A blueprint for change
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The challenges that are sweeping the global life sciences community are enormous and the
stakes are huge. The combination of the EU presidency and EuroBiO 2008 will empower
those who understand the challenges to design the changes required for the 21st century.
Returning to Paris for
2008, EuroBiO has
been designated ‘the
life sciences event of the EU
presidency’. This recognition
is a result of the prominent
role EuroBiO has played in
promoting the achievements
of and potential within
European life sciences, and
in heightening awareness of
the challenges that need to be
tackled to ensure that Europe
remains competitive in the
world market.
EuroBiO 2008 gives voice
to the grassroots of science
and business, it exposes bias
and undue compromise, and
offers Europe’s life sciences
community the opportunity
to build on its strengths and
to make change happen.
EuroBiO 2008 will play a vital
role in setting European life
sciences back on course.
Harsh reality
The life is being strangled out
of the European life sciences
industry and this has led
to a call for change. While
national leaders recognise the
need to innovate and see the
value in the Lisbon Agenda
to create a ‘knowledge-based
economy’ in Europe, these
messages of encouragement
do little to affect the reality of
the daily survival for most of
Europe’s ambitious fledgling
biotechnology firms: they
don’t help them raise money
in difficult markets; they
don’t help generate revenue;
and they don’t help find and
retain highly qualified staff.
The problem is the huge
gap between the rhetoric
of Europe’s leaders and the
intricacies of turning research
into commercial and social
benefits. Governments can
help small companies by
making it easier for them to
do business: they can apply
simple systems for regulations
and taxes so companies can
focus on innovation and
making money instead of
having to work through
complex interlinked rules of
engagement and having to
work with complex interlinked
networks of advisors and
funding schemes.
EuroBiO 2008
With the full backing of the
EU presidency, EuroBiO 2008
will challenge researchers,
industry and politicians to
forge the environment that is
essential for life sciences to
contribute to European
prosperity. The main
economic players in the Paris
region understand the value
to be gained by efficient
collaboration, the result
being the creation of five
clusters that will provide
one million jobs within the
next few years. The clusters
will strengthen the Paris
region’s global competitive
position by stimulating
research and innovation,
with joint R&D projects
totalling over €1 billion.
One of EuroBiO’s key
partners for 2008 is the
Council for European
BioRegions, an ambitious
umbrella group for life
science clusters. Its remit is to
ensure that in a fragmenting
Europe each region doesn’t
repeat mistakes made
elsewhere, and to ensure
good sense and good business
practices prevail.
Recipe for innovation
EuroBiO 2008 consists of
four main pillars. In bringing
together over 5,000 experts
at the interface of industry
and research, the Forum
is the largest of its type in
Europe, combining highcalibre
plenary presentations
with a series of structured
debates on the challenges
facing Europe’s bioindustry
and bioresearch communities.
The results of the debates will
be collated and assembled
following EuroBiO, circulated
to participants as a form
of Green Paper containing
relevant recommendations
for policy and action, and
presented after review in a
succession of political and
media settings. The finished
paper will be circulated to all
EuroBiO participants and
partner organisations, as well
as to national and European
political groups.
The Career Fair creates an
international market place
for candidates from research
in the life sciences and other
disciplines that have a valuable
contribution to make to the
management of biotechnology
companies. The Exhibition
brings together large
corporations, biotechnology
companies, start-ups, leading
bioclusters, academic research
institutions, CROs and service
providers who are shaping and
driving Europe’s bioindustry.
EuroBiOpartnering focuses
the spotlight on innovation
and best practices and the way
in which these drive successful
private-public partnerships,
technology transfer and the
successful meshing of leading
European bioclusters.
The challenge
EuroBiO 2008 is more
than one meeting in one
city in one country: its
challenges will resonate,
creating a momentum for
events in other years, in
other cities, and in other
leading life science clusters
around Europe.
Everyone should get involved
in the debates, share and
generate data, and make
change happen.
