Edinburgh, 13 October 2010

Next week more than 300 high-level policy makers, senior industry figures, academics, NGOs and journalists will meet in Edinburgh for EFIB, Europe’s leading event on Industrial Biotechnology and the bio-based economy.

Commenting on the event, Ian Hudson, President of DuPont, EMEA, and Chair of EuropaBio’s Industrial Biotech Council, said: “There is increasing awareness that the innovative solutions and products provided by Industrial Biotechnology will be key to tackling some of our most critical environmental and societal challenges.  The growing popularity of EFIB reflects this and our event in Edinburgh builds upon the success of EFIB 2009 in Lisbon becoming the essential networking space in this field for decision makers and senior industry leaders”.

The key Plenary Day on 20 October will cover issues such as how to kick-start the European bio-economy and the critical role played in this process by innovation and supportive, coherent EU policy.  Speakers will include representatives from the European Institutions, national governments, industry experts, farmer’s associations and other stakeholders.

Ciaran Little, Head of Events at IntertechPira who, together with EuropaBio, are the co-organisers of EFIB added: “We are looking forward to another successful forum next week. The reputation of the event together with the calibre of the programme and the record attendance levels means that we are already planning the 2011 event in Amsterdam with even more ambitious objectives and expectations”.

EuropaBio’s Secretary General, Nathalie Moll, concluded: “EFIB has become not only the main annual European event on Industrial Biotechnology but also for the bio-based economy as a whole.  It covers the entire value chain from feedstock to responsible innovation and new applications. In doing so it represents an unparalleled opportunity to bring together world class expertise to review big picture progress. A key collective aim is also to develop recommendations to help European industry fulfil its potential as a world class leader in the development of the bio-based economy.”

ENDS.

To read more about EFIB 2010 visit: www.efibforum.com/

To request a free press pass to the event please contact j.dupont@europabio.org or call +32476607135 before 18 October

For further information please contact:

Dirk Carrez

Director, Industrial Biotechnology, EuropaBio

Tel: +32 739 11 73; Email: d.carrez@europabio.org

Joanna Dupont Inglis

Communications Manager, EuropaBio

Tel: +32 2 739 11 84; GSM: +32 476 60 71 35 Email: j.dupont@europabio.org

EuropaBio is the European Association for Bioindustries, bringing together bioscience companies from all fields of research and development, testing, manufacturing and distribution of biotechnology products. It has 66 corporate and 7 associated members, 4 BioRegions and 22 National Biotechnology Associations representing some 1800 small and medium sized enterprises.

www.europabio.org