BIO Welcomes West Virginia BioScience Association To Industry Council

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 22 Oct 2009 - 14:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) announced that a newly-formed bioscience organization in West Virginia agreed to join the Council of State Bioscience Associations (CSBA), an autonomous council operating within BIO.

"We are pleased to welcome the Bioscience Association of West Virginia as a member of the CSBA," said Patrick Kelly, Vice President of State Government Relations and Alliance Development at BIO. "The CSBA is an integral part of BIO's advocacy infrastructure. We work closely with CSBA member organizations to improve understanding of the bioscience industry and advocate for policies that help promote industry development throughout the United States. With the addition of West Virginia, the CSBA grows to 47 organizations in 43 states."

Kelly added that West Virginia's bioscience cluster has shown steady growth over the past decade and he praised Governor Manchin's 'Bucks for Brains' initiative, a plan to stimulate hi-tech research at WVU and Marshall, and for giving the nascent industry "a tremendous shot in the arm."

"As members of the CSBA, BIO West Virginia will be able to draw upon the support of colleagues in the other states," said Kelly Gillespie, chairman of the CSBA and executive director of the Missouri Biotechnology Association. "This network has been essential over the last several years as state legislatures have weighed the national risks of not adequately investing in the growth of this life saving industry when faced with the global competition for the most promising biotech jobs and investments."

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO Intellectual Property Counsels Fall Conference and Committee Meeting
October 26-28, 2009
Washington, DC

BIO Investor Forum
October 28-29, 2009
San Francisco, CA

Advanced Business Development Course
October 30, 2009
Vienna, Austria

BIO Europe International Partnering Conference
November 2-4, 2009
Vienna, Austria

Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy
November 8-11, 2009
Honolulu, HI

BIO Asia Partnering Conference
January 25-26, 2010
Tokyo, Japan

BIO CEO & Investor Conference
February 8-9, 2010
New York, NY

Source
BIO