Bio Europe 2008: Germany Top Location in Biotechnology Thanks to Government Support

Berlin (ots) - The German government's active support of
biotechnology investments is one of the country's leading advantages
to international investors. The German government's strategy of
fostering innovation in biotechnology and possible benefits of such
support to foreign companies will be the focus of a presentation
series at Bio-Europe 2008 on November 17, 2008 in Mannheim, Germany
addressing opportunities for foreign biotech investors in Germany.
The presentation series takes place during the Bio-Europe 2008
convention, running November 17-19, 2008 in Mannheim.

Germany's support of biotechnology investments has helped turn the
country into the home of 500 biotech companies and make it a leader
in specialist areas such as regenerative medicine. Public funding for
biotechnology in Germany will be the topic of Dr. Stefan Lampel's
presentation. He is the head of EU and International Affairs for the
Project Management Organization Juelich. His talk will also examine
eligibility criteria for foreign companies to receive public funds.

Industry clusters have helped Germany become a leader in health
care and biotechnologies as they allow for companies of all sizes to
pool resources. The director of Germany's top health care cluster
will be one of the speakers at the seminar. Dr. Christian Tidona,
Managing Director of BioRN Cluster Management GmbH, will discuss how
his cluster won a Euro 40 million research grant. With this grant,
companies in the cluster hope to develop up to 70 new drugs,
diagnostics, and platform technologies, in addition to 19 innovative
services by 2013. The BioRN Cluster is also the home of 2008 Nobel
Laureate Professor Dr. Harald zur Hausen.

Lastly, the presentation series will focus on regenerative
medicine. Germany's expertise in this area allows for foreign
companies to use the country as a base for R&D activities in this
exciting area of medical research. This will be the topic of Dr. Anja
Elstner's presentation. She is the network manager for the
Regenerative Medicine Initiative at the Berlin-Brandenburg Center for
Regenerative Therapies. She will discuss the role of the German
Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Research
Foundation in supporting specialized research centers focusing on
regenerative medicine. These centers located in the German cities of
Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, and Hannover and will receive Euro 150
million in support.

Dr. Nicola Henneberg, Senior Manager for Healthcare at Invest in
Germany GmbH, will start the presentation series with an introduction
to Germany as a biotech investment location. She notes, "Government
support, along with an excellent workforce, have helped make Germany
one of the world's top players in biotechnology and a leader in
regenerative medicine. The presence of clusters helps make the
country particularly welcoming to small and medium-sized enterprises
as new entrants can plug into a pre-existing infrastructure and then
focus only on its core competence, such as R&D."

Invest in Germany is the inward investment promotion agency of the
Federal Republic of Germany. It provides investors with comprehensive
support from site selection to the implementation of investment
decisions.

Originaltext: Invest in Germany
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Media Contact:
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