This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Entrevista a Isabel García Carneros, secretaria general de Asebio

"The dissemination of biotechnology is a priority so that society knows the benefits it offers in all areas"

Interview with Isabel García Rams, Secretary general of Asebio

David well20/07/2010

July 20, 2010

September 29 to October 1, Pamplona welcomes BioSpain 2010, the most important event in our country in regard to biotechnology. The Association Spanish of Biocompanies (Asebio), organizer of the event alongside Sodena, has already months preparing a conference aimed at promoting knowledge of biotechnology in our country, and this time have opted for internationalization. Interempresas has discussed with the Secretary general of Asebio, Isabel García Rams, the challenges of the next edition of BioSpain and the situation of the Spanish biotechnology sector.

Isabel García Rams, Secretary general of Asebio.

This edition of BioSpain is marked by internationalization. Why wanted you to give this character to the quote?

Since the first edition of BioSpain would be held in 2003, this event has been very focused on the domestic market with companies located in the country and Spanish participants. However, the visibility of Spanish biotechnology over the past year has been strengthened considerably and this has resulted in new challenges and opportunities for access to finance, something that the Spanish industry is learning. Biotechnological enterprises of our country begin to detect which demand market and sell their molecules outside our borders.

We need to learn about biotechnology, and at the same time, international activity that foreign companies know what we do here. We already have 160 companies, 33% more than in the previous edition, which have confirmed their participation at the trade fair, mainly of Spain, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, and Great Britain. These figures represent 25% of international companies and 18% more than international registrations for the event with respect to the previous edition. For the first time, companies associated with Asebio consider internationalization as its priority for the year 2010, according to the 2009 Asebio report that we have just presented. The biggest barrier to do so is the lack of economic resources.

"We need to learn about biotechnology, and at the same time, international activity that foreign companies know what we do here"

The 'partnering' is another great attraction. What brings them to companies these bilateral meetings?

One of the most attractive sections of BioSpain 2010 is the partnering, organized by EBD Group, which consists of the Organization of bilateral meetings between companies in halls equipped for this purpose. In the latest edition of the partnering of BioSpain 2008 was attended by more than 600 companies and institutions. This year, BioSpain2010 will feature 1,200 delegates of 650 companies and institutions, who star in around 1,000 interviews. This tool is essential for contact with potential customers, partners, suppliers or investors. It is a very useful way to meet with several companies in a day, or over the three days which are held in BioSpain2010, not only Spain, but from around the world, saving time and costs.

EBD Group, through its computer system, partneringOne, located and specific meetings between company. The provisional agenda of interviews, which will be available one week before the start of BioSpain 2010, daily updated even during the celebration of the event. EBD Group facilitates this process through reminders via email. The system of partnering, including requests for interviews and availability, will be available in full several weeks before the celebration of BioSpain 2010.

What will be the most significant figures of the global biotechnology landscape to be found in BioSpain 2010?

I would like to highlight the figure of the plenary speakers: Carlos cordon-Cardó, Deputy Director of the Department of Pathology at Columbia University; Larry Fritz, President and CEO of Covella Pharmaceuticals and partner of the firm's capital risk Westfield Capital Management, and Conny Bogentoft, CEO of Karolinska Development AB. In addition, this edition has an international panel, ' Opportunities and Challenges in Global Biomarkets', whose main objective is to discuss the current state of the biotechnology industry and its development prospects for the future, involving Nathalie Moll, EuropaBio Secretary general; Anna Lavelle, CEO, Ausbiotech, Albert Sasson, President of BioEuroLatina, and Sean Darragh, Executive Vice President of International Affairs of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). Siegfried Bialojan, responsible for the Central European of science of the life of Ernst & Young, will moderate this Panel.

It is also worth noting the broad global participation through international delegations, as it is that of United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, USA, India etc.

At what point is the biotechnology industry in our country currently?

We are in a position of constant growth, due to the relative youth of this sector in the country. According to data from the annual Asebio 2009 report that we have just presented, there are 942 companies that use biotechnology in its activities and employ more than 108,000 people with a turnover of more than 31 billion euros, according to data from the survey on technological innovation of the INE for the year 2008.

We have solid companies in the country, very good scientific basis (a growing annual publications and patents) and already are selling the first products on the market after 10 years of research. However, we need greater support both public and private, both legislation, on some occasions, and financing, are serious obstacles to the economic development of this sector.

"The industry which represents Asebio needs a framework for action to ensure its stability and incentive activity innovative that characterizes it and which is the basis of your business"

To what extent can it damage the cut in the Spanish biotechnology sector innovation?

We are going to have a negative impact and endanger the sustainability of the biotechnology sector, especially the biopharmaceutical area. The industry which represents Asebio needs a framework for action to ensure its stability and encourage innovative activity that characterizes it and that is the basis of its business, aimed at providing solutions to diseases in many currently incurable cases. The biopharmaceutical market accounts for more than 20% of all r & d carried out in Spain. The development of new molecules involves an important technological and industrial process, which no doubt will be affected by the delay of the projects of the companies. Asebio believes that they should be excluded from these cuts more innovative products, biotechnological as e.g. orphan drugs, particularly sensitive medications to these measures, since the investigation requires an additional effort to be suitable for a small group of patients. In addition, taking into account that the Spanish biotechnology tissue is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises (90.5 per cent of enterprises have fewer than 250 employees), this reduction could be especially damaging for them.

Asebio has recently asked the Executive creation of aid for the use of biofuels. Do you think that Spain is currently at a disadvantage with respect to other countries?

The production of biofuels still costs more than that of fossil fuels, both for the unstable of the commodities market, for own systems of production (gasification, Transesterification, pyrolysis, etc) still require higher approximations and biotechnological actionseven taking into account the sharp increase in oil prices. There are countries like USA, Brazil or Germany where there is significant production of biofuels thanks to a combination of fiscal measures (tax breaks, subsidies, etc.) to support prices and mandatory goals.

Currently, Spain has the technologies and media to reach the same levels of production of biofuels in these countries, we are now the second European country in installed capacity of biodiesel, the fourth in production of bioethanol, and we have our own agroclimatic structure with a potential exceptional biomásico. But we are still at a disadvantage against them, especially by the regulatory framework. For this reason, we have recently asked authorities believe aid for the use of biofuels (premiums to producers, tax deductions, etc.) and to increase research in this field, as it fosters still more than what is provided in the State strategy of the public procurement of innovative technology innovation in this area.

What are the most important projects being developed by Asebio today?

Our most important project is now BioSpain2010. Held every two years, and in this fifth edition we are making a special effort that significantly exceed the previous. We also believe that the dissemination of biotechnology is a priority so that our society learn the benefits it offers in all its areas. In this regard, to continue to work in with the roaming of 'Tu Casa Biotech', which will visit in this his second year in various locations in Spain. We are also engaged in the preparation of a map of our partners to ensure that, in a very visual and understandable way, we have a photo of most of the sector in our country organized by business areas, which will facilitate all interested in the world of biotechnology to identify different thematic areas which entities develop.

On the other hand, since innovation international, with the support of the CDTI unit, we continue to support the organizations interested in presenting their projects to the 7th framework programme of the EU to obtain financing and internationalize, and the project Interempresas want to boost implementation start-up of projects in the field of the European space research and more specifically the Eureka programme and its slope Eurostars.

For the near future we have several projects in portfolio that we have to assess, on the basis of their interest in the biotechnology sector in general and that of our partners in particular and of course soon will begin to work in the next report Asebio 2010 present them next year.