BioSpectrumIndia - the business of biotech - Bangalore gears up for Bangalore Bio 2006

Bangalore gears up for Bangalore Bio 2006

The three-day event will have special focus on agri-biotech

Over 60 national and international speakers, 400
conference delegates, 125 exhibitors, 20000 busi
ness visitors from over 15 countries, various states of India, will convene at the premier annual event for the biotechnology industry at Bangalore BIO 2006. The event, now in its sixth year, will be simultaneously a conference, a business forum and a trade exhibition for the entire biotech and allied industry fraternity and will take place during June 7, 8 and 9, 2006 at the Palace grounds in Bangalore.

Highlights of the announcement

MK Shankaralinge Gowda, secretary, Department of IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka

The 100 acres biotech park in Bangalore will be operational by the end of 2006 near Electronic City. This project has been awarded to the National Building Construction Company.
Karnataka supports investments from biofuel companies. Citing the example of the Indian Railways, biofuel farming, where-in 90,000 hectares of land have been allocated for this purpose.
Karnataka has attracted the highest VC fund in Asia (to the tune of $100 million).
Karnataka will support stem cell banks and other new areas of biotechnology.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairperson, Vision Group on Biotechnology and CMD, Biocon Ltd

Bangalore is evolving as an interesting ecosystem for biotechnology. Other states are also taking the initiative to follow the Bangalore model of success
To create a biocluster, one needs a mind set of entrepreneurship and Bangalore has paved the way in this regard
To accelerate entrepreneurship, companies such as Biozeen have set up training programs for bioprocessing.
The institute of clinical research has been set up and will help to enhance clinical development in the country
We need to expand infrastructure, not just roads and airports but also patent infrastructure and service infrastructure
International patent law firms are looking at India to set up their consulting firms
The government should take the lead for special initiatives on biofuel and bioagri technology.
There is a global challenge for affordable drug development, infrastructure for clinical trials, clinical researchers, and centers need to be developed.

This flagship biotech event is promoted by the Government of Karnataka and organized by the Vision Group on Biotechnology. This $1-billion industry is poised to be $5-billion by 2010 and Bangalore Bio has emerged as the undisputed unique platform for the biotech fraternity to interact, network and explore business opportunities through its trade show and international conference.

Bangalore Bio 2006 focal theme is "DNA Discover, Nurture, Accelerate" and is an important networking platform where the who's who of the biotech fraternity will converge to showcase their products and services, to transform concepts into markets, explore investment and partnering opportunities and forge new alliances in the biotech industry globally.

The event promises to bring together the best of a wide spectrum of biotech companies, RPOs, biosuppliers and process engineering equipment companies, R&D institutions, biotechnology educational institutions, venture capital and financial institutions. An exclusive B2B platform will be provided to explore business opportunities.

At least 20 international speakers are expected to address the multi-track conference to be held at JN Tata Auditorium Bangalore. India is emerging as the R&D lab of the world. Clinical research and research processes outsourcing is becoming the core strength of India. Keeping this global trend in mind, the spotlight at this year's conference is clinical research. Other topics to be deliberated upon by over 60 international biotechnology experts are research process outsourcing, drug discovery and development, vaccines and vaccinology for the developing world, frontier technologies, bioinformatics, intellectual property rights, portfolio management, human resource development, biotechnology and global alliances.

Another interesting feature at Bangalore Bio 2006 will be Agribiotech Day, a one-day track on agribiotechnology. The sessions will address various important topics like transgenic crops, regulatory issues, environmental concerns, biofuel, food biotech, nutraceuticals and so on.

The CEO Conclave always witnesses a high power meeting point of various professionals and this year Dr RA Mashelkar, director general, CSIR and secretary, DSIR will deliver the 'Vision Talk' at the conclave.

This year Bangalore Bio 2006 is adding one more exclusive feature - the poster session in conjunction with the international conference. The objective is to create a platform for young researchers, scientists and technocrats working in universities, R&D labs, various government departments or private sector to present their research work and projects and interact with industry top honchos and Indian and global venture capitalists.

More than 120 national and international participants are expected to showcase the latest in technology, research and trade in the exhibition sprawling over an area of over 4500 sqm. The sponsors include Biocon, Avesthagen, Sami Labs Limited, UK Trade and Investment, Exim Bank, Strides, Alfa Laval, Jetro, Biosys, Sartorius, Astrazenaca, Jalaja Technologies, Acharya Institute, Kendle, Strand Genomics, Invitrogen, Concordas, Manipal Acunova, NASDAQ, Ocimum Biosolutions, and Polyclone.