12th June 2015
BIA joins showcase of world-leading UK bioscience in second largest international delegation at BIO2015
Next week, over 400 individuals will travel to this year’s BIO International Convention in Philadelphia (15 – 18 June) as part of the UK delegation. In a showcase of the country’s world-leading strength in the biotech sector, this year’s delegation is once again set to be the second largest international delegation at the event and third largest delegation overall, behind the USA and Canada.
The 2015 UK delegation will showcase a wide range of world-class companies, covering areas from antimicrobial resistance to precision medicine to manufacturing.
UK representatives head to Philadelphia following a period of continued strength for the sector. Most notably since last year’s BIO convention, July 2014 saw the appointment of the world’s first dedicated Minister for Life Sciences, George Freeman MP – recently reappointed following May’s General Election.
Off the back of a banner year for life science IPOs in 2014, we have continued to see a number of biotech companies successfully list on the London market, and 2015 has been a record year for total financings in the UK.
In advance of the convention opening on Monday 15 June, the BioIndustry Association (BIA) has produced a reference guide containing details of UK-related activities as well as the main BIO networking events and keynotes, the exhibition schedule and information on other key activities.
Steve Bates, CEO of the BIA commented:
“The UK’s position as a leading global location for biotech is consistently reflected at BIO, having provided the second largest international delegation at the conference eight times over the past nine years. This year’s delegation is no exception and I look forward to showcasing the strength of the UK ecosystem alongside the high calibre of attending companies.”
“As a country, we continue to play a key role in the worldwide issue of antimicrobial resistance, which will be highlighted with the presence of Jim O’Neill, Chair of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance and recently appointed Commercial Secretary to the Treasury. On that note, following last year’s inaugural meeting, I’m delighted to be attending the second meeting of the International Council of Biotech Associations (ICBA) to further highlight the UK’s ability to lead the charge on global healthcare issues.”