12.12.2006 Billions for biotech research – will some go to the STERN BioRegion?

The European Commission director, Directorate-General for Research, Directorate E – ‘Biotechnologies, Agriculture, Food’, Dr. Christian Patermann, will once again be visiting the Stuttgart region at the invitation of BioRegio STERN Management GmbH. Dr. Patermann was previously a guest in the region in 2004 in connection with an event on the theme of ‘EU Research Support for the Life Sciences’. "This second visit once again highlights the importance of the STERN BioRegion within Europe," stresses Dr. Klaus Eichenberg, Managing Director of BioRegio STERN Management GmbH.

Dr. Patermann will use a press conference organized by BioRegio STERN and a lecture at the University of Hohenheim in collaboration with the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) to showcase the possibilities for promoting agriculture, fisheries, biotechnology and food in the 7th EU Framework Programme, FP7. This also offers German biotechnology regions exciting opportunities as the EU intends to invest around Euro 50 billion for the period 2007 to 2013 to launch the world’s largest research support programme. Of the Euro 50 billion, around Euro 2 billion is planned for the ‘Agriculture, fisheries, biotechnology and food’ sector and around Euro 6 billion for health, including significant funds for ‘red biotechnology’. With around ten percent of EU funding in the ‘Food quality and safety’ sector, Germany is underrepresented in the 6th EU Framework Programme. FP7 will therefore contain specific measures promoting the inclusion of small and medium-sized enterprises. Their share of funding is set to be 15 percent.

"We expect to see major impetus from the new EU Framework Programme for the STERN BioRegion as a location for innovation and business in Europe," says Dr. Eichenberg. He will thus use the company visits with Dr. Patermann, aided by recent survey results, to interpret the latest economic data on the development of regional biotech and medtech companies in the period 2003 to 2006.

On 20 December, Dr. Patermann will visit IN VITRO BIOTECH GmbH in Stuttgart-Wangen and Blessing Biotech GmbH in Stuttgart-Feuerbach. A press conference will be held at Blessing before the company tour and, alongside Dr. Patermann, those taking part will include Dr. Eichenberg, Jörg Groth, Managing Director of Blessing Biotech GmbH and Dr. Klaus Vogt, Head of the Stuttgart Economic Development Department.

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