BioAsia 2013 in Hyderabad sees congregation of 500 delegates from 50 countries
BioAsia 2013 kick started in Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) in the presence of eminent personalities across the globe. N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh, inaugurated the three-day event in the presence of Carmen Vela Olmo, Minister of State – Research, Development & Innovation, Government of Spain, InKyo Kim, President, Gangwon Technopark, South Korea, George John, Senior Advisor to the Government of India, Department of Biotechnology.
The 10th edition of BioAsia attracted over 500 delegates including regulators from close to 50 countries. Top officials from biopharma, biotech and health regulatory agencies from 15 countries like the US, the UK, South Africa, Sweden, Czech Republic, South Korea, Malaysia, Jordan, Republic of Lithuania, Ghana, Sri Lanka took part in the event. With biologics and biosimilars as the theme of the year, Spain is the country partner and GVK Biosciences as the principal industry host sponsor. BioAsia 2013 has also joined hands with Victoria (Australia) which is the international state partner with Natco, Lonza, Mayar Biotech joining as the Industry Co-Host.
Reddy said, “With dedication to innovation and research, Asia is progressing rapidly towards establishing itself as a major hub of biotechnology. Biotechnology industry is at the threshold of tremendous growth and India is swiftly emerging as an important player in the sector globally.”
In accordance with the Indo-Spanish Joint Programme for Technological Co-operation in Biotechnology between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of India – and the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) of Spain, Government of Spain and India announced the official results of the first Indo-Spanish Call for Industrial R&D Proposals in Biotechnology which were announced in June 2012. The proposals selected for funding are Project Aptafood, Project Naturindia and Project Funfrut.
Shakthi Nagappan, Chief Executive Officer, BioAsia said, “We are overwhelmed to witness such an enthusiastic participation. The discussions, debates, developments and decisions during these three days will help in the driving the growth of biotech and lifesciences sector. These will also play a significant role in understanding and tapping the multi-billion dollar potential of biosimilars and biologics for the benefit of the healthcare industry.”
In a special address Olmo, said , “For Spain, participating in this well established forum focusing on biotechnology has been considered a priority in order to give continuity to our joint bilateral efforts with our Indian counterparts. The Spanish delegation consisting of leading research institutes, companies and technology centres has firm interest in India at the forefront in diverse fields of biotechnology and its applications and we are confident that BioAsia will offer a great networking platform to all the participants.”
Dr MK Bhan and Pfizer, were awarded the Genome Valley Excellence Awards for their contribution not just to the industry but to the global society at large. Freda C Lewis-Hall, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer – Pfizer on receiving the BioAsia Innovation Award said, “Pfizer is continuously innovating to investing in its R&D to develop products that are effective, affordable and meet the highest quality standards. BioAsia has emerged as an important platform for the industry to learn and grow from each other’s experiences helping change the face and future of healthcare around the world.”
Commenting on the continued partnership as the principal industry host for BioAsia2013, Manni Kantipudi, Chief Executive Officer, GVK Biosciences said, “BioAsia has grown significantly over the last five years. It has evolved to be one of the top conferences in Asia that is shaping the industry.”
Olmo along with other international and national delegates visited Lonza Knowledge Centre, IKP Knowledge Park and Alexandria Knowledge Park in Genome Valley in Shameerpet, Hyderabad which is India’s first organised cluster for life science research and development activities, with more than 100 companies. The delegates were taken through a field trip for showcasing the state-of-the-art infrastructure of companies including Lonza, Vimta Labs amongst others.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai
