Press release:  02 October 2012

To celebrate 60 years since the pivotal moment in history when DNA was discovered as a three-dimensional double-helix structure- EuropaBio announces the launch of ‘European Biotech Week’. It will take place across Europe every year during the first week of October and will encourage all European citizens to take part in this initiative.

Launching the event EuropaBio Secretary General Nathalie Moll stated:  “European Biotech Week is an opportunity for all Europeans to communicate and learn more about what biotechnology can and is already doing to improve our everyday lives. In Europe we have the capabilities and scientific excellence in place to be a world leader in biotechnology. We aim to kick start a sustained and open dialogue with European citizens to better explore how exactly biotechnology and our bioeconomy, already worth €2 trillion and employing an estimated 22 million people, is contributing to the improvement of our daily lives. Biotechnology is a technology developed for people by people and we hope all players involved in biotechnology will join us during the 1st week of October every year to showcase just that.” 

From 2013 onwards, European Biotech Week aims to showcase and share the greatest biotech innovation and discoveries that are continuing to take place right across Europe today.  It will provide a unique opportunity for scientists, policy makers, businesses, students and the general public to come together and share stories of how biotech has benefited their lives and what lies ahead for this innovative and dynamic industry.

Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn welcomed the EuropaBio initiative: “I very much welcome the launch of European Biotech week. Crick and Watsons' breakthrough discovery sixty years ago opened up a whole new area of scientific research. They laid the foundations for cutting edge European research that is now enabling scientists to develop medicines tailored to the specific needs of individual patients, to find more efficient ways to use scarce resources like water and to develop new ways of producing essential chemicals and materials while protecting our environment. Europe is in the lead in many of these areas, and our biotechnology industries have an important role to play in Europe's economic growth and provision of high quality, long term employment across a range of sectors. This is why we support biotechnology research through the Framework Programme, and as a signal of continued support, biotechnology has been identified as one of the Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) that will be supported under Horizon 2020.“

Jan Wisse, Chair of the EuropaBio National Associations Council (NAC) believes that the time is right for a more public dialogue to take place in Europe regarding biotechnology:  “Biotechnology has the ability to be the foremost driver of economic recovery in Europe. Indeed it is an industry that uniquely sits at the intersection of economic prosperity and enhancement of quality of life.  But is up to our industry leaders to reach out to the public and better communicate the benefits that biotech is bringing to our everyday lives, not only in providing much required financial stimulus but in everyday needs such as our feeding, fueling and healing”.

Visit the European Biotech Week website here

About EuropaBio:

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 56 corporate members, 14 associate members and Bio Regions and 19 National Biotechnology Associations- representing some 1800 small and medium sized enterprises across Europe.

For further information, please contact:

Rosalind Travers

Manager, Communications, National Associations & SME Platform

EuropaBio

Phone: +32 (0) 2 739 1173

GSM: +32 (0) 478 680 301

Email: r.travers@europaBio.org