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The HBio (Hellenic Bio Cluster), a cluster of
Greek biotech companies brought together last year, will soon take shape
as a legal entity, as decided in the 2nd meeting of the HBio members,
that took place in October 2005 in Athens, Greece.
23 company managers & executives participated in the meeting and the
main issues discussed were: setting up a legal entity, the cluster's
operations budget & appropriate funding means for the short- and long-term,
as well as defining the objectives of the cluster. A working group
consisting of representatives from 4 companies (HBio members) and IRC
HELP-FORWARD, was set up for further working out these issues and coming
up with an action plan.
Other issues presented & discussed in the context of the meeting
included: the design & content of the HBio website, reviewing past HBio
activities/ initiatives and planning future activities (such as
participation in major international biotech partnering events), funding
opportunities for life sciences R&D.
The meeting of the HBio members was followed by a business & technology
cooperation event – open to academia and industry players, comprising:
- Presentations from European companies on recent technological
developments and successful business models in the biotechnology and
nano-biotechnology sectors.
- A networking session, consisting of pre-arranged bilateral meetings
between the event’s participants: company executives/researchers from
Greece and other European countries.
The HBio, set up in July 2004 by the Innovation Relay Centre HELP-FORWARD,
includes several Greek corporate players active in the biotechnology,
diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals sectors. The cluster aims at the
promotion of the Greek Biotechnology business sector and the
facilitation of business & research collaborations between Greek and
foreign companies and research groups.
As laid out and agreed by its members, the HBio is already pursuing
several activities, such as:
- Networking HBio members with industrial & academic players of the
biotech sector in Europe
- Promotion of the business & research activities of HBio members,
nationally and internationally
- Organisation of outward company missions to innovative bio-cluster
regions & trade shows in Europe and inward company missions of foreign
companies in Greece
- Supporting business development by networking HBio members with
national funding organisations and private equity/ venture capital firms
- Organisation of meetings/ workshops/ info-days, aiming at the
promotion of networking between key players in the field of Life
Sciences in Greece
- Promoting the collective views & interests of its members to the
National Authorities
- Facilitating the settlement of issues related to the economic/ legal/
regulatory framework in the Life Sciences business sector in Greece.
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