Press Releases
June 10, 2008
2nd Business Development Conference in Munich on Energizing Partnerships within the European Biotechnology Industry
Berlin/Brussels (June, 10 2008): European Small and Medium-sized biopharmaceutical companies had the opportunity to network with counterparts from the larger pharmaceutical companies at the second edition of the Business Development Conference, organised by the industry associations European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises (EBE) and BIO Deutschland.
Despite the increasing costs, falling output and failure of some new technologies in the European biotechnology R&D landscape, in recent years the start-up rate of new enterprises has increased and the growth of existing European companies has accelerated. Alliances with midsize and big pharma have become a more and more important aspect in European biotech business plans.
With this in mind, the conference focused on two major topics: "New types of strategies" and "Best management practices and innovation leadership as key factors to biotech company success and value creation". Executives from key biotech, pharmaceutical companies, private equity and VC firms shared their experience, concrete case-studies and their views concerning the key factors for facilitating growth of the European Biotech sector. The conference also analysed recent developments in R&D, from platform technologies to new therapeutic agents of the 21st century and the delivery of monoclonal antibodies.
Peter Heinrich, CEO MediGene AG, President BIO Deutschland and EBE Board Member said: "Biotechnology is not only important for the economy with thousands of people employed, but is also essential to the larger pharmaceutical companies which use biotech companies as a source for innovation and finally, let’s not forget, the patients waiting for novel medicines".
The event attracted 100 CEOs and senior executives from (bio)pharmaceutical companies, private equity and venture capital companies from around Europe and USA. The exclusive setting of the conference helped participants learn, network and do business. Further to the extremely positive feedback received from attendees, EBE and BIO Deutschland are planning to hold a 3rd edition in 2009, in Germany.
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June 4, 2008
Statement by Germany's Biotechnology Industry Organisation on the Current Meeting of the EU Environment Ministers on the Topic of Genetically Modified Plants:
Europe Must Also Support Innovations in Agriculture
Berlin (04.06.2008) - The industry association of the German biotechnology, BIO Deutschland, demands against the background of tomorrow's meeting of EU Environment Ministers in Luxembourg, that the innovative potential of small and medium-sized seed producers be no longer hindered and that research in the area of plant biotechnology be clearly recognised.
"European governments cannot denounce the domination of worldwide markets by food and animal feed concerns on the one hand and restrict the innovative strength of small and medium-sized seed producers on the other," said Jens Katzek, member of BIO Deutschland’s directors board.
During the EU Environment Ministers' Council Meeting, topics to be discussed include the effects of genetically modified organisms (GMO) on the environment, the definition of labelling thresholds for seed, and the modalities by EU member states to control plantations of authorised GMOs.
Against this background, Jens Katzek warned, "A restrictive European policy on innovation indirectly strengthens multinational companies, which are easily able to relocate research and development on new products to a more technology-friendly environment." He added that only freedom of competition between new ideas from research and innovative companies makes it possible to offer a wide product range that is attractive to consumers at home and abroad. In conclusion, Jens Katzek stated: "It should be a matter of permitting a mutually beneficial economic environment of large and small companies, as already exists among pharmaceutical firms and biotechnology companies, for instance, which often cooperate in the area of the development of new types of medication."
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January 15, 2008
German Biotechnology Sector Optimistic for 2008
- healthy development despite mediocre business environment
- good business situation in 61% of the companies
- 72% want to create new jobs
- reduced growth in R&D expenditure
Berlin (15 January 2008) - German biotech companies are starting 2008 on an optimistic note, as shown by a survey carried out by the trade association of the German biotechnology industry, BIO Deutschland e.V., in cooperation with the biotech journal, "Transkript". The results of the survey were presented at a press conference in Berlin today.
A large majority of the German biotech companies who took part in the survey said that their current business situation was good (61%). A third of the companies regarded their own situation as "satisfactory". The majority of the companies also saw their medium-term future in a positive light: 55% expect their own situation to develop well. This leads to a very positive development in employment: following job increases in previous years, almost three-quarters of the companies (72%) also want to hire more personnel in 2008.
However, according to the results of the survey, investments in research and development will increase less than in the previous year - while 56% of the firms planned to increase their investment in this area in 2007, only 47% plan to do so in 2008. Moreover, the assessment of the business climate, that is, of the political, economic and social conditions, is less positive than in 2007 - most of the German companies regarded it as "satisfactory" (56%), 16% as bad and only 28% as good. The group of dissatisfied firms doubled in comparison to last year. In the current survey, only 43% believed that the general conditions would improve, as compared with 54% in 2007. The percentage of those who expect that the business climate will not change in the future increased by 10 percentage points to 50%.
At the press conference, Rainer Wessel, a member of the board of BIO Deutschland, said, "The biotech sector in Germany is growing and will continue to grow." He added that the optimistic assessment of the current situation and the plans to create skilled jobs showed this clearly.
Jens Katzek, a member of the board of BIO Deutschland, added that the results of the survey also serve as a reminder of the need to improve the political and economic conditions: "In the past years, German companies have increasingly established themselves strongly and have adapted their business models." Katzek - in consideration of the German Corporate Tax Reform and the Amendment of the Genetic Engineering Law - continued: "However, if Germany wants to secure a leading position in international technology, political support is needed. We lacked this support last year."
In addition, Andreas Mietzsch, Chairman of the Board of BIOCOM AG and editor of "Transkript", said: "Half of economics is psychology – bad news from the high-risk sector of drugs development, like that from GPC or Paion, naturally has a negative effect on the business climate for a while. But this doesn´t change the fact that biotechnology is on a steep growth curve and that its innovative and environmentally friendly products are successful in more and more economic sectors."
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April 23, 2007
Germany´s Biotechnology Industry Organisation on the Bio4EU study on the significance of biotechnology for Europe´s economic development
Biotechnology in Europe: Job engine, source of medical innovations and basis for sustained industrial production
In recent years, biotechnology has achieved a central significance for the economic and social development of Europe. In the meantime, it has had a relevant positive effect on jobs, health and the agricultural sector; on the sustainability of industrial production processes and on the protection of the environment. These are the conclusions of study carried out on behalf of the European Union Commission and presented at the Bio4EU in April.
Germany"s Biotech Industry Organisation, BIO Deutschland, welcomes the publication of the study, which is titled "The Consequences, Opportunities and Challenges of Modern Biotechnology for Europe". The results show that modern biotechnology is responsible for nearly two percent of the entire European Union gross value added. The social effects of this technology are also highlighted by the job statistics: About 1.5 million people are employed in biotechnology based production processes in Europe (e.g. food processing, the detergent industry and textiles refinement) – this is not including employee statistics for pharmaceutical and chemical production.
Europe as whole is currently responsible for 75 percent of global enzyme production, with Germany in a leading position. These substances are increasingly used in industrial processes, leading to a clear reduction in energy consumption as well as a reduction in CO2 emissions. In the industrial area of textile production, for example, the use of enzymes allows a 50 percent reduction in water consumption and reductions of up to 80 percent in chemical consumption. Using biotechnologically manufactured enzymes in detergents can result in a 70 percent reduction in energy consumption.
Biotechnology has also made a significant contribution in the medical, agricultural and nutritional sectors, despite the current restrictive legislation in some European Union countries: More than 20 percent of the total turnover in agriculture and nutrition is a result of input from biotechnological methods and procedures; for medicines, this proportion is estimated to be 9 percent, for vaccines 17 percent and for diagnostics it is as high as 30 percent.
Dr. Peter Heinrich, Chairman of the Board of BIO Deutschland and CEO of MediGene AG says: "The results of this study once again underline the great importance of the biotechnology industry for Europe´s economic development in the face of global competition. BIO Deutschland therefore demands the consistent implementation of the European Union strategy for the life sciences and biotechnology, which was already agreed upon in 2002." He continues: "To allow biotechnology to further serve as a motor for the creation of quality jobs and to allow it to develop its ability to compete internationally, we need the appropriate political-economic framework in Germany in particular to secure the future of the location."
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The complete study can be found at: http://bio4eu.jrc.es/documents/Bio4EUsynthesisreportEUR22728EN.pdf
December 15, 2006
Exclusive Berlin Conference Catalysed New Partnerships Between Pharma & Biotech Companies
European Small & Medium-sized biopharmaceutical companies had the opportunity to network with counterparts from the larger pharmaceutical companies at a private Business Development Event, organised by the industry associations European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises (EBE) and BIO Deutschland.
Despite the increasing costs, falling output and failure of some new technologies in the European biotechnology R&D landscape, in recent years the start-up rate of new enterprises has increased and the growth of existing European companies has accelerated. Alliances with midsize and big pharma have become a more and more important aspect in European biotech business plans.
With this in mind, the event reviewed how to make European biotech companies more attractive to US and global partners and what are the successful strategies for the future of European biopharmaceutical companies.
Executives from key biotech, pharmaceutical companies, private equity and VC firms shared their experience, concrete case-studies and advice on what should or should not be done in developing biotech company businesses. The conference also analysed the business management and financing practices in the US versus Europe, new exit trends in those regions and the different business models available.
"Biotechnology is not only important for the economy" said Dr. Peter Heinrich, CEO MediGene AG, President BIO Deutschland and EBE Board Member, "not only because of the thousands of people that we employ, but is also essential to the larger pharmaceutical companies which use biotech companies as a source for innovation and finally, let"s not forget, the patients waiting for novel medicines."
The event attracted more than 85 CEOs and senior executives from (bio)pharmaceutical companies, private equity and venture capital companies from around Europe and USA. The exclusive setting of the conference helped participants learn, network and do business. Further to the extremely positive feedback received from attendees, EBE and BIO Deutschland are planning to hold a 2nd edition in 2007, in Germany.
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The conference was kindly sponsored by VISCARDI Group, The Trout Group, Roche, Genzyme and Nomura Code.
2. The Biotechnologie-Industrie-Organisation Deutschland (BIO Deutschland) with offices in Berlin is the independent organisation for German biotechnology companies. Founded in October 2004, BIO Deutschland currently has more than 120 member companies. To support its members BIO Deutschland is active on a wide range of measures like lobbying, public relations, or offering business development opportunities.
3. As the voice of biopharmaceuticals in Europe, European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises (EBE) promotes a favourable scientific, business and regulatory environment allowing companies of all sizes to successfully research, develop and market new healthcare solutions derived from biotechnology for the benefit of patients and society. EBE has 65 member companies, including include large pharma groups, biotech companies and SMEs; and operates as specialised group within EFPIA.
4. The full programme is available at www.ebe-biopharma.org/force-download.php?file=/media/bd-conference1314_12_06 (15.12.06).pdf or at www.biodeutschland.org/bdconfer/bdconfer.php
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September 4, 2006
BIO Deutschland Appoints Dr. Viola Bronsema as Managing Director
The Biotechnologie-Industrie-Organisation Deutschland (BIO Deutschland e.V.) is strengthening its political leverage in Berlin: As of October 1, 2006 Dr. Viola Bronsema will be the Managing Director of BIO Deutschland. Previously Ms Bronsema was Head of Communications at Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim.
Viola Bronsema received her Ph.D. at the Centre for Molecular Biology (ZMBH) at the University of Heidelberg, where she also worked as a research scientist for some years. In 1995 she received her PR consultant certificate, after which she worked for Cramer-Gesundheits-Consulting, Frankfurt. From 1998 onwards she was employed at the Press & Public Relations department of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, and in 2000 she moved to Lilly Pharma Holding GmbH, Bad Homburg, to act as Head of Press & Public Relations. As of 2002 she has worked for Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, heading the communication activities for Germany and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Since early 2003 she has also been the Managing Director of Stadtmarketing Mannheim GmbH.
Dr. Peter Heinrich, Chairman of the Board of BIO Deutschland and CEO of MediGene AG, Martinsried, commented on Dr. Viola Bronsema"s appointment to the association"s administrative office: "Thanks to the valuable support from the executive search firm Ray & Berndtson, BIO Deutschland"s Board was able to appoint Viola Bronsema - a highly competent and experienced Life Sciences personality - to reinforce our administrational office."
Viola Bronsema is looking forward to her new appointment in Berlin: "BIO Deutschland has achieved a lot in a very short period of time and I am convinced that we will succeed in the future to further improve the framework conditions for the Biotech location Germany, both nationally and internationally."
Together with BIO Deutschland"s Board and Dr. Pablo Serrano, Senior Manager of the association"s administrative office, Viola Bronsema will expand and reinforce the association’s activities. BIO Deutschland"s main fields of activity are the coordination of a joint positioning process, the creation of B2B plattforms and the political representation of its members" interest.
January 18, 2006
News
June 10, 2008
June 4, 2008
January 15, 2008
April 23, 2007
December 15, 2006
Exclusive Berlin Conference Catalysed New Partnerships Between Pharma & Biotech Companies
September 4, 2006
BIO Deutschland Appoints Dr. Viola Bronsema as Managing Director