Europe's biotech hub: BIOTECHNICA 2013
Focus on bio-economics
Featuring new topics and marketplaces, Biotechnica 2013 in Hannover will for three days once again serve as the central hub for Europe’s entire biotech sector and its clientele. One of the keynotes of this year’s trade fair will be bio-economics. Switzerland – the first Partner Country to be honored at BIOTECHNICA – will also be a focus of attention.
Prof. Dr. Andreas Liese, Institute of Technical Biocatalysis, Hamburg University of Technology, Member of the Board, DECHEMA Biotechnology Community, Chairman of the Biotransformations Committee, Frankfurt/Main, Dr. Volker Heinz, Managing Director, German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL),Quakenbrück, Dr. Jochen Köckler, Member of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe AG, Hannover, Domenico Alexakis, Executive Director, Swiss Biotech Association, Zurich and Ralf Herrmann, Vice President, Portfolio Management, Eppendorf AG, Hamburg
Deutsche Messe
“The continuous growth in the importance and innovative strength of the biotech sector is reflected at BIOTECHNICA”, says Dr. Jochen Köckler, member of the Managing Board at Deutsche Messe AG. “In Hannover one cannot only see everything the biotech sector currently has to offer, but also the shape of things to come. We are very pleased that Switzerland, as one of the world’s most prominent biotech nations, will be honored as the first-ever Partner Country at the upcoming BIOTECHNICA. The Swiss showcase is sure to send lots of ripples across the international biotech scene, providing added value for all concerned.”
Focus on bio-economics
One keynote theme at this year’s BIOTECHNICA is bio-economics. “As an economic factor, bio-economics is becoming more and more important, with vast growth potential for the future”, explains Dr. Köckler. He continues: “A secure supply of healthy food worldwide, sustainable agricultural production, the industrial utilization of renewable raw materials and regenerative energy are all central global challenges which need to be met in order to replace the oil-based economy with a bio-based alternative.” This is the essence of the national research strategy Bio-economics 2030 put forward by the German government. The clear aim of this strategy is to establish Germany as a leading center for research and innovation in bio-economics, with the far-reaching goal of pushing forward the structural transformation worldwide. BIOTECHNICA will make evident just how many sectors already use renewable biological resources in order to achieve efficient and sustainable production, as well as to provide the relevant services. After all, most bio-economic innovations are driven by developments in biotechnology. BIOTECHNICA will be showcasing industrial applications of biogenic materials across the entire added value chain of bio-economics and – thanks to the platform BiobasedWorld, staged in cooperation with DECHEMA – will create a bridge linking industry and food biotechnology.
Four marketplaces dedicated to sector trends
The 20th edition of BIOTECHNICA boasts a new expo concept revolving around dedicated “marketplaces”, each addressing a specific theme or focus of interest in the biotech sector. This new approach will make it easier than ever for attendees to find what they are looking for. Each segment will feature its own forum with scientific talks and company lectures, as well as networking services and poster presentations.
The four marketplaces at BIOTECHNICA are Personalized Medicine, Innovation in Food, Industrial Biotechnology and BioServices. The Personalized Medicine Marketplace will focus on molecular diagnostics and strategies for personalized therapies. The forum discussions and talks will explore next-generation sequencing, cell-based assays, biomarkers, companion diagnostics and molecular imaging. Keynote speakers have been attracted from the top German clusters in this field: Bio Deutschland, the association of the German diagnostics industry (VDGH), the association of pharmaceutical research companies (vfa) and the bio section of the vfa.
The next BIOTECHNICA will see an extended presentation of food biotechnology. For the third time the symposium Innovation in Food will provide a link to the Marketplace display of the same name. Invitations have been issued to suppliers and producers, users, scientists and experts from key areas such as analysis, control and quality management to exchange ideas and discuss developments. A premiere in 2013 is the iFood Conference, which is designed to provide a platform for dialogue and exchange between research and the food industry. The event is partnered by the German Institute for Food Technology, an organization consisting of around 140 member companies in the food industry and food-related sectors.
Bio-catalysis, bioprocess technology and bio-renewables are at the center of the Industrial Biotechnology Marketplace, which ranges from the development of new product properties and innovative bio-catalytic processes and their realization on an industrial scale through to the management of integrated materials flow in complex bio-refineries. Another new initiative will be the search for the “Bio-economy’s Next Business Model”. The contest runs for two days, on each of which six young SMEs from the European industrial biotech sector get the chance to present their business models to a jury in the form of brief elevator pitches. One each of the two days, the jury will select a daily winner from the six contestants featured that day.
At both Marketplaces – Industrial Biotechnology and Innovation in Food – special emphasis will be placed on the keynote theme bio-economics. There will also be a special bio-economics display offering a suitable showcase for innovative products, plus the forum Biobased World, which will bring players from different sectors and disciplines together with experts in bio-economics.
The advances being made in bio-pharmaceuticals through the application of exciting new technology will be the highlight at the BioServices Marketplace, which aims to establish valuable contacts between research and development on the one hand and innovative biotech companies and the pharmaceutical industry on the other.
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