Titel: Genomics Momentum 2004

Termin: 30.8.2004, 17:00 Uhr, bis 1.9.2004, 17:15 Uhr

Veranstaltungsort:
De Doelen Congress Center
Schouwburgplein 50
Rotterdam
The Netherlands

Weitere Informationen:
http://www.genomics.nl/genomics_momentum_2004/

Kurzbeschreibung: Genomics has been presented to society as a new and powerful research approach in the Life Sciences that allows for a better understanding of the basic processes of life. Is application should enable the development of products, processes and technologies for increased well-being and welfare. Indeed, a broad range of society and industry are expected to benefit, including preventing and curing diseases, food security, nutrition, sustainable, industrial processes, etc - and therefore important intellectual and finacial investments have been made. As these promises were inevitably rather general in the beginning, the time has come to consider what problems or objectives in specific societal or industrial areas genomics can really be expected to bring solutions, options or better understanding.

Conference objective:

Genomics Momentum 2004 endeavours to bring together all the parties concerned in four selected areas of critical industrial and social importance. Its goal ist to assess and discuss the aims and expectations of the stakeholders vis-à-vis genomics science and technology. The paramount question to be dealt with in these areas are threefold:

* Is the current research programming indeed oriented to the crucial priorities?

* Are we ready to understand and adopt the full potential of genomic-based knowledge and technology in these areas?

* What can and should be done to make sure that all aims and expectations are taken on board?

Topics:

* The Aging World: In a world where an increasing proportion of the population will be retired, how can we maintain a healthy old age? Moreover, do we really want to get older, and at what cost for future generations?

* The Hungry World: With the world population approaching 8 billion in 2030, how can we secure that there is enough food of adequate quality? What sort of long term strategies are proposed by the stakeholders and what is genomics expected to bring?

* The Sustainable World: Numerous industrial processes and products have become more environmentally-friendly
as a consequence of the replacement of chemical processes by microbial processes. In addition, microbial processes offer new methods for cleaning water and soil.

* The Moving World: People, farm animals, pollen, migratory birds, bacteria and viruses: organisms,
including ourselves, are constantly on the move, sometimes even around the world.

Themes and cases with these topics will be discussed from various angles, including expected economics benefits, safety issues, ethics, public perceptions and involvement, and the regulatory framework. The conference will address the four issues in plenary sessions where keynote speakers will present challenging views. During and in between the plenary sessions the Genomics Plaza gives floor to rich variety of acivities and presentations on various genomics-related subjects.

Conference results:

* Identifiation of key concerns and issues. These include ethical implications, environmental disturbances, economic balance of power, legal implications, intellectual property, philosophical-religious considerations, and political decisions making.

* Insight into the ways these aspects can be involved in decisions making processes of companies, research organisations, policy makers, interes groups so as to enable truly informed choices, and to link the scientific and industrial developments to societal oals.

* Exploration fo future trends in society and genomics.

International scope:

Momentum 2004 will address all these subjects from an international perspective. Therefore the positioning of the conference will be on a European level. Where relevant examples will be used from experiences in the Netherlands, with specific references to specific aspects of Dutch society, such as density of population, open borders and a multi-cultural society.

Who will attend:

This two-and-a-half-day conference is intended for all those who feel they have a stake in genomics. This means bringing together representatives from user groups, developers, policy-makers and scientists on a real interdisciplinary level. International keynote speakers will present their visions, which in turn will be challenged by others. Specific themes in genomics and society will be addressed in conference sessions. The Genomics Plaza wil offer participants the opportunity to discuss conference topics and renew their networks with research, user groups and industry.

Kontakt: Project Office Genomics Momentum 2004
Wassenaarseweg 23
2596 CE The Hague
The Netherlands

Telefon: +31 - 70 - 3 56 15 34
Telefax: +31 - 70 - 3 56 03 49

Info@genomicsmomentum2004.org

Veranstalter: The Netherlands Genomics Initiative

Schlagworte: Patentierung