The Czech Republic begins to assert itself in the field of biotechnologies
24 Oct. 2006 | CzechInvest | Starting today, the Czech Republic is hosting the first international biotechnology trade fair to take place in Central Europe, BIOTEC 2006, at which the International Clinical Research Centre (ICRC) Brno is being introduced. Another part of the trade fair is the Gate2biotech conference, which is to present high-quality Czech projects in the field of biotechnologies and biomedicine. Several leading foreign specialists will participate in the conference.
“We are endeavouring to support investment in research and development to the maximum possible extent, as this concerns long-term projects that create job opportunities for university-educated researchers and advances the Czech Republic to a higher level,“ says Tomas Hruda, CEO of CzechInvest. “The growing importance of biotechnologies and top-level research in the Czech Republic is confirmed by the planned launch of the International Clinical Research Centre in Brno, which has been appraised in the United States as one of the European Union's largest initiatives for 21st-century biotechnology and medical research.”
“ICRC Brno will become a unique clinical and research education centre specialising in cardio- and neurovascular diseases, disorders of internal organs, neurology and, to some extent, oncology,”says Tomas Kara, Chief Operating Officer of ICRC Brno. The project, which is based on active cooperation with the prestigious Mayo Clinic of the United States and other renowned academic institutions, should substantially strengthen existing Euro-American ties in the area of medical research. The ICRC is located on the site of St. Anne’s University Hospital, and should cover a total area of 4,300 m². The estimated cost of the project is EUR 69 million.
The ICRC project will be presented at the BIOTEC 2006 international biotechnology trade fair.“BIOTECH 2006 represents a turning point. I believe that knowledge in the area of biotechnologies will develop as quickly in the future as it is currently developing in information technologies. The Czech Republic is poised to play an important role in the future," adds Kara. TheGate2biotechconferencewill show the direction that biotechnologies and medical research are taking in the world. Conference participants include Dr. Siegfried Bialojan of Industry Health Science, Ernst & Young and Michael Hehenberg of IBM Health & Life Sciences. An incubator involving Czech companies will also be presented at the trade fair.
Thanks to the links between the ICRC Brno, Central European Technology Institute (CETI), Masaryk University’s campus in Brno-Bohunice, the Cardiovascular Animal Research Centre of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacology, Europe‘s largest cluster for biomedical and biotechnology research will arise in the Czech Republic. In the area of medical and biotechnology research, there are currently only five centres in the world that possess potential similar to that which the Brno cluster will have.
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For more information about biotechnologies in the Czech Republic and about BIOTECH 2006, please visit www.gate2biotech.com.
