BC Biotechnology Awards Nominations Now Open

BC Biotech is proud to be hosting our 9^th Annual BC Biotechnology Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 to honour outstanding contributions made by members of British Columbia's biotechnology community. This event has evolved to become the premier evening of the year for biotech in BC, and we hope to have you all join us in this year's celebration.

You all know a deserving member of British Columbia's biotechnology community, so we ask you to make sure they are nominated! The nomination process is open to BC Biotech members and non-members alike, and you may nominate another company or person you feel is deserving, or submit an application for your own company.

Please click here for nomination guidelines and form (To download the form, click the link and select Save)

The deadline for nominations is Tuesday, January 31, 2007 at 4:00 pm.

For more information about the BC Biotechnology Awards contact Barry Gee, Director, Operations and Communications at (604) 602-5226 or bgee@bcbiotech.ca

The 9^th Annual BC Biotechnology Awards are presented by:

Join BC Biotech's Delegation to BioVision and BioSquare

• Free conference registrations for both BioVision and BioSquare, including plenary sessions, workshops, company presentations, one-on-one meetings, and social functions and dinner debates;
• Full access to biopartnering.com to pre-arrange one-on-one meetings with international delegates (note this is the same leading system used for BioPartnering North America);
• Opportunity to utilize the British Columbia Pavilion to distribute company literature, and liaise with potential partners and investors;
• Inclusion in all pre-event electronic promotions distributed internationally;
• Opportunity to participate in VIP receptions and events, including BioVision.nxt, a special networking event for 100 of the best young life science PhDs and Post Docs in the world;
• Support from the conference PR agency, and privileged access to media, the press centre and dedicated press conference room.

Please note that participating delegates will be responsible for all other associated individual costs, including travel.


Why These Conferences?

BioVision (March 10-14th)
The World Life Sciences Forum, BioVision is a unique international platform that aims to facilitate dialogue and debate, and set-up proposals for actions on challenging issues related to the international life sciences industries. Since its inception, BioVision has grown to become one of the main world events with the life sciences: from 1,300 attendees representing 30 countries in 1999 growing to 4,100 delegates representing 70 countries in 2005. This year's event will include world-renowned speakers including numerous Nobel Laureates and Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

For more information, please visit the conference website at: http://www.biovision.org/events_uk.htm  


BioSquare (March 12-14th)
Within six years, BioSquare has become one of the most attended international partnering events taking place in Europe. Every year, BioSquare gathers top business development executives from biotech and large corporations, as well as major investors. The three-day event features a full program including workshops led by corporate executives and biotech experts, company presentations and panel discussions.

BioSquare offers the same sophisticated internet partnering software system used for BioPartnering North America, allowing conference participants to organize and schedule meetings beforehand, and to optimize the opportunity to create sustainable, long-term business partnerships.

BioSquare 2006 included:

- 802 companies
- 5139 scheduled one-on-one partnering meetings
- 147 biotech and mid-sized pharma company presentations
- 34 countries represented

For additional information, please see the conference website at: http://www.biosquare.com/  


Because we have a limited number of spaces available, we ask that any interested organizations or individuals contact BC Biotech no later than Friday, January 5th to take part.

Contact: Barry Gee
Director, Operations and Communications
Tel: 604-602-5226
Email: bgee@bcbiotech.ca  

We look forward to having you join us, and bringing exciting new international partners, investors and research collaborations to British Columbia. 


 

Aon Reed Stenhouse Becomes a Bronze Sponsor of BC Biotech

BC Biotech is very pleased to have Aon Reed Stenhouse join as a new sponsor of BC Biotech for the 2007-2008 year.  Aon Reed Stenhouse has been very active in the local biotechnology community and  provides risk managment and insurance services to the biotech and technology industry locally and around the globe. Their goal is to bring the best risk management advice and products from around the world to assist and enable biotech companies.

Without the support of our sponsors, we could not have undertaken all our new programs and initiatives in this past year, including the development of the BC Biotech position paper, facilitating linkages between pharma and our industry, and organizing international trade missions and brininging investment into British Columbia.  BC Biotech would like to thank all our sponsors for their ongoing support.

The new sponsorship year runs from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008, though we are always welcoming new sponsors now. 

Please view our 2007-2008 Sponsorship Program

If you have any further questions about the program or would like more information, please contact Raman Bhullar at rbhullar@bcbiotech.ca or 604-602-5227.

Register Now For the 5^th Annual BioPartnering North America and Save!

BioPartnering North America (BPN) is one of the leading international partnering conferences for the life sciences. Annually co-hosted by BC Biotech, BioAlberta & BIOTECanada, BioPartnering North America consistently attracts top decision makers from leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, service and financial companies.  The conference is held from February 4-6, 2007 in Vancouver, B.C., Canada at the Westin Bayshore Resort.

Register Early and Save

Register by January 2, 2007 and save over 20% off the regular registration rate!

* Discounts may only be used by life science members of BC Biotech. Legal firms, executive search, consultancies, etc. do not qualify for this discount
* Discounts may not be applied retroactively; the discount must be taken at the point of registration
* There are no discounts on presentation fees; if any of your members are already presenting or are interested in presenting, the 10% discount will not apply.

BioPartnering North America 2007 Features:

• A global audience of over 1000 attendees from more than 500 companies representing all facets of the life sciences industries.
• Sponsored and supported by industry leaders, BPN consistently brings back the best and most effective audience.
• Multiple presentation streams featuring emerging, cutting-edge companies, representing the brightest ideas in the life sciences.
• Effective research tools and multimedia capabilities that enable proactive conference preparation, insuring the best opportunities for successful partnering.
• Topical, interactive sessions and workshops with key executives and insiders from the life sciences industries.
• One-on-one networking opportunities with senior executives from leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, biomedical device, and venture capital companies.

Your conference begins with access to biopartnering.com, the premier life science conference collaboration tool. You will be able to research networking opportunities, contact other delegates, and schedule meetings in advance of the event. You can also research attending companies using MedTRACK.

Please click here to view the conference brochure. 

For more information or to register online, visit http://www.techvision.com/bpn/

Apply to Present at BioPartnering North America and Showcase Your Company

Presenting company applications are now being accepted and reviewed for both the Emerging Company and Open House presentations.  BPN offers two presentation formats, each providing a specialized focus. The presenter selection process has already begun and applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

• The “Open House” format is tailored to companies seeking in/out-licensing or to otherwise partner products or services with other pharmaceutical or biotech companies and who may be seeking additional funding. This is the most time-efficient way to meet face-to-face with key decision-makers and to maximize your company's partnering, service and financial opportunities at BPN. The Open House is an informal, interactive 2 hour posterboard/booth presentation. 56 companies will be selected to present. Life science companies with the following characteristics will be considered: possessing products and/or technologies for in/out-licensing, joint development, or collaboration of therapeutic compound leads or drug development technology platforms.

• The “Emerging Company” format offers early stage companies seeking VC funding, early partnering, or collaborative agreements the opportunity to raise the awareness of their company and business development goals in the biotech community worldwide. 22 Companies founded in or after 2003 will be selected to offer a 14-minute podium presentation. Life science companies with the following characteristics will be considered: possessing a unique product pipeline, technology, informatics platform, or medical device.

Click here to apply to present at BioPartnering North America.

For more information on presenting your company at BioPartnering North America, please contact Lila Taylor at ltaylor@techvision.com

Sponsorship Opportunities Available for BioPartnering North America

Numerous sponsorship opportunities are still available for BioPartnering North America (BPN), which is being held from February 4-6, 2007 in Vancouver, B.C., Canada at the Westin Bayshore Resort.   These include Premium, Platnum, Gold & Silver Sponsorships along with sponsorship opportunities for the Conference Handbook, Conference Handbag, Corporate Kiosk, Hotel Guest Room “Keycard”, Relaxation Station and Continental Breakfast for Monday and Tuesday morning of the conference.

For more details please click here or contact Barry Gee, Director, Operations and Communications at (604) 602-5226 or bgee@bcbiotech.ca 

Student Bursaries Available: Apply Today to Attend BioPartnering North America

Each year, a limited number of bursaries are available for graduate and post-graduate students studying in a biotechnology related program in Canada. The bursary provides full registration to the conference, travel costs (for students residing outside of Vancouver and area), and accommodation for 2 nights close to the conference venue.   Eligible students will be randomly selected from the pool of qualified applicants so we encourage all students to apply.  Deadline for submissions is January 5, 2007. 

Please click here to download the application form
 

Book Your Advertising Space Now in the 2007 Biotechnology in BC and Corporate Profiles!

Biotechnology in BC is BC Biotech's annual magazine published by Business in Vancouver Media Group (BIV) and is widely distributed to reach biotech and other business professionals around the world.  BIV is also the publisher of our Corporate Profiles supplement which showcases all our BC Biotech companies by therapeutic interest.  Both these publications are a great vehicle for promoting BC's biotechnology sector, and a great way to show your support for your industry. 

The publisher of Business in Vancouver Special Publications has agreed to offer the 2006 rates for both Corporate Profiles 2007 and Biotechnology in BC 2007, provided you book your space before December 31, 2006. 

Click here for more details and to book your space now!

Karimah Es Sabar Appointed to NSERC's Pacific Advisory Committee

Karimah Es Sabar, Executive Director of BC Biotech was recently appointed as a member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council's (NSERC) Pacific Advisory Committee.  NSERC's mandate is to promote and assist the research in the natural sciences and engineering.   They do this by investing in people, discovery and innovation through programs that support university research.

Karimah as a member of NSERC will provide input to the committee, and will be the representative for the biotechnology sector as it relates to natural sciences and engineering.  BC Biotech is very pleased with Karimah's new appointment and we look forward to working with NSERC on common initiatives in the new year. 

Medicon Valley Delegation to Visit Vancouver

Medicon Valley (situated in the broader Copenhagen/Malmö region of Europe) is Europe’s 3^rd largest biotech cluster, and hosts some of world leading life-science companies in niche areas such as diabetes, CNS, haemostasis, enzymes, cancer, novel foods, and nutraceuticals.

From January 15-19, 2007, a delegation of fifteen life sciences representatives from Medicon Valley will be visiting Canada’s top three Life-Science clusters which include Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.  The mission will meet with industry associations, leading edge life science companies, key business and scientific infrastructures (such as science parks, university tech transfer offices, incubators), and life science venture financing organizations. 

The mission will allow Canada to present our world class research infrastructures and our competitive business environment. The participants will exchange best practices on life science cluster development, science park management, and financing, as well as identify partnership opportunities between Medicon Valley and selected Canadian life sciences organizations.

We will be welcoming the Medicon Valley delegation in Vancouver from January 18^th to 19^th.  During their visit, the delegates will be meeting with BC Biotech, Genome BC, Discovery Parks, the UBC Industry Liaison Office, Vancouver Island Technology Park, the Ministry of Economic Development and local VC's.  The delegation will also be doing company visits and tours of Xenon Pharmaceuticals and Angiotech Pharmaceuticals.