Europe's leading trade fair for biotechnology - is on course for
continuing growth: "It's bigger, it's more varied, and it's more
international", says Stephan Ph. Kuhne, member of the Board at
Deutsche Messe in Hannover, Germany. "The new format with its four key
elements is designed to sharpen up the show's profile and enhance its
appeal." One of the high points this year is the most extensive
conference program in the history of the show. "The key issues for the
biotech industry today will be addressed by experts from 14 nations in
more than 20 forums and 400 lectures. This year's visitors will
discover the most exciting BIOTECHNICA in the 22-year history of the
show", claims Kuhne.
863 exhibitors from 32 countries (2005: 849 exhibitors from 30
nations) have booked their stands for the upcoming show, which runs
from 9 to 11 October 2007 in Hannover. Their presentations will occupy
a total of more than 13,000 square metres of display space, or four
percent more than in 2005. "The growth in exhibitor numbers, floor
space and international appeal underlines the fact that BIOTECHNICA is
the most important European business platform for the biotech
industry", emphasizes Kuhne. This year's show will be officially
opened on 8 October by Gunter Verheugen, Vice-President of the
European Commission.
Headline themes
So-called "drug-device combination therapies" are this year's hot
topic, with massive market growth forecast for this segment. As the
name suggests, these combine a pharmacological substance with a
medical product that acts as a delivery system. The global market for
stents - tiny tubular implants that are used to support the walls of
blood vessels - is currently growing by an average of around 11
percent a year, as a study by the American analysts at BCC Research
has shown. According to their calculations, these products will be
generating sales worth eight billion US dollars by the year 2010.
Another major theme is the field of biomedical research known as
regenerative medicine, which encompasses stem cell research and the
cultivation of tissue and cell layers (= tissue engineering). Stem
cells are becoming increasingly important in the battle against
serious and hitherto incurable diseases, and could hold out the
promise of a cure for cancer, heart disease or autoimmune diseases.
Another area of great interest at present is so-called "white
biotechnology", which can substantially improve industrial processes
through the use of biological molecules. Typical applications can be
found in the chemical, textile or food industries - for example, in
the production of fibres, chemicals or fuels made from starch,
cellulose or vegetable oils.
Meanwhile nanobiotechnology is also destined to play an
increasingly important role in the future in medical engineering,
medical therapy and diagnostics, as well as in pharmaceutical
research. Through the use of tiny sensors it is now possible to detect
the smallest changes in biological processes, such as a rise in
protein concentrations in the human brain. This means that diseases
such as Alzheimer's, diabetes or Parkinson's can be diagnosed and
treated at a much earlier stage.
At the same time microsystems technology is coming increasingly to
the fore in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases as well as in
microsurgery and intelligent implants. Biochips that can be used
virtually anywhere enable doctors to get diagnostic results quickly
without resorting to elaborate laboratory testing. The focus is also
on plant biotechnology, food biotechnology and environmental
biotechnology. In fact, BIOTECHNICA 2007 presents the whole spectrum
of biotechnology - from basic biotechnology, bioinformatics, products
and services to the five principal areas of application -
pharmaceuticals and medicine, industry, nutrition, agriculture and the
environment.
Growing international participation
This year 589 exhibitors from Germany will be at the show (2005:
581), including such leading names as Sartorius, Merck and Boehringer
Ingelheim. From outside Germany a total of 274 companies will be
present with stands (2005: 268), including market leaders such as
Roche, Qiagen, Perkin Elmer and GE Healthcare. The majority of foreign
companies come from Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA,
followed by Russia and France. There is a notable increase this year
in exhibitor numbers from immediate European neighbours France,
Austria and Switzerland. All the major biotech nations also have their
own national pavilions at the show. Other national group presentations
are coming from America and the Asian/Pacific region. The exhibitor
presence at BIOTECHNICA 2007 spans four continents in all.
The top five Federal German states
Baden-Wurttemberg tops the league table of German states with 103
exhibitors, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia with 93 exhibiting
companies and organizations. In third place is the "home state" Lower
Saxony, with 67 exhibitors. Bavaria and Hessen rank in fourth and
fifth place, with 61 and 59 exhibitors respectively.
New four-part presentation formula
The 15th BIOTECHNICA has far outgrown the conventional trade show
format. "Today's BIOTECHNICA is the central European platform for
strategic alliances, new business deals and knowledge transfer. It's
the meeting place of choice for international experts from science,
industry and government", says Kuhne. Underpinning this is the new
four-part presentation formula: Exhibition, Conference program - which
has been greatly extended for the upcoming show - BIOTECHNICA
PARTNERING event and EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD, widely regarded as
the most prestigious competition aimed at motivating young biotech
companies in Europe. Moreover, this year's BIOTECHNICA is taking place
in Halls 8 and 9 at the southern end of the exhibition grounds -
conveniently close to the Convention Center, where the Conference
program will be staged.
Biggest Conference program in the history of BIOTECHNICA
This year's Conference program is the most extensive in
BIOTECHNICA's history, with no less than 20 high-powered congresses
featuring over 400 lecture presentations by experts from 14 nations.
The combination of scientific lectures, the "Innovation Forum"
(corporate and product presentations by exhibiting companies) and the
new BIOTECHNICA PARTNERING, with the focus this year on "drug-device
combination therapies", is an ideal setup for companies looking for
suitable joint-venture partners and interesting business models.
Decision-makers from industry, the R&D community and venture capital
companies, whose paths would not otherwise cross in the normal course
of events, are brought together here with business in mind. Among the
big names participating in the PARTNERING program are sanofi-aventis,
Novartis, Boston Scientific, GE Healthcare and WestPharmaceuticals.
In parallel with BIOTECHNICA, Deutsche Messe is for the first time
hosting the "German Biotechnology Days", the follow-on event to the
BMBF Biotechnology Days organized by the Federal Ministry of Education
and Research. At the "Tri-national Cluster Conference" - the first
Central European summit for the white biotechnology industry - the
leading clusters in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be giving an
overview of the key trends and developments in this fast-growing
sector. The first "German-Brazilian Forum" is designed to promote
scientific and business partnerships in the interests of bilateral
bio-business. Other topics addressed at the Conference include
regenerative medicine, plant and food biotechnology, the utilization
of biomass and nanobiotechnology. Meanwhile the "BIOTECHNICA
jobvector" serves as a valuable source of information and contacts for
budding young scientists on their way to biotech careers.
Awards for the best new work in biotechnology
This year Deutsche Messe will be presenting the EUROPEAN
BIOTECHNICA AWARD for the fifth time. Now worth a total of 100,000
euros, this award goes to the three European companies judged to be
the top innovators in biotechnology and the life sciences. Prizes are
given for the best new products, services, concepts and business
ideas. The winner out of the three finalists - the biopharmaceutical
company Bavarian Nordic A/S, Denmark, the biotechnology company Genmab
A/S, Denmark, and Britain's Renovo Group Plc - will be announced at
the prize-giving ceremony that takes place as part of the official
opening of BIOTECHNICA 2007 on 8 October in Hannover. The prizes will
be presented by Gunter Verheugen, Vice-President of the European
Commission, who will also deliver the inaugural address. Other
speakers include the Premier of Lower Saxony, Christian Wulff, and Dr.
Karl-Ludwig Kley, Chairman of the Board of Merck KGaA. The opening
ceremony will be attended by more than 500 international guests from
industry, science, R&D and government.
