Bangalore Bio 2007 concludes with 30000 visitors to stalls

Bangalore, Jun 9 (UNI) The seventh edition of the three day Bangalore Bio 2007 concluded here today with over 81 national and international speakers' participation in the thre day international conference and 30,000 visitors attending the biotech trade fair.

Addressing a news conference at the wrap up session, Karnataka Information Technology and Biotechnology Secretary M N Vidyashankar said leading biotech companies such as Avesthagen, Biocon Biozeen and GE healthcare participated in the annual event besides delegates from 12 countries and India. The event brought to the forefront critical agri-biotech issues such as food productivity for India for next ten years, he added.

He said several partnership initiatives took place between Indian companies and research institutes through a series of meetings with delegations from Britain, France, Holland, Germany, The United States of America and Australia. Avesthagen signed pact with Andhra Pradesh Government for an additional 50 acres of land in the state's biotech park for setting up of two manufacturing units. Biocon and Deakin University also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for joint multi-disciplinary research focussed on biotechnology and biosciences. The MoU would lead to establishment of Deakin Research Institute in the biotech park for joint development a mammalian cell bio-processing facility in Australia and result in Deakin undertaking research in metabolic diseases for Biocon, he added.

Biotechnology Vision Group Chairperson and Biocon Chairman and Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, who was also present, said the response to the event was overwhelming. She also announced that the first phase of Bangalore Helix, the state-of-the art project coming up in the electronic city to cater to the needs of academic, Research and Development, Biotech Incubation and Biotec Cluster, would be inaugurated in July. It would foster spin off companies and strong industry academic linkage, she hoped. She said the 8th annual event was scheduled to be held between April 24 and 26, the Ninth between April 15 and 17 followed by the Tenth between June 2 and 4. The dates were finalised keeping in view the premium world Boston Biotechnology show, she explained.

UNI