The 2018 BIO Conference in Boston is well underway, with this year marking Queensland’s 20th mission to the conference.
In total more than 300 Australian biotechnology representatives are attending the conference. The overall delegation is led by AusBiotech in partnership with MTPConnect. Australia has consistently had one of the largest delegations to the convention.
Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk is attending the conference and said the “Discover Queensland innovation – a biotechnology showcase” event was an excellent opportunity for more than 100 delegates from Queensland to attract investment.
“In Queensland, we definitely punch above our weight globally when it comes to the quality of scientific research we produce in our state,” she said. “That is why we held this showcase event during BIO, recognising the appetite in the US to invest in projects with long-term returns.
“Queensland researchers are world leaders in viral, bacterial and parasitic infection, vaccine research and drug discovery, with tropical diseases being a particular strength.
“My Government understands venture capital financing offers the best hope for emerging biotech SMEs to get their product to the stage they can go to market,” she said.
The Premier said the funding gap was also being bridged through the Advance Queensland initiative that has a number of programs linking research and business to build an entrepreneurial culture and leverage private investment. The Queensland Government has pledged a further $42 million to Advance Queensland to continue this important work.
The track record from BIO was excellent and has resulted in partnerships such as the University of Queensland Emory Drug Discovery Initiative, the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office at the Queensland University of Technology and the partnership between Siemens Healthcare and the Transitional Research Institute, she said.
BIO is the largest annual gathering of the global biotechnology and life sciences sector, and it provides an additional opportunity this year as the host city Boston is one of the world’s largest biotech hubs and home to some of the world’s largest biotech companies, including Sanofi and Pfizer.
“BIO 2018 is a catalyst for further discussions and new business and it provides a nice segue to QLD’s support for the annual AusBiotech conference that will take place in Brisbane from 31 October to 2 November,” says Lorraine Chiroiu, Deputy CEO AusBiotech.
AusBiotech is dedicated to consolidating this growth, and our 2018 conference will once again present issues critical to the industry. Global biotech trends, breakthroughs, challenges and success stories will feature prominently on the program. Panel discussions and key themes will cover regulation and reimbursement, research translational strategies, new markets, business development and capital access, emerging technologies, clinical trials, regenerative medicine, agriculture and commercialisation.
The AusBiotech National Conference 2018 is proudly sponsored by the Queensland Government's Advance Queensland Initiative.
Registration for AusBiotech 2018 is open.