Taiwan to be well represented at world's largest biotech convention

13 June, 2005
Taiwan is once again set to send a large delegation to the world's largest biotechnology event, BIO 2005, an annual gathering of the global life science community to be held this year in Philadelphia, USA, from June 19-22. The delegation will include over 100 representatives from government agencies, non-profit organizations and research institutes, and the private sector.

Taiwan's pavilion at BIO 2004 (left), and last year's wine and cheese party.

Organized by the US-based Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and held annually at cities around North America, the BIO 2005 Annual International Convention will attract an estimated 18,000-plus biotech professionals to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia to network and explore the latest offerings of the global life sciences industry. The convention is an annual four-day festival of biotech, highlighted by a huge exhibition where companies and countries show off their latest products and achievements, and a multi-track conference program with presentations by the industry's movers and shakers.

The best of Taiwan biotech will be on show at the convention, with a pavilion at the exhibition hall, and a presentation at the International Country Seminars — one of only 16 countries featured — on June 19th. Taiwan will also host a joint Taiwan-North American "Partnering Dinner” on the evening of June 18th. And as with last year's event in San Francisco, the Taiwan pavilion will also be the site for the delegation's wine and cheese party, a chance for the international biotech community to network with Taiwan biotech delegates, to be held on June 21st.

Taiwan's biotech industry has come of age in recent years. With the supporting infrastructure in place and with strong government backing, the island is poised to become Asia's hub for the life sciences. Taiwan's renowned IT, manufacturing and logistics strengths are being newly-utilized in such fields as biopharmaceutical manufacturing, medical devices design and manufacturing and bioIT. Its drug development sector is growing in strength, and the increasing number of botanically-derived drug discovery companies reflects the transformation of Taiwan's traditional knowledge base in this field into an exciting new source of pharmaceuticals. Taiwan is a leading center for agricultural biotechnology, particularly floriculture, and is becoming an important center for clinical trials in the Asia-Pacific region, with an integrated network of world-class medical centers around the island.

The delegation is being organized by the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), and the Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Industries Program Office (BPIPO), also of the MOEA. Leading the group is Dr. Lin Ferng-ching, Minister of State, Executive Yuan. Other prominent figures in the delegation include the director of the IDB, Chen Chao-yih; the director of the BPIPO, Dr. Chen Chei-hsiang; as well as the heads of major government bodies, non-governmental organizations and prominent research institutes, such as the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB); the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI); and Academia Sinica.

Taiwan's pavilion at the exhibition hall will feature a range of booths displaying life science achievements and opportunities from biotech-focused government agencies, non-governmental research institutes, and the private sector.

Following the convention members of the delegation will be making organized visits to many of the prominent biotech companies and Big Pharma based in the region, such as GlaxoSmithKline and Centocor.

The Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries Program Office, Ministry of Economic Affairs TAIWAN