20 January 2012

2012 is getting off to a fast start.  Those of you who were at JP Morgan in San Francisco last week will have noticed the increased pace of pharma to biotech and pharma to VC meetings taking place.  Major deals have been signed and more are in the works, so while we are by no means at the end of the tunnel for biotechnology transfer and venture, it does seem like 2012 will be a more active year than 2011.

But what about technology transfer in biotech and healthcare?  The good news is, the Global Tech Transfer Initiative is stronger than ever, and we look forward to seeing you at key Summits in Europe (25-26 June at the Pasteur Institute), North America, and AustralAsia.  We will announce the full dates and venues soon, but in the meantime, there are a number of important affiliate events supported or endorsed by TTS.

Perhaps most important of these is the European Commission’s “Innovation in Healthcare: Across Borders” conference on 16-17 April in Brussels.  This is the EC’s key policy event related to healthcare innovation, and technology transfer takes a central role, so we encourage all members of the TTS network to be there.  Registration is free, so join us in taking part and making sure technology transfer, access to finance for biotech start-ups, and other key issues in healthcare innovation receive the attention they need, and benefit from real stakeholder input.  TTS Ltd is proud to once again be contributing to the programme of the Innovation in Healthcare meeting.

There are also a number of key international events in emerging biotech markets.  In February, we are participating in BioAsia 2012 in Hyderabad, one of the key meetings for the biotech sector in India.

The BioVision Alexandria meeting on 22-25 April in Alexandria, Egypt, takes place every 2 years and remains the key international biotech meeting for the developing world.  Those interested to support biotech innovation in developing and emerging markets are encouraged to visit the Library of Alexandria and get involved in this key initiative, likely to be even more ambitious following the changes in the Middle East over the past year.

And finally BioInvest Israel on 5-6 March in Haifa will provide unique partnering access to key biotech and medical device innovators and stakeholders in Israel.  Watch for announcements for a 10% registration discount.

In Europe, BioVaria 2012 provides an excellent technology pitching platform on 15 May in Muncih, and on May 30 - June 1 in Berlin, the ASTP annual conference brings together the members of the Association of Technology Professionals for their annual meeting and discussion of TTO issues and training.

The Global Tech Transfer Initiative supports key international events, which help to build a global community and network of the key leaders in biotechnology and related technology transfer, innovation and venture, and to provide all of you with access to this key community.  We look forward to seeing you at one or more of these key international meetings, as well as major conferences like BIO, and of course at the Tech Transfer Summits themselves, where the leading tech transfer and innovation stakeholders join together for two days of high level, interactive expert round-table discussions, debate, best practices and networking.

Christian Suojanen

13 September 2011

With less than one week to go to the Tech Transfer Summit Europe in Paris, the leading stakeholders are converting the TTS Europe into the key high-level, interactive biotech business meeting for early-stage biotech and industry licensing from universities and start-ups.

Meet, & join roundtable discussions with Europe's Top VCs, Pharma Licensing Executives, and Tech Transfer Officers.

Yes, the TTS Europe has Partnering, but more importantly, 2 full days of interactive discussion, debate & deal-making

Why are the coming? None of the TTS Initiative Summits are large. There are no exhibitions.  No company presentations in empty rooms. And no one brings their marketing staff.

But the TTS Europe is unique.  It is pure, interactive roundtable discussion with many of Europe's most important Venture Capital Investors.

It is direct access and discussions over 2 days with many senior Pharma Licensing & Business Development Executives.

Networking and deal-making at its best.

See the website for full details, but know that the following VCs, Pharma, and University and Institute Tech Transfer Offices are all confimed:

• Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners
• Apposite Capital
• Crédit Agricole Private Equity
• Heartstream Group
• Index Ventures
• KLS Partners
• Merieux Developpment
• BioAssetInvestETH Zurich
• MRC Technology
• Inserm Transfert
• INRIA
• Universidad de Valparaiso
• Institut Pasteur
• Fundacio Parc Tauli
• Trinity College Dublin
• Erasmus Medical Centre
• Aviesan Alliance
• GSK
• Pfizer
• Sanofi
• Genzyme
• Boehringer Ingelheim
• Merck Sharp & Dohme
• Pfizer Animal Health
• Debiopharm
• L’Oréal

And many more.  See you there

07 September 2011

Partnering is now open for the Tech Transfer Summit Europe.

All registered participants either already have, or will shortly, receive an email directly from the partnering managers providing login information.
For those not registered, there is still time!

Please make sure to fill in your profile, connect to your LinkedIn profile, and list your partnering interests, as well as licensing and technology offers.

It is important to note that this online partnering platform and business network will remain open and available to all TTS Europe and Global Initiative participants event after the Summit, so don't miss out on the launch of this key global partnering platform from TTS and powered by JuJaMa.

If you have not registered, see full details, including the TTS Europe programme and speakers, and register at http://www.techtransfersummit.com

Partnering for the TTS North America starts next week!
 

06 April 2011

Technology Transfer took centre stage in the European Commission's 2nd annual Innovation in Healthcare conference in Brussels last week on 30-31 March. 

While a number of key issues, such as access to capital for biotech companies, and establishing more favourable conditions for Institutional Investors to invest as Limited Partners in European VC funds were stressed, as were alternative sources of funding from foundations and patients organizations, along with issues such as the regulatory process, Healthcare Technology Assessment (HTA) and Reimbursement Harmonization, technology transfer was highlighted as a key stage in the value chain, and one where a lot of work needs to be done.

On our panel with the Managing Directors of 3 of Europe's top technology transfer organizations (Imperial Innovations, Karolinska Institute, and VIB Transfer), as well as a senior licensing executive from Sanofi-Aventis, and a European Investment Fund (EIF) representative involved in financing Venture Capital and technology Transfer Funds, we discussed the strengths of technology transfer in Europe, and the opportunities, but also the weaknesses, threats, and areas where real action needs to be taken now in order to foster better results in bringing new medicines and healthcare technologies to market.

While the focus was on technology transfer in Europe, and what new European initiatives can make a real difference, many of the lessons and messages where global.  In terms of threats, the panel identified a relative shortage of prospective TTOs with both scientific and business understanding, professional experience both in academia and in industry, and most importantly a real market and healthcare biotech industry understanding and a track-record of deals that have resulted in new drugs, diagnostics, or medical devices reaching the market and benefitting patients (while also providing real returns to the originating institution and researchers, and contributing to society and to economic growth and development).  Universities and research institutes have difficulty matching the salaries and conditions that industry can provide, so has a challenge both in recruiting and in retaining the right professionals.  A need for further specialized training and education, not just in how to file a patent or structure a license or a royalties agreement, but in understanding the market and its drivers, learning to work with investors and industry, and providing what the market and the pharma "customers" need, was highlighted as a key opportunity for European initiatives to fund such training and capacity building.  TTS Ltd and our partners of course stand ready to contribute to this, and of course already provide the key networking, best practices exchange, and relationship and deal building platform available for technology transfer in the life sciences.

The discussions and debates were extremely interesting, and all of these issues (and more) will be explored in much greater detail during 2 full days at the  Tech Transfer Summit North America, which takes place at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland on 3-4 October 2011.

Looking  forward to seeing you there!

17 March 2011

With just 2 weeks to go until the European Commission's own "Innovation in Healthcare" conference in Brussels, we are looking forward to the most important biotech and healthcare innovation policy meeting of the year.   "Innovation in Healthcare: From Research to Market" conference on 30-31 March, is free of charge and in its first edition in 2010 established itself as the most important policy dialogue for the biotech sector in Europe, as well as a key networking opportunity since leading representatives of all key stakeholder groups (research, tech transfer, licensing, venture capital, pharma, industry, regulatory, patients organizations, reimbursement, European Commission, European Parliament, and national government) are all present. Over 550 participants are already confirmed and TTS Ltd is pleased to be organizing the session on "Innovative Knowledge Transfer" with top speakers from Dr. Patrick Tricoli, International Senior Director, Prospective and Strategic Initiatives, Scouting & Partnering, Tony Hickson, Managing Director, Imperial Innovations, Rudy Dekeyser, Managing Director, VIB Technology Transfer, Lilian Wickstrom, CEO, Karolinska Innovations, and Piyush Unalkat, Principal, Transaction Relationship Management (Technology Transfer), European Investment Fund.

17 March 2011

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: 2011 SUMMIT AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)

TTS Ltd is pleased to announce that the 2011 Tech Transfer Summit North America will be Co-Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and will take place in the Masur Building on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, Maryland, on 3-4 October 2011. See full details here

Please check back regularly for program & registration details, as well as dates & venues of the 2011-2012 Tech Transfer Summits in Europe, Russia, and Asia.

03 November 2010

The 1st Tech Transfer Summit Russia on 28-29 October 2010 was a great success, with 185  representatives from leading Russian universities, research institutes, large industry, investment groups, and regional and federal government coming together for two interactive days in the beautitful city of Saint Petersburg.  At the closing ceremony a new cooperation to hold the Tech Transfer Summit Russia for the next 3 years, starting in 2011 in Saint Petersburg, was announced by TTS Ltd and the Russian BioIndustry Association.  TTS Ltd thanks our key partners and hosts  at the Russian BioIndustry Association, all sponsors, and especially lead Russian sponsor Microgen.  See you in Saint Petersburg late September 2011!

01 October 2010

Just back from Pamplona where BioSpain and the BioSpain Investment Forum took place this week.  A pleasant surprise, this is always an enjoyable event but this year it seems to have morphed into one of the more useful national biotech conferences in Europe.  Both European and international companies where far better represented than in the past, and several of the presenting companies where really quite interesting.  Congratulations to the organizers!  The key quesion in the air was about what it will take to drive the further development of the Spanish biotech industry, and the good news is that there is finally a concensus forming on the need to involve experienced management in biotech start-ups.  But are the local investors and scientific founders now ready to do what it takes to recruit world-class management?  There is no lack of entrepreneurs interested to live in Spain, so the obstacle to date has been the extreme divergence in expectations.  What needs to be done, and what are the best models for bringing research to the market.  A number of key Spanish VCs, CEOs and TTOs will be in Strasbourg for the Tech Transfer Summit Europe on 13-14 December to discuss with international experts.

17 September 2010

While the 2010 Global Tech Transfer Summit Initiative is now in full swing with an un-precedented series of exceptional Summits coming up in the next 3 months for Russia, North America, and Europe and bigger plans for our members in 2011, the Global Tech Transfer Summit Initiative is about more than just key events, it is about bringing together the key stakeholders from around the world.  This is why the Initiative serves as a platform (join our LinkedIn group at ) and why we actively seek to connect members to each other to foster collaborations and business around the world.  To this end we also actively cooperate with and support other key initiatives and a select few events, and therefore TTS Ltd will be speaking at BIO's Technology Transfer Symposium in San Francisco on October 4.  This is an important event for the US biotech industry and we look forward to seeing you there or at the BIO Investor Forum on the 5 & 6.  If you will be there and would like to meet, feel free to contact us at christian@techtransfersummit.com or morris@techtransfersummit.com

17 September 2010

Global Tech Transfer Summit Initiative Co-Chairman Christian J. Suojanen will be coaching companies at the BioSpain Investment Forum at BioSpain in Pamplona September 29 through October 1. TTS Ltd seeks to support key biotech initiatives organized by national and international biotechnology stakeholders and their representative associations.  Feel free to contact us for support, or let's chat over a vino tinto in Pamplona.