Nordic Life Science 1
EVENT H I GH L I GH T S The Nordic countries were
jointly branded for the first time as The Nordics – Global Hub for Life Science Innovation However, the key question, particularly for many readers of this magazine, will always be whether BIO is worthwhile from a business point of view. Never mind the countless receptions, extravagant pavilions and star-studded keynotes, will you meet key potential collaborators, customers and investors? BIO certainly thinks so. According to the pressrelease, “The Convention continued to demonstrate that it is the premiere networking event for the biotechnology industry. BIO hosted more than 48 500 partnering meetings.” A snapshot of Nordic attendees seems to say yes. Two long standing BIO supporters are Gunnar Gardemyr, CFO of Follicum and Martin Welschof, CEO of BioInvent. “BIO is one of the most important partnering events we have. It is a great platform for a small biotech like Follicum to explore high-quality partnering opportunities. I had more than 30 meetings this year with companies from the USA, EU, Japan, China and Korea. BIO also provides excellent networking opportunities every day through the various receptions,” says Gardemyr. “BIO is always useful for me to do face-toface follow-ups and/or to generate potential new partnering leads,” adds Welschof. 126 NORDIC LIFE SCIENCE From another perspective, and picking up on Gardemyr’s observation, Ralph Inforzato, CEO of JETRO Chicago, the Japan External Trade Organisation, said that Japanese biotechs see Scandinavia as one of the leading hubs in Europe, and BIO as providing a perfect meeting place, being a global meeting that just happens to be held in the US. BIO will return to San Diego for the fourth time from June 8–11 in 2020. According to Kara Nelson, Manager, International Relations, BIO was thrilled to welcome back the Nordic Pavilion to the BIO Exhibition floor. “Nordic companies made a significant impact, seen throughout BIO’s exhibition and partnering programs at the event. The Nordics Pavilion highlighted the strength of its vibrant life sciences community and why it is one of the leading biotechnology hubs in Europe,” she says. Already this year’s team are planning for a stronger presence in San Diego, as well as looking to provide more input into the official programme and build on the success of associated events, such as the International Cancer Showcase organized by Jutta Heix of the Oslo Cancer Cluster. NLS