s Healthcare and Life Science Specialist driving the expansion of this sector in Wales. Dr Thomas is currently a member of the Executive Group of MediWales, WISH and the Wales Gene Park.