To coincide with the launch of the 2007 BayBio:IMPACT report, Matthew Gardner, President of BayBio, Northern California's Life Science Trade Association, talks to Fintan Walton about the role that BayBio plays in serving the life sciences industry in the Bay area of Northern California – the birthplace of the biotech industry. BayBio has 300 member companies, and Matthew outlines the features of this community that have contributed to its successful development. With approximately 370 products in Phase II and III development, and many new products coming to market, the biotech companies in the region are entering an exciting and challenging era in which, after 30 years of research, they are hoping to capitalise on their past success.
Matthew M Gardner is President of BayBio, the voice of the life sciences industry in Northern California, which is headquartered in South San Francisco. Mr Gardner oversees BayBio’s activities in advocacy, industry advancement, membership benefits and communications. On behalf of industry, he represents BayBio in industry bodies and round tables including the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Council of State Bioscience Associations, the Global Bioscience Partnership, and other coalitions and business development groups.
Mr Gardner previously held the position of Director of the Maryland Bioscience Alliance (BioAlliance), in Rockville, Maryland. There, he was responsible for serving the Mid-Atlantic bioscience community. He founded new programmes for the Alliance’s membership, including its Clinical Development Initiative and Venture Capital Task Force. During his tenure, he served as the regional liaison officer for the BIO 2003 Annual Convention. Before working for the BioAlliance, he was the North American Director of Business Development for the Government of Queensland, Australia, where his responsibilities included biotechnology initiatives. While serving in Queensland, he founded and chaired the Queensland–United States Bioscience Business Council.
Mr Gardner is a current member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the World Affairs Council of Northern California, the Economic History Association, the Economic History Society of the UK, the American Society of Association Executives and the International Schumpeter Society. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and his Master of Arts in History, both from the University of San Diego.