The best of the biotech industry at international level will be coming together in Munich, Bavaria from November 15th to 17th, for the sector’s most important touring event, Bio Europe 2010. This occasion will certainly be attended by a good number of Italian companies, which lead the field in terms of quality and capacity for innovation.

The Italian Trade Commission, which is participating this year in the role of Major Sponsor, is to have a stand right in the middle of the exhibition hall. From here, it will provide information for visitors, but its major task will be to promote the products displayed by the group of Italian companies, which it is responsible for coordinating. The aim is to consolidate the presence of the Italian businesses in the European field, and to establish commercial links with key contacts in the sector from other countries. Although the economic crisis has resulted in a slowdown of growth for the biotech sector in Germany, the German market remains the leader at European level: turnover has remained stable, as has the overall value of investments into research and development, while the number of employees has actually increased. It is for this reason that the Bio Europe fair assumes a particular importance this year, and the Italian companies are well aware of the opportunities awaiting their products. Indeed, they will be showcasing the very best projects being carried out in the area of research and development to visitors and contacts in the sector.

A major player will be Italy’s pharmaceutical industry, with their latest discoveries in the fields of cell culture and fermentation, micro- and ultra-filtration, and centrifugation, as well as other areas. There will also be cutting-edge machines used for diagnosis in nuclear medicine. In fact, Italian companies will be offering a complete cross-section of the research work carried out in the important technological hubs such as Sardinia, Piedmont and Lombardy, with the additional presence of scientific parks specialising in bio-industry and bio-technology: the real nerve-centres of Italian innovation. There will be advance viewings as well of some of the original technology developed for one of the sectors driving the world’s markets: the green economy. These firms are experts in the environmental applications of photovoltaic technology, and in particular, nanotechnology, the last frontier of an already well-advanced research effort.

The last edition of Bio Europe, which took place in Vienna, witnessed the participation of 2,500 delegates, representing more than 1,400 companies. There were 12,504 one-to-one meetings, with 2,657 licensing opportunities publicised during the event. Eighty-four international exhibitors were present in the exhibition area, representing 50 foreign states. The data indicates good stability for the sector in terms of interest and business opportunities, even in times of general economic crisis. The 2010 edition will be a testing ground and Italy will play an active part.