Titel: 11th European Congress on Biotechnology - Building Bridges between Biosciences and Bioengineering
Termin: 24.8.2003 bis 29.8.2003
Veranstaltungsort:
Basel
Switzerland
Switzerland was selected as a venue amongst other reasons in order to commemorate the First European Congress on Biotechnology which was held in 1978 in Interlaken, Switzerland. Since the European Federation of Biotechnology was founded during this event, the 11th European Congress on Biotechnology marks the 25th anniversary of the Federation.
Since those early days biotechnology has undergone a spectacular development and is now interacting with many disciplines of scientific research, has created unprecedented economic and business opportunities, and is affecting all of us in our daily life. Biotechnology itself branched out into a wide variety of scientific and technological fields, encompassing applied genomics, functional proteomics and metabolomics, microbial physiology, biocatalysis, nano-biotechnology, biochemical engineering and health, agricultural, environmental, medical and food biotechnology, to mention only some of them. This development was reflected in the European Congresses on Biotechnology which have been organised since Interlaken in nine different European countries, but also in the fact that the European Federation of Biotechnology meanwhile has sections in all those fields which regularly run their own specialised symposia.
Meanwhile the intensive specialisation threatens to hamper easy communication amongst biotechnologists of different fields and therefore to slow down collaboration and progress. Further gaps have become apparent such as that between biotechnology as a high-tech endeavour and certain parts of our society, or that between biotechnology in highly industrialised countries and the biotechnology-based needs of developing countries.
In an effort to contribute to a future prosperous development of biotechnology and to enhance the realisation of the enormous potential biotechnology holds for society at large, the EFB and the Swiss organisers of ECB11 invite the European biotechnology community to a congress dedicated to the most recent developments and achievements in modern biotechnology while aiming at bridging the gaps and promoting the open dialogue between
* molecular and engineering biosciences
* academia and industry
* bioscience and society
* industrialised and developing worlds
The fact that in the year 2003 the Congress returns to its origin to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the European Federation of Biotechnology highlights the role Switzerland plays in biotechnology, both 25 years ago and today. Basel as the home of many thriving chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological multinational companies as well as of young and rapidly growing specialised biotechnology industries is an ideal venue for the Congress. In organising the 11th European Congress on Biotechnology in Switzerland, we also intend to demonstrate the achievements, the importance, and the future potential of Swiss biotechnology within our country and for Europe and the world as a whole.
The European Federation of Biotechnology will celebrate its 25th anniversary during the 11th European Congress on Biotechnology in Basel. I would like to invite you to join us in this celebration and to enjoy a biotechnology meeting of high quality and standards, covering important scientific and societal aspects of biotechnology as well as its commercial applications.
Since the foundation of the European Federation of Biotechnology in 1978, its main objective has been to stimulate the safe and responsible use of biotechnology in Europe. EFB has promoted the exchange of people and ideas, has helped to improve technology transfer and has engaged in the public debate on the challenges posed by biotechnology.
To further improve our services, we have recently adapted our statutes to permit membership of learned societies, universities, scientific institutes, companies, bioindustry associations and individuals. We have experienced an overwhelming response to this formal change from the biotech community, not only in Europe, and our membership base is growing rapidly. Therefore, the new EFB is now in a position to represent the entire biotechnology sector spanning research, education, information and innovation including the views both of academia and of the biotech industry. With this expertise to build on, the new EFB of today is even better prepared to identify new opportunities in the many different fields of biotechnology, formulate balanced opinions and stimulate interest in and extend the dialogue on biotechnology.
At present, EFB has eight sections specialising in diverse topics: Agri-Biotechnology, Applied Biocatalysis, Applied Functional Genomics, Biochemical Engineering Sciences, Biodiversity, Environmental Biotechnology, Microbial Physiology and Pharma Medical Biotechnology. These sections are open to all our individual members. Five Task Groups concentrate on more interdisciplinary topics. The invited members of these Task Groups address Education, Innovation, International Relations, Public Perceptions and Safety. The many leading experts who are members of EFB have become an important source of information and advice for the European Commission, the media and the general public.
I should be very pleased to meet you in Basel. If you are not yet a member of EFB, you can remedy the situation straight away. Just visit our website at www.efbweb.org and fill in the online membership application form. Personal membership is free and institutional membership is available at a moderate fee. So join us and become part of the most prominent network in European biotechnology!
Kontakt:
Chair Organising Committee:
Prof. Urs von Stockar
Laboratoire de génie, chimique et biologique
EPFL
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland
phone: +41 - 21 - 6 93 31 91
fax: +41 - 21 - 6 93 36 80
Administrative Secretariat:
ECB11
c/o AKM Congress Service
P.O. Box
4005 Basel
Switzerland
phone: +41 - 61 - 6 86 77 11
fax: +41 - 61 - 6 86 77 88
e-mail: info@akm.ch
urs.vonstockar@epfl.ch
http://www.ecb11.ch
Veranstalter: European Federation of Biotechnology
Wissenschaftliche Leitung: Scientific Committee, , Peter Philippsen, Biozentrum, Basel (Co-Chair), Oreste Ghisalba, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel (Co-Chair), Françoise Bieri, Zürich, Richard Braun, Biolink, Worb, Thomas Egli, EAWAG, Dübendorf, Jutta Heim, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Victor Jongeneel, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Epalinges, Beat Keller, Institut für Pflanzenbiologie, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Andreas Plückthun, Biochemisches Institut, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Bernhard Sonnleitner, Zürcher Hochschule Winterthur, Winterthur, Urs von Stockar, Laboratoire de génie chimique et biologique, EPFL, Lausanne, , , International Scientific Committee, , Jacques C. Baratti, Marseille, FR, David Bennet, Delft, NL, Charles Bryce, Edinburgh, UK, Jeff A. Cole, Birmingham, UK, Sven-Olof Enfors, Stockholm, SE, Rainer H. Müller, Berlin, DE, Peter C. Sijmons, Wageningen, NL, Marco R. Soria, Catanzaro, IT
Schlagworte: Biotechnologie