The second edition of BIO
Latin America was a great success and it stands as a must-attend annual event
for those who do business in this region.
RIO DE JANEIRO, OCTOBER
2015 – The BIO Latin America 2015, held between 14-16 October in Rio de
Janeiro, showcased in-depth discussions and expertise vital to the growth of
the biotech industry in Latin America, and provided the attendees with
networking and programming not available at any other national gathering.
Hosted by Biominas Brasil
and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and in this 2nd edition
having the strategic partnership of ABIQUIM and the Premium sponsorship of
BNDES – Brazilian Development Bank, BIO Latin America 2015 drew more than
550 industry leaders, representing over 280 companies from 24 different
countries. More than half of the attendees were at a Director or an Executive
career level.
This year, the 3rd
Brazilian Chemical Industry Innovation Seminar was be held in conjunction with
the BIO Latin America conference, and together they brought even more value to
all participants.
The event was inaugurated
by Eduardo Emrich, President & CEO of Biominas Brasil, by Joseph Damond,
Senior Vice President for International Affairs of BIO, and by Fernando
Figueiredo, CEO of ABIQUIM, who welcomed the attendees and expressed their
enthusiasm about the opportunities available for the life sciences industry in
Latin America and the importance of strengthening international partnerships
within the region.
The 2015 BIO Latin America
Conference hosted over 630 face-to-face meetings powered by BIO’s One-on-One
Partnering™ System. In addition, the participants enjoyed an intense
program with 2 Plenary Sessions featuring key industry leaders, 16 Thematic
Sessions, 3 Keynote Speeches, a Biocluster Workshops, a Startup Acceleration
Training and 30 Company Presentations.
The event was attended by
important stakeholders of the life science sector, both private and public.
With highlight to the significant presence of life science companies, ranging
from large multinational enterprises, to numerous startups and to service
providers. The major Brazilian universities and research centers were also
present, represented by their Technology Transfer Offices, promoting partnership
opportunities in different aspects.
Other outstanding
involvements were those of representatives of government agencies such as ABDI,
ANVISA, BNDES, FINEP, INPI, MCTI, MDIC and MMA, and those of industry
associations such as ABAG, ABBI, ABIQUIM, ALFOB, ANPEI, CNI and Interfarma. The
diverse profile of the participants, coming from areas such as human health,
animal health, industrial biotechnology and chemical industry, was critical to
the success of the discussions and contributed to the multidisciplinary nature
of the event.
BIO Latin America also had
an important variety of other Latin American attendees, coming from the major
markets of life sciences in the region (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
Mexico and Uruguay). These participants were able not only to present their
technological developments, but also to discuss their local challenges.
Moreover, they were able to learn from the experiences of the Brazilian
industry and public policies, all the while conducting numerous business
meetings with fellow participants. It should be noted that the event also
attracted the participation of representatives of 17 other countries from
regions such as North America, Europe and Asia.
The program highlighted
current and critical topics to the region, such as policies to encourage the
development of innovations, the role of startups and clusters, the evolution of
the regulatory environment and intellectual property, delays in clinical
research, and the challenges to PDPs.
Media publications in
attendance included, but were not limited to BioWorld Today (from Thompson
Reuters), Nature Publishing Group, Life Sciences IP Review, Biotechgate and
Economia Rio. For more information about the 2015 BIO Latin America results,
photos and to download presentations, please visit www.bio.org/latinamerica.
BIO and Biominas Brasil
look forward to announcing 2016 BIO Latin America dates soon.