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BioSquare, the first global bioconvergence partnering event 1–2 February 2010 – Geneva, Switzerland

Geneva, February 11, 2010 – Concentrating time and space, BioSquare gathered during 2 days of intense partnering opportunities the leading actors of the bioconvergence industry, innovation and finance, in the very heart of one of the major financial market places in the world, Geneva. Today, pharmaceutical groups as well as biotech companies are calling for highly innovative technologies (nanotechnologies, medical devices, in-silico technologies …).This strategy of alliances between innovative technologies and the multi-disciplinary exchanges may be translated into the bioconvergence concept and the emergence of a more personalized medicine, ideas which were the core of BioSquare 2010

As Bernadette Guagliata, CEO of BioSquare, emphasised, “BioSquare 2010 proved to be a condenser of expertise, bringing together during a highly-focused conference, the international decision makers of bioconvergence. The new format of BioSquare, including a high-level interactive and informative programme, carefully aligned the needs and expectations of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and allowed them to make valuable connections with all life sciences decision makers, investors, academics and regulatory officials. We also scouted delegations from countries with a strong growth potential in bio-industry, such as Brazil, China, Israel and Scandinavia”.

BioSquare 2010 concluded with the message that greater convergence between life sciences sectors will be the key to better, more personalized healthcare in the future.

BioSquare key figures:
  • 600 delegates from 28 countries
  • 25 pharmaceutical companies
  • 241 biotechnological companies
  • 58 start-up companies
  • 64 biotechnological companies from fast-growing bio-regions: Brazil, China, Denmark, India, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden…)
  • 3,266 one-to-one meetings
  • 61 company presentations
The new set-up of BioSquare:

BioSquare returned to Geneva in 2010, in association with BioAlps, the fastest growing biocluster in the world, with a new set-up and new goals: to become, every odd year in France and every even year in Switzerland, the leading international platform in Europe for networking and deal-making.

A high level and interactive programme:

BioSquare’s Workshops & Panels featured executive level panellists who delivered insight and analysis during well attended discussion-oriented sessions.

Seasoned professionals and top industry experts in the life sciences provided a framework in several thought-provoking topic areas such as Financing, Global Health, Open Innovation and Vaccines development. Questions from a large audience were numerous and often established the tone of these engaging sessions.

BioSquare Keynote Event on Monday Feb. 1st, was also a special and rare opportunity to hear from influential and experienced global thought leaders, from industry, finance and academia.

Patrick Aebischer, President of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Steven G. Burrill, CEO of Burrill and Company, Pierre Hessler, Member of Capgemini’s Board of Directors, Elmar Schnee, President of Merck Serono, Paul Stoffels, Global Head Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson and Christopher A. Viehbacher, CEO of Sanofi-aventis, shared their vision of the evolution of the health care sector and discussed the need to create new collaborative models, bringing together all life sciences actors (companies, academics, financers, regulatory).

Future trends:

The conference identified a number of emerging trends:

  • “Patient-centred”treatment – in the future practitioners and those developing new drugs will take a more predictive approach, basing treatments on an understanding of the patient’s health and lifestyle profile, not just on presenting symptoms.
  • New business models – changes in the nature of the health challenge, such as the growth of chronic diseases, is driving an evolution of current thinking, such as the prospect of making money out of prevention rather than treatment.
  • Fast growing markets – the risks associated with entering markets in countries such as Brazil, China and India were acknowledged, and speakers agreed that simply exporting a model that had worked in developed countries was not appropriate.
  • Creative finance – Biotech companies are becoming increasingly important as a source of value creation and innovation in the healthcare sector. Banks may still be reluctant to make loans, but debt and equity markets are regaining a hearty appetite for risk.
  • New technologies – iPhone apps, emails between doctors and patients, online information and other developments will all have profound implications for the way healthcare is delivered. There is a move from molecular medicine to information-based medicine.
  • The end of the blockbuster drug model – for pharmaceutical companies, there will be increasing competition in the marketplace and patents will be devalued. Vaccines will be increasingly important.
About BioSquare 2011:

“We will go on growing BioSquare”, said Bernadette Guagliata. “We have to do even better”.

BioSquare 2011 will take place in France. More information will be available on www.biosquare.com on March 1st, 2010.

For further information about BioSquare

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