+++ Partnering event for the life sciences opens today in Leipzig +++ Host biosaxony welcomes international scientists and businesses to Saxony +++ bionection Technology Transfer Trophy to be awarded for the first time +++ Bio-Nanotechnology-Application Lab opens

Leipzig, October 1, 2015 bionection, the international partnering conference for technology transfer, is opening today for the second time. At BIO CITY LEIPZIG, scientists will have the opportunity over the next two days to present their innovative transferable ideas to potential industry partners during several thematic panels and pitch presentations. The accompanying industrial exhibition on an area of 200 square metres, the poster session and one-on-one partnering will provide additional opportunities for intensive networking and doing business. The first day of this two-day event will wind down with the ‘SAXONY! Get-Together’ at the Leipzig Moritzbastei. On the second day of bionection, permanent secretary Uwe Gaul from the SMWK Saxon Ministry of Science and the Arts will open the BNAL Bio-Nanotechnology-Application Lab. First glimpses of the new laboratory will be provided by Professor Frank Emmrich from the IZI Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology and Professor Alexander Michaelis from the IKTS Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems.

Instead of being hidden behind laboratory doors, findings from basic and applied research need to be translated into marketable products! bionection provides an ideal platform for commercialization. It covers a very wide range of current research areas in the life sciences, including diagnostics, biomedical engineering, veterinary medicine, identifying and designing active agents, and cell therapies. With this year’s partner country being Poland, a special workshop devoted to internationalization will be held and a Polish company will be reporting on its experience. Dr Jacek Robak, envoy and counsellor at the Polish Embassy, will also address the participants at the official opening of bionection. The idea behind the country focus is to intensify collaboration with Eastern Europe.

Particular emphasis will be placed on pairing up through one-on-one partnering. In addition, participants can take advantage of ten-minute pitches and the poster exhibition to explain their ideas. Of course, projects need to be presented accurately and convincingly if industry partners are to sit up and take notice! And in addition, as well as being an intensive platform designed to forge collaboration, bionection intends to equip participating researchers with the expertise required for successful technology transfer by hosting four interactive workshops on finance, patents, internationalization and clinical trials.

Companies and other disseminators will be showcasing themselves at the industry exhibition – a forum to meet researchers and other companies in the international life science sector. “bionection is responding to the regional demand for a platform in order to transfer the results of outstanding research to commercialization,” emphasized André Hofmann, CEO of biosaxony e. V. “We are delighted this year to have keynotes by B. Braun Avitum Saxonia GmbH, Merck Serono, Miltenyi Biotech GmbH and others. The high number of registrations for presentations underlines that bionection delivers ground-breaking initiatives. The latest Biotech Report also shows that the transfer landscape needs to continue to be supported by events like this,” concluded André Hofmann. And he added: “biosaxony will continue to strive to be a transparent interface between business and science. To this end, for the first time we will be presenting the bionection Technology Transfer Trophy together with a cheque for €1,500.”

Roland Göhde, Chairman of biosaxony e. V., declared: “Highlights this year include the fact that the SBTT Saxon Biotechnology Symposium is being held in conjunction with bionection, and the opening of the BNAL Bio-Nanotechnology-Application Lab. We are proud of the regional support from the University of Leipzig and local institutions. This packed programme will reveal how new opportunities and synergies for trends and developments can be discovered and harnessed.”

“The BNAL Bio-Nanotechnology-Application Lab is a facility for industry partners where technically sophisticated interdisciplinary projects in medicine and biotechnology can be expertly carried out,” emphasized permanent secretary Uwe Gaul from the SMWK Saxon Ministry of Science and the Arts. Founded in Leipzig by the two Fraunhofer institutes IKTS and IZI, BNAL has received financial support from the SMWK with the help of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to the tune of €3 million.

Organizer biosaxony is expecting 200 participants from science, industry and technology transfer. They can look forward to two days of stimulating debate and fascinating sessions.

On the evening of the first day, the SMWA Saxon Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport and the WFS Saxony Economic Development Corporation will be jointly hosting the ‘SAXONY! Get-Together’ at the Leipzig Moritzbastei. bionection participants will have free admission.

Contact and more information:
biosaxony e.V., Karolin Beier, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
Tel: + 49 351 796 5106 • Fax: +49 351 796 5610 • Email: beier@biosaxony.com
www.bionection.com

bionection Partnering Conference for Technology Transfer in the Life Sciences

The biosaxony life sciences cluster organizes the two-day bionection with the goal of highlighting transferable projects from excellent research to potential business partners. The international partnering event is held annually.

Cooperation between industry and academic research is encouraged by means of pitch presentations, poster sessions, one-on-one partnering, an industrial exhibition, and workshops on aspects of technology transfer in order to promote product-oriented developments and commercialization. The partnering event is aimed at scientists, technology transfer experts, innovative growth companies and SMEs.

biosaxony e. V. – the organizer

Established in 2009, biosaxony e.V. is the association of the biotechnology and life sciences industry, and its members are life science companies, research centres and industry representatives from all over Saxony. The cluster’s aims are to initiate projects between industry and science, to broker services and know-how, to exploit synergy for the further development of the sector, and to promote regional expertise. The association is part of a well-established regional, national and international network made up of industry, government, investors and organizations. www.biosaxony.com