AusBiotech gears up for conference

Peak industry organisation AusBiotech said it had secured 600 registrations so far to a conference it hopes to make an Australian biotechnology industry institution.

With less than three weeks to go before the AusBiotech 2002 Conference and Investment Forum, which starts on August 18, executive director Dr Tony Coulepis said the organisation hoped to attract 700 to 1000 delegates.

"In terms of positioning, if we are serious about being a country that is moving forward to become a leader in biotech, we need to have the home-grown biotechnology meetings, which the international community attends," Coulepis said.

He said that, so far, about 10 per cent of registrations were from international delegates.

The conference, the first under the organisation's new name, was conceived as part of a strategic plan to bring the Australian biotechnology industry together through a networking and investment opportunity.

Coulepis said that at the recent Bio 2002 conference in Toronto, Australian delegates frequently commented at what a good opportunity it was to meet other Aussie biotechnologists.

"Every time I heard that it broke my heart because the reason you go to an overseas conference is to meet the rest of the world," he said.

He said the local conference would give the industry an opportunity to see what local groups were doing, with an exhibition intended for 60 groups now having to be expanded to 75.

The conference was also introducing a partnering and investment forum with 90 allocated positions looking likely to be filled.

"The idea is for companies to pitch what they have to sell to the investment community," Coulepis said. "We're bringing a significant number of international investment houses to this event and encouraging Australian investment houses to come, too."

Coulepis said he also saw the event as an opportunity for governments to present their strategies, tactical plans and intention for the industry to the stakeholders.

Responding to suggestions that the event appeared to mirror the format of the Toronto meeting, held in June, Coulepis said the AusBiotech event was an opportunity for far more biotechnologists to participate.

"We had about 400 people go to Bio and we have got over 6000 biotechnologists in the workforce, so let's not delude ourselves that just because 400 went to Bio we have achieved appropriate networking," he said.

"Here we're pitching Australia to Australians and to the rest of the world from within our own country. This is an Australian biotech event, and while it is fine for us to support Bio, we need to support our own to develop an interface and networks with the rest of the world."

The conference will run from August 18 to 21 at the Melbourne Convention Centre.