B'lore Bio 2007 to focus on innovation, growth

Bangalore, Jan 20: Bangalore Bio-2007, the country's flagship biotech event promoted by Karnataka Government to be held between June seven to nine here, would have a focal theme titled 'Think Big' that focusses on innovation and growth of the emerging sector.

Briefing mediapersons at the launch event, Karnataka IT, BT, Science and Technology Secretary M N Vidyashankar said the biotech industry in India today sought innovative strategies in every aspect of business to meet with the demands of a changing world and forge a place for itself in global market. That was why the theme Think Big had been chosen to attract larger participation from international community.

The seventh edition of the exposition would see over 150 national and international exhibitors participating in it. Bangalore Bio-2007 would be a unique platform to bring together experts from biotechnology, pharmaceutical, educational and financial sectors to interact, network, showcase innovations in products and services, he said.

Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, who is also the Chairperson of Karnataka Vision Group on Biotechnology, the organisors of the event, said the conference would focus on cutting edge research and innovative product development, biotechnology applications for drug development, IPR issues, patentability of new inventions and regulatory issues and their impact on the industry.

Agribiotechnology which had grown by 160 per cent during last year would be given major thrust with June nine dedicated as Agribiotech Day, she added.

K K Satyanarayanan, member of the vision group, said the biotech sector in India was at present in the size of 1.5 billion US Dollars and was expected to grow to five billion dollars by 2010. It grew by 39 per cent last year, a very healthy growth compared to International growth rate of 11 per cent. The Agribiotech sector, though in a nascent stage, grew by 160 per cent and there was tremendous opportunity for growth. To sustain the growth even as the base became bigger, there was a need to innovate. This was the reason the Bangalore Bio-2007 would specially focus on innovation and creation of IPs, he added.

UNI