PharmaTelevision - EuropaBio: Working to Create the Right Environment for Biotech to Thrive in Europe

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Video title: EuropaBio: Working to Create the Right Environment for Biotech to Thrive in Europe

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In this interview, filmed at the recent BIO conference in San Diego, Fintan Walton speaks with the newly appointed Secretary General for EuropaBio, Dr. Willy De Greef. He explains how EuropaBio, located in Brussels, works with biotechnology and European institutions as an advocate for the industry to help shape the policies and environments necessary for the industry to thrive. Some current issues that EuropaBio is working on include intellectual property issues and the complexities of the Europan patent procedure. Dr. De Greef believes that Europe is a “work in progress” in creating environments in which biotech industries can prosper and in fostering relationships between start-up companies and the venture capitalist community. He feels most companies fall when trying to work their way through the complex European regulatory maze and EuropaBio hopes to work with the European Commission to minimize this. Looking forward to the future, Dr. De Greef states that European institutions must work to take advatange of the raw material they have in their fanastic research base and to continue to foster their thriving life science community.

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Role of EuropaBio.

Fintan Walton:

Hello and welcome to PharmaVentures Business Review here live in San Diego, California. On this show I have Willy De Greef, who is Secretary General of EuropaBio. Welcome to the show.

Willy De Greef:

Thank you.

Fintan Walton:

Willy, EuropaBio obviously by it's name is an organization that is that plays an incredibly important role for the biotechnology industry in Europe you are based in Brussels, so what is the role of EuropaBio?

Willy De Greef:

Well EuropaBio defines itself by two words we deal with biotechnology, we do not deal with all aspects of the medical and healthcare provision, we deal with those aspects where biotechnology intervenes and we deal with the European institutions and those two words really define the subject area on which we are active.

Fintan Walton:

So the European Commission is an important body through which you obviously play an important role?

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Willy De Greef

Secretary General

Willy De Greef is a plant biologist with extensive experience in tropical crop breeding (through research management positions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and Cameroon) and in technology transfer related to agricultural biotechnology. He has been head of regulatory affairs for two biotechnology leaders, Plant Genetic Systems in the 1980s, and Syngenta Seeds from the late 1990s until 2003. He has been involved in the policy and public debate around agricultural biotechnology (OECD, UNIDO, Biodiversity Convention, Cartagena Biosafety Protocol) and in the development of the regulatory framework since 1986. He has contributed to the development of rational regulatory frameworks for biotechnology for developing countries and in capacity building for biotechnology researchers in the developing world in biosafety assessment and regulatory compliance. Recently he has been head of regulatory affairs and new projects for D1 Oils Plant Science, a biofuel company.

EuropaBio

As the political voice of the biotechnology industry in Europe, EuropaBio's (the European Association for Bioindustries) mission is to promote an innovative and dynamic biotechnology-based industry across the continent. They have 81 corporate and 5 associate members operating worldwide, 6 Bioregions and 25 national biotechnology associations representing some 1800 small and medium sized enterprises. Members of EuropaBio are involved in research, development, testing, manufacturing and commercialization of biotechnology products and processes. Their corporate members have a wide range of activities: human and animal health care, diagnostics, bio-informatics, chemicals, crop protection, agriculture, food and environmental products and services.