Where do biotechnology startups meet a wide range of potential investors, license and development partners and the biggest providers in the industry within little time? Correct – at partnering events such as BIO-Europe. Who is compatible with whom is tested here in pre-arranged short meetings. At a glance, the meeting figures for BIO-Europe show that speed dating took place on a big scale: this time in Cologne, the conference management recorded more than 20,800 meetings in just three days. This does not include in-depth informal exchanges at the trade fair stands, at common meals and evening network events. The biggest requirement? A huge stack of business cards!
LISAvienna played a leading role in the setup and operation of the shared Austrian stand. The companies in attendance used the stand as a point of contact and information and to display documents. There were also discounted tickets in the trade fair package. Along with the central location of the stand, coffee, Mozart balls and a stand event ensured great demand. LISAvienna informed interested parties about potential partners in Vienna and was at the disposal of domestic companies for questions on funding opportunities and laboratory spaces.
The following biotechnology companies from Vienna were represented at BIO-Europe 2016.
- AFFiRiS AG Bringing vaccines to chronic diseases
- AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG Focus on rare diseases
- APEPTICO Forschung und Entwicklung GmbH Innovation in peptide drugs
- APEIRON Biologics AG Novel biological and immunological cancer treatments
- Biomay AG Innovative allergy therapeutics, recombinant allergens & contract manufacturing
- enGenes Biotech GmbH Microbial expression systems for recombinant proteins
- EUCODIS Bioscience GmbH Intelligent enzyme solutions
- Evercyte GmbH Human cell lines as model systems for assays, production and cell therapy
- Haplogen GmbH Antiviral drugs
- Hookipa Biotech AG Wave of new vaccines
- Marinomed Biotechnologie GmbH Naturally-derived immunological and antiviral treatments
- Panoptes Pharma GmbH Small molecules for the treatment of severe eye diseases
- Platomics GmbH Marketplace for Personalized Medicine
- RMB Research GmbH Innovative wound care
- TAmiRNA GmbH Discovery and validation of microRNA biomarkers
- The Antibody Lab GmbH Immunoassays and preclinical biologics
- Transform Science GmbH From scientific ideas to rewarding business concepts
- ViruSure GmbH Virus & prion testing
Research institutes and service providers also used the event as an information hub. In addition to the nationwide research center for industrial biotechnology, ACIB, AIT and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences as well as the transnational research center wings4innovation, the supra-regional biomarker center CBmed was also represented for the first time. Service companies ranged from specialists for clinical studies, ABF Pharmaceutical Services GmbH and Celerion, to an expert in pharmaceutical production from RD&C Concepts GmbH and the brand management and logistics company Sanova Pharma GmbH through to the Viennese patent office Redl Life Science Patent Attorneys and the plant engineering expert VTU. Investors and grant donors also played an important role: the venture capital company Venionaire, as well as the owners of LISAvienna aws and the Vienna Business Agency were present to negotiate with interested parties. Venionaire is planning to set up an investment fund with investors who have not previously invested in life sciences by the way.
A video of the event organizer EBD Group offers further impressions from Cologne.
Next year, BIO-Europe will take place between November 6 and 8 in Berlin. Companies and research institutes from Vienna are invited to benefit from the many years of experience of our technology expert Jürgen Fuchs. Please get in contact in good time so that you can benefit from discounted entry fees and your trade show runs smoothly.