This year 535 exhibitors from 28 countries attended the show as well as 11.000 visitors from 39 countries, 99% of whom being professional visitors according to Deutsche Messe. Traditionally one third of exhibitors are from abroad. This year the UK, Switzerland, United States, and South Korea were those countries represented at Hannover with most interest in life science business. With 8.395 sqm sold, a customer-oriented, graduated pricing system for conference attendance, and public support Deutsche Messe has also been financially successful which confirms its concept for the show.

Biotechnica 2008 received a major boost from meetings organised by different German sector organisations contributing to the conference program. Thus, an interactive Biopolitics session was organised by BIO Deutschland. Several other associations held their meetings on the occasion. Under the auspices of Deutsche Industrievereinigung Biotechnologie DIB the National Platform for White Biotechnology convened. The heavyweights from the chemical industry, biotech SMEs, representatives of the capital market and national public funding agencies discussed prospects to turn R&D into commercial value. One of the policy-makers’ messages to an industry waiting for reforms: No change in public funding should be expected within this legislative period – neither in policy strategy nor in its operations. Dechema had a major impact on the trade show with its powerful branches of VBU Association of German Biotech Companies and the Technical-Professional Section of German Biotechnologists. Dechema, which is preparing next year’s Achema at Frankfurt, brought in its flagship biotech conference ”European BioPerspectives”. Thus, a diversity of competing Geman sector organisations found itself united under the convention umbrella Deutsche Messe spun over the last twelve months, and all of them appeared to pull in the same direction. Hannover trade fair also managed to streamline Biotechnica to provide more value to conference participants and economic promoters exhibiting at the show. In presence of Günter Verheugen, Vice-President of the European Commission, officials from Brussels and members of the European Parliament (most of them German) participants were offered an in-depth opportunity for dialogue with European policy-makers during the ”EU Biotech Day”. Biotechnica thus set itself apart from other life science shows in Europe which adapt the same formula of exhibition, conference, lobbying meetings, and partnering, but remain in the realms of regional or national thinking. wk

Soon to be published here, in BioWorld  Europe

Prof. Jonathan Knowles, Chief Scientific Officer Roche Pharma, on
Genetic Testing