1 February 2005
From bio-technology to bio-business
Dundee's biotech industry will be under the international spotlight in March when leading
figures from the local sector show the world how groundbreaking work in the city is turning
research into commerce.
Representatives from the Bio-Dundee partnership will gather by the banks of the River Tay on
Tuesday (Feb 1) to promote the biotech showcase and annual international conference which will take
place in the City of Discovery (on Thursday March 17 and Friday 18).
Leading life scientist Professor Dario Alessi from Dundee University, Dr John Chiplin, head of the
Intermediary Technology Institute to support Scottish bioscience, Dundee City Council economic
development convener Cllr Joe Morrow and Scottish Enterprise Tayside chief executive Shona Cormack
will meet to discuss the major event.
The international conference (on the Friday), which boasts an impressive array of international
science superstars, will be preceded by a Dundee biotech showcase (on Thursday) which will
highlight to visitors the strength in depth and diversity of the local industry. The day also
includes a 'masterclass' from Spiro Rombotis of Cyclacel and Dr Tom Shepherd of CXR Biosciences.
The heads of the two local companies, recognised for their pioneering work, will reveal to an
audience of students 'what they don't teach you in class'.
The conference is on the theme of 'From Bio-Technology to Bio-Business' and delegates will hear
talks from an array of speakers on their own experiences in the sector. Merlin Biosciences founder
Sir Chris Evans, entrepreneur Sheridan Snyder and Global Scot science ambassador Dr Martin Gore
will share their wealth of knowledge on how lab research can be turned into thriving businesses.
Councillor Morrow said: "The international conference and the Dundee biotech showcase are important
events for the city of Dundee and we have a huge wealth of experience of academics taking their
researches into the commercial realm through spin-out companies.
"The city council has been highly supportive of these efforts to grow the local industry and has
helped with accommodation for companies through our Technopole development, while also marketing
the local industry and its skills. This conference has grown over the years into one of the most
important dates on the biotech calendar and we are looking forward to an enlightening couple of
days."
Shona Cormack, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise Tayside, commented: "Dundee has a well
deserved international reputation in the field of life sciences. This is underpinned by a robust
partnership between the private sector, public sector and the city's academic institutions, brought
together as Bio-Dundee.
"Scottish Enterprise Tayside works with academic organisations to help turn research into
commercial propositions and with life sciences companies to help them increase their impact on the
Scottish economy. I warmly welcome the Bio-Dundee Conference. The theme clearly underlines the
ambition to create more value for Scotland from the world class research that takes place in our
universities and research institutions. The outstanding calibre of speakers this conference has
attracted demonstrates that Dundee is clearly on the international life sciences map."
* Dundee is the location of one of the UK's most exciting biomedical clusters. With a total sector
of more than 3,500 employees, it represents the largest concentration of bioscientists outwith
Oxford and Cambridge. Bio-Dundee is a collaborative initiative between public, private and academic
sectors to promote the growth of the biotechnology sector in Dundee.
Dundee University's School of Life Sciences reflects the international outlook Dundee now enjoys,
with 500 scientists from more than 52 countries employed there. The university's new Centre for
Inter-Disciplinary Research, due to open later this year, is the latest development in a
pioneering sector that is an integral part of the new Dundee economy. Companies based in the city
include Cyclacel, Axis-Shield, CXR Biosciences and Upstate Ltd.
Full details on the conference and speakers are available at www.biodundee.co.uk Lewis Thomson
Public Relations: 01382 434196
By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk | 
