EBD

The 15th edition of BIO-Europe, Europe´s largest partnering event, will gather leaders of the life science industry at the Messe Wien on Nov. 2–4, 2009 in Vienna, Austria to take dealmaking to a new level. Traditionally held in Germany, the shift of the BIO-Europe venue to Austria recognizes the emergence of the robust growth of the biotechnology cluster in Vienna. The host for the event, Life Science Austria Vienna Region (LISA VR), will make the most of their historical and culturally rich capital city as a backdrop to the diversity of institutions, global players and maturing companies powering the success of biotechnology in the region. Joining LISA-VR in welcoming BIO-Europe 2009 will be the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labor, the City of Vienna, the Austrian Business Agency, Life Science Austria and the Center for Innovation and Technology. In the recent years over 140 life science companies have been established in Vienna. "The biotechnology scene in our region already employs nearly 10,000 people. Five life science universities, outstanding research institutions such as IMP and IMBA, international corporations with headquarters in Vienna for the Eastern and South Eastern European markets and numerous dynamic start-up companies have combined to make the industry a showpiece for Austrian technology policy," said Michaela Fritz and Eva Czernohorszky, Managing Directors of LISA VR. Latest news from the Viennese emerging start-up scene offer proof of the dynamism of this young life science location. For example, Affiris recently secured EUR 430 million from GlaxoSmithKline for the rights to its Alzheimer's vaccines currently under development, emerging company Intercell is close to market with its Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine, and Fibrex is a company worth monitoring after its positive Phase II results for FX06, a fibrin derived peptide for the treatment of reperfusion injury in Myocardial infarction. Vienna is home to the Research Institute for Molecular Pathology, the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, the Austrian Center of Biopharmaceutical Technology, the Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group and the Gregor Mendel Institute for Molecular Plant Biology. Five universities located in the capital focus on life sciences, including the University of Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna, the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, the University of Veterinary Medicine and the Vienna University of Technology. Global life science players in Vienna include Baxter BioScience, Boehringer Ingelheim Austria, Eli Lilly’s Vienna School for Clinical Research, Sanochemia and Octapharma. The Campus Vienna Biocenter today features 67,000 square meters of infrastructure for the mixed use and collaboration among institutions. A second 84,000 square meter life science facility for labs and offices will be opening in 2009 in time for the BIO-Europe event. Though BIO-Europe 2009 in Vienna is still a year away, preparations are proceeding at full stream. Complementing high caliber daytime programs, anticipation is already for the evening events featuring receptions in the historic and beautiful Schloss Schoenbrunn, Hofburg and Vienna Town Hall.

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