Biotechnology sector in Cologne for second time / More than 100 exhibitors at Bio-Gen-Tec Forum NRW

Cologne (PROTEXT) - The biotechnology sector is meeting up for two days in Cologne later this month. Bio-Gen-Tec Forum NRW from 29 February to 1 March gives experts in the sector the chance to get up to date with developments in this up-and-coming business field at workshops, company presentations and a parallel exhibition. A special service under the banner "Biotech meets Pharma" will try to bring together prospective joint venture partners from medium sized pharaceuticals companies and biotech firms. Bio-Gen-Tec-NRW, an initiative of the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) state government, is expecting to host more than 1,000 visitors. Over 100 exhibitors from North Rhine- Westphalia and the rest of Germany are displaying their products and services. The workshops will be tackling topics on forming a company and continuing corporate development, such as start-up and expansion financing, for example, official licensing procedures and identification, strategies for opening up interntional markets, and patent information systems. In addition, areas such as marketing and corporate communications as well as bioethics will be discussed. The forum has high-profile support. NRW's premier Wolfgang Clement and Cologne's first mayor Harry Blum will be opening the event together. At a joint press conference, NRW's economics minister designate, Ernst Schwanhold, and NRW science minister Gabriele Behler will be introducing a common initiative on biochip technology. The well-known US researcher and author Carl Djerassi, famous as "the father of the Pill", will be giving the opening lecture. The development of biotechnology in North Rhine-Westphalia will be the subject of a further press conference by the Bio-Gen- Tec-NRW state initiative. This will focus on the latest statistics about company formations. Under the label "BioCologne", the city of Cologne and Cologne city savings bank, the main sponsors, will be presenting a forum on development prospects for biotechnology in Cologne. The international meeting of the sector at KölnMesse (Cologne trade fair centre) follows on from the success of the first Bio- Gen-Tec Forum NRW in 1999. With visits from more than 1,000 specialists from the field and 65 exhibitors present, as well as 90 partnership contacts, it immediately took its place as one of the leading events in the sector. For advance information those interested can find out more at www.bio-gen-tec-nrw.de. The service promoting joint ventures can be booked at www.biogentec.kongress.net. ots Original Text Service: Bio-Gen-Tec-NRW e.V. Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact for press: Steffen Reich Bio-Gen-Tec-NRW e.V. Tel: 0221/949824-24 Fax: 0221/949824-44 e-mail: reich@biogentec.de http://www.biogentec.de Postal address: Eupener Strasse 159 50933 Cologne, Germany For press conference participants: a) BioChip Initiative 29 February, 11.30-12.00, Press Centre Bio-Gen-Tec Forum NRW, KölnMesse (Cologne trade fair centre) b) Biotechnology in NRW 29 February, 12.00-12.30, Press Centre Bio- Gen-Tec Forum, NRW, KölnMesse Please reply as follows: by fax: +49 0221/949824-44 or by mail to: BioGenTec NRW Steffen Reich Eupener Strasse 159 50933 Cologne Subscribers please note that material bearing the slug "PROTEXT" is not part of CTK's news service and is not to be published under the "CTK" slug. Protext is a commercial service providing distribution of press releases from clients, who are identified in the text of Protext reports and who bear full responsibility for their contents. PROTEXT