KET “to enhance quality of life”, says EuropaBio chairman
“No other sector holds the promise to enhance quality of life, productivity and environmental sustainability through innovation like biotechnology, while also benefitting Europe’s economy and research base.”
These were the words of Carlo Incerti, chairman of EuropaBio and chief medical officer at Genzyme Corporation, as he opened the 3rd EuropaBio event on the Benefits of Biotechnology. The conference took place on Tuesday at the European Parliament in Brussels and was hosted by Belgian MEP Philippe de Backer. Focusing on solutions for Europe’s growth and sustainability, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, and European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, were also keynote contributors.
In his opening address, Andriukaitis noted: “I would like to restate the European Commission’s strong interest and fundamental support for what the biotech sector has to offer, namely benefits for people, the economy, and sustainability.”
The event concluded with the unveiling of the winners of the 2015 Most Innovative European Biotech SMEs Awards: MolMed S.p.A. for the healthcare category, and Celtic Renewables Ltd for the industrial biotechnology category.
In his introduction to the 6th edition of the annual SME Awards, Moedas underlined: “We need to have a healthy disregard for the impossible in order to make truly great leaps in innovation. All the winners and finalists of this year’s EuropaBio Most Innovative European Biotech Awards undoubtedly share that healthy disregard for the impossible, and it has been inspirational for me to play a small part in these awards.”
Other speakers at the event included Elcin Ergun, executive vice president at Merck Serono; Hagen Duenbostel, CEO at KWS SAAT SE; and Marcel Wubbolts, chief technology officer at Royal DSM.
