Nordic Life Science 1
EVENT H I GH L I GH T S T E X T b y R IC H A R D
H A Y HUR S T – 65 companies had pavilions last year. Perhaps the most unexpected was Uruguay with a couple of signed Sanchez soccer shirts and an interesting range of veterinary and food diagnostic start-ups. More low key – i.e., no Zlatan shirts – but according to many of the 17 000 plus BIO visitors, deeply missed and welcomed back was the first major Nordic Pavilion for four years. Hanne Mette Kristiansen from Innovation Norway says her goal has been to reestablish a strong and sustainable Nordic visibility and presence at the BIO International Convention. “BIO is an important meeting place, witness the 95 Nordic companies/organizations and about 160 delegates who attended this year. Supporting them with visibility and regional branding helps them to stand out in an extremely competitive market place. Also, there are additional benefits; the pavilion provides a connection point and meeting place for the Nordic regional players. It’s very seldom that the Nordic clusters and support organizations are in the same place for three days and so BIO makes the venue the perfect place to review and discuss Nordic collaborative efforts. However, the main focus is always on supporting the companies and optimizing the value of their participation in the conference,” she says. NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG 123