Attendees at the 2007 BIO International Convention joined voters
and high-level biotechnology executives in expressing a strong sense
of optimism about the possibility that the biotechnology industry will
be able to find a cure for serious diseases like Parkinson's Disease,
HIV/AIDS and cancer over the next 10 to 15 years.
More than 1,800 conference attendees participated in an online
survey exploring a set of key biotechnology issues during the BIO
International Convention held this week in Boston. The poll follows
two similar parallel surveys comparing the views of nationwide voters
and senior-level biotechnology executives on a number of issues,
including health care, the environment, alternative fuels and stem
cell research.
All three polls were conducted by nationally recognized Republican
and Democratic strategy firms Public Opinion Strategies and Peter D.
Hart Research Associates.
"I'm excited to see that voters, convention attendees and industry
leaders all share the same optimistic view of the future of
biotechnology," said Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of the
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the producer of the
International Convention. "We now need to work together to ensure that
we have the right public policy and regulatory framework in place to
make this optimism a reality."
The survey also found that attendees, like voters, rate the
importance of finding cures to diseases as a top national issue (71%
and 78% respectively,) ahead of combating terrorism, addressing
illegal immigration and protecting the environment.
Industry leaders, convention attendees and voters all have high
levels of optimism about the potential for finding cures for serious
diseases. Industry leaders expressed a strong sense of confidence that
this problem could be solved, with 94 percent saying they were
optimistic about the potential for finding cures to serious diseases,
compared to 86 percent of voters and 86 percent of Convention
attendees.
Meanwhile, Convention attendees and voters both have higher
expectations than industry leaders on the likelihood of achieving
energy independence, reducing pollution and eliminating hunger and
malnutrition. Thirty-nine percent of voters rated attaining energy
independence among the top one or two most likely biotechnology
achievements, Convention attendees were right in the middle with 26
percent, while only 17 percent of the top-level executives interviewed
rated achieving energy independence among the top one or two most
likely goals the industry would achieve over the next 10 to 15 years.
This research project, consistent with the theme of this year's
BIO International Convention, "New Ideas. Bold Ventures. Global
Benefits," encompassed the results of three separate surveys. A
national telephone survey of 800 registered voters was conducted April
17-19, 2007. A national Internet survey of 252 biotechnology industry
leaders was conducted April 11-24, 2007. Finally, an Internet survey
was completed by 1,859 BIO International Convention attendees. This
survey was conducted May 6-9, 2007, during the Convention.
More information on the first two polls conducted by Public
Opinion Strategies and Peter D. Hart Research Associates, please go to
http://www.bio2007.org/Media/pr2.asp?id=2007_0506_01. Summaries and
data from of all three polls are available at
http://bio2007.org/Attendees/Sun01.html
About BIO
Founded in 1993, BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology
companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and
related organizations across the United States and 31 other nations.
BIO members are involved in the research and development of
health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology
products. BIO also produces the annual BIO International Convention,
the world's largest annual gathering of the global biotechnology
industry. www.bio.org
About Public Opinion Strategies
Public Opinion Strategies is a survey research company
specializing in corporate, public policy and litigation research, with
offices in Washington, Denver and Los Angeles. Since its founding in
1991, Public Opinion Strategies has completed more than 10,000
research projects and interviewed more than four million Americans
across the United States. These projects have ranged in scope from
neighborhood studies to national samples in all 50 states.
Internationally, Public Opinion Strategies has completed research
projects in Albania, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Guam, Israel, Kenya,
Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Serbia,
Venezuela, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Since Public Opinion
Strategies' roots are in political campaign management, their research
is focused on producing information that compels decisions - and then
results.
About Peter D. Hart Research Associates
Founded in 1971, Peter D. Hart Research Associates is one of the
leading survey research firms in the United States and has been at the
cutting edge of change in the field of public opinion for more than
three decades. In that time, we have conducted well over 5,000 public
opinion surveys and have administered and analyzed interviews among
more than three million individuals. We have also undertaken more than
5,000 focus group sessions.
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Upcoming BIO Events
-- BIO VentureForum-East 2007
June 18-20, 2007
Montreal, Canada
-- BIO Mid-America VentureForum 2007
Sep. 24-26, 2007
Milwaukee, WI
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