German BioRegions Council Joins BIO Deutschland

The German BioRegions Council, which currently represents some thirty BioRegions, aims to strengthen the sector both within Germany and abroad. During a press conference in Berlin, Kai Uwe Bindseil, spokesperson for the German BioRegions Council and director of BioTOP Berlin-Brandenburg, explained why the Council was joining BIO Deutschland, the industry association of the German biotechnology sector. He said, "We will use the association’s structures in order to support the branch." He emphasised the importance of regional clusters for the biotechnology sector and noted that particularly in the current economic situation, it is vital that all those involved in the sector cooperate intensively to activate the enormous potential of German biotechnology. The Chairman of the Board of BIO Deutschland, Peter Heinrich, welcomed the move. He stated, "The proximity to regional interests resulting from the German BioRegions Council’s membership of BIO Deutschland is almost as important as the increased joint lobbying potential for public discussions on the conditions in which innovative companies operate." Peter Heinrich, the founder of Medigene AG, which is based in Martinsried near Munich, added that the BioRegions made sure that the sector was developed at the regional level and that they are therefore a natural partner of the national industry association.

The German BioRegions Council was founded at the beginning of 2004 and is an affiliation of the thirty German BioRegions. Kai Uwe Bindseil, the director of BioTOP Berlin-Brandenburg, has been the Council’s spokesperson for the past three years. The Council aims to coordinates regional activities in the interests of the German biotechnology sector. Apart from traditional subjects such as finance, setting up a company, and education and training, the German BioRegions Council also deals with technology transfer and, in its PR work, with the image of German biotechnology.