Mannheim, Germany, November 17th 2008 - At the opening of the BIO-Europe 2008 Partnering Conference, Roche, Merck Serono and Abbott announced today to join forces in the development of the Biotechnology Cluster Rhine-Neckar (BioRN) towards a leading position in the field of medical biotechnology in Europe. The BioRN cluster was recently awarded a 40 million euro federal grant by the German Ministry for Education and Research as one of the top five high-tech clusters in Germany. In addition, BioRN is the host of this years BIO-Europe, which has established itself as the worlds largest stand-alone partnering conference.
"The success of the BioRN cluster, which brings together some 100 partners in business and research, rests partly on the excellent pioneering research being done here in the Rhine-Neckar region and on the presence of several major corporations, many of them global leaders in their field such as Roche, Merck Serono and Abbott," said Dr. Jürgen Schwiezer, Chief Executive Officer of the Roche Diagnostics Division. "We are proud to contribute to a number of promising collaborations within this cluster," added Dr. Bernhard Kirschbaum, Executive Vice President, Research and Development, at Merck Serono. "The strong network that is now formed in the Rhine-Neckar region will lead to the faster translation of technological advances and market intelligence into competitive advantage and ultimately benefits for patients."
Roche and Merck Serono, together with major research institutions and small biotechnology companies in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, already participate in the BioRN cluster activities with projects for the development of novel drugs and diagnostics, as well as special education programs for talented life scientists, managers and entrepreneurs. Abbott expressed strong interest to participate in future projects of the BioRN cluster.
About BIO-Europe
BIO-Europe is the preeminent stand-alone partnering event for the biotechnology industry. Delegates from all parts of the biotechnology value-chain come to BIO-Europe to efficiently identify, engage and enter into the strategic relationships that drive their business successfully forward. The annual BIO-Europe partnering event draws over 2,300 industry attendees from almost 50 countries, representing more than 1,300 companies, for three days of high-level networking. BIO-Europe is organized by EBD Group with the support of the Biotechnology Industry Organization and European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises.
About BioRN
BioRN Cluster Management GmbH is a public-private partnership between the Rhine-Neckar BioRegion, the Heidelberg Technology Park, the Rhine-Neckar Chamber of Commerce and the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. The newly founded company is charged with the coordination, integration, development and marketing of the Biotech Cluster Rhine-Neckar (BioRN) one of the leading life science clusters in Europe. The focus of the BioRN cluster is the development of innovative drugs, diagnostics and platform technologies in the field of cell-based and molecular medicine. The cluster includes renowned academic research institutions such as the University of Heidelberg, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 60 small and medium-sized biotech enterprises, as well as big pharmaceutical companies such as Roche, Merck and Abbott.
Further information:
BioRN Cluster Management GmbH
www.BioRN.org
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