Today and tomorrow, more than 400 leaders from life sciences companies,
academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, investment funds and
government entities across Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. will
convene for the first Maryland
Regional Biotech Forum. This event, hosted by AstraZeneca
and its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune,
in partnership with BioHealth
Innovation (BHI), Inc. and the Tech
Council of Maryland, will be held at MedImmune’s corporate
headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It was launched as part of a
collective effort to grow the region’s biotech ecosystem and chart a
course toward becoming one of the top three biotech hubs in the nation
by 2023.
The Maryland Regional Biotech Forum agenda boasts an impressive lineup
of more than 100 speakers and panelists, including Gerd Binnig, a Nobel
Prize laureate in physics and Founder and CTO of Definiens; Rachel King,
Chair of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and Chief
Executive Officer and Co-founder of GlycoMimetics; more than 25 regional
CEOs, including Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca; five university
presidents from across the region; and leaders from federal institutions.
In addition, the region’s first Leaders
of Tomorrow Summit will be held in parallel with day two of the
Maryland Regional Biotech Forum, also at MedImmune’s headquarters. This
event is the Mid-Atlantic region's first student- and postdoc-led,
cross-functional and inter-generational leadership summit, and is
designed to engage and influence the next generation of biotech leaders
and ignite innovation in the future bioeconomy.
The Leaders of Tomorrow Summit will connect 50 young visionaries,
competitively selected from top universities and institutions in the
area, with established leaders within the regional biotech community.
The Summit includes interactive seminars, panel discussions, and an
“innovation challenge,” during which students will work in teams to
identify and pitch solutions to current challenges in the areas of
diagnostics, therapeutics, big data, health IT, sustainability,
regulation and policy. A panel of judges will select the winning team,
which will receive a cash prize and an invitation to a congratulatory
dinner with local biotech leaders.
Consistently ranked among the top ten biotech clusters in the U.S., the
Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. area is home to more than 800
life sciences companies, 70 federal labs and numerous world-class
academic and research institutions. The Maryland Biotech Forum will
highlight the importance of this burgeoning biotech ecosystem in
fostering meaningful partnerships, advancing science, driving economic
development and attracting top talent. The event will also spark
dialogue around, and offer expert insights into, how the local biotech
community can work together to further nurture this ecosystem and
capitalize on the opportunities it presents.
“As a company that recognizes the value of collaboration and the promise
of an open exchange of ideas, we have been actively engaging with the
local biotech community for years, and recognize the tremendous
potential of the already well-established ecosystem we’ve built,” said
Reg Seeto, Vice President, Head of Partnering and Strategy, MedImmune.
“We believe that by working together to grow this ecosystem further, we
can build upon our collective successes to identify additional
opportunities for strategic partnerships, workforce development and
scientific innovation, and ultimately achieve a rank among the top three
biotech clusters in the country by 2023. Our hope is that this event
will help us carve out a path to get there.”
Maryland Regional Biotech Forum presentations and panels will explore:
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The state of the region’s biotech ecosystem, with viewpoints from CEOs
of leading public and private companies as they address challenges and
opportunities in driving growth
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How a vibrant biotech ecosystem can drive innovation and economic
development, with input from state, county and city officials along
with economic development leaders
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The characteristics of, and key learnings from, other top biotech
clusters nationwide
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The role of locally-based federal institutions and labs in fostering
the regional biotech ecosystem, including panel sessions with leaders
from federal entities
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The critical importance of academic partners in building a strong
regional biotech cluster
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Approaches to developing a regional talent pool within a growing
biotech hub
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Perspectives from leading venture capitalists on investing in the
region
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Areas of scientific leadership including immuno-oncology, personalized
medicine and infectious disease
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Advancements and offerings in the fields of therapeutics, diagnostics,
medical devices and biohealth IT, via a showcase of regionally-based
biotech companies
"As CEO of a public-private partnership that’s been fostering
commercialization of Central Maryland's health and life science assets
over the last three years, it's extremely rewarding to work with
MedImmune and the Tech Council of Maryland to ensure the success of the
first Maryland Regional Biotech Forum," said Richard
Bendis, BHI President and CEO. “Bringing the top business,
scientific, government, academic and policy organizations in this region
together through the Forum paves the way for creating the common vision
crucial to making this one of the leading biotech regions in world. This
can only be accomplished with increased collaboration of our resources
and networks."
"The excitement of this forum is the dialogue that will take place among
us about Maryland's life science ecosystem--how we grow it through
collaboration, expand opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs, create
more high-paying jobs and of course continue to develop life changing
drugs and therapies that benefit society," said Phil Schiff, CEO of the
Tech Council of Maryland.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical company guided by innovation,
with main focus on discovery, development and trade of prescription
drugs in the following therapeutic lines: cardiovascular, metabolic,
immunologic, respiratory, inflammation, oncology, infection and
neuroscience. AstraZeneca operates in more than 100 countries; its
innovative drugs are used by millions of patients across the whole
world. For more information, visit: www.astrazeneca-us.com.
About MedImmune
MedImmune is the global biologics research and development arm of
AstraZeneca, a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that
focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of small
molecule and biologic prescription medicines. MedImmune is pioneering
innovative research and exploring novel pathways across key therapeutic
areas, including respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity;
cardiovascular and metabolic disease; oncology; neuroscience; and
infection and vaccines. The MedImmune headquarters is located in
Gaithersburg, Md., one of AstraZeneca’s three global R&D centers. For
more information, please visit www.medimmune.com.
About BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
BioHealth Innovation, Inc., is a regional innovation intermediary
focused on commercializing market-relevant bio-health innovations and
increasing access to early-stage funding in Maryland. BHI is known for
providing commercial assistance to scientists and founders, educating
and infusing Maryland’s life science community with new and young
entrepreneurs and fueling startups within Central Maryland’s
bio-ecosystem by connecting young companies to funding and business
resources. Learn more at www.biohealthinnovation.org.
About the Tech Council of Maryland, Inc.
The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM) is the largest technology trade group
serving the advanced technology and biotechnology communities of
Maryland. TCM’s mission is to advocate for the interests of the
technology community, further the role of technology in the Maryland
economy, and nurture an environment where technology companies can
collaborate, grow and succeed. For more information, visit www.techcouncilmd.com.
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