Brussels, Belgium
October 6, 2014
Following on from the great success of the 1st edition of European Biotech Week that took place in 2013 with nearly 100 events and activities in 12 European countries engaging the general public, policy makers, media and interested stakeholders on the theme of biotechnology, the second edition of European Biotech Week will take place this year from 06th to 12th of October.
“We are incredibly excited to see how this second edition of European Biotech Week has evolved not only in terms of new and diverse initiatives but also in terms of geographical reach. The most important aspect of working in a field like biotechnology that provides solutions to many of our society’s grand challenges is engaging with society to discuss how this is being done and contribute to increasing clarity”, said Nathalie Moll, Secretary General of EuropaBio.
The European Biotech Week comprises a weeklong series of events and activities celebrating biotechnology, an innovative and vibrant sector launched by the discovery of the DNA molecule back in 1953. The week is an opportunity to discover, showcase and discuss the benefits that biotechnology brings to society, in areas as diverse as healthcare, agriculture, food, energy, water sanitation and biochemical processing among different audiences and using different media.
National Biotech Associations across Europe team up with biotech companies, academic and government institutions, science museums and many other players, in more than 100 fun and engaging events for a variety of audiences right across Europe throughout the whole week.
In Brussels, at the heart of the EU Institutions, this 2nd edition kicks off today with a Biotech & Beer cocktail reception in the European Parliament to unveil a “Biotech in your everyday life” exhibition which will be on show on the 3rd floor of the European Parliament during the entire week.
Site visits of agricultural and healthcare companies operating in Belgium are also being organized on Tuesday and Friday of this week and on Wednesday 8 October, EuropaBio has been invited to open the Euronext markets with a bell ringing ceremony marking EuropaBio’s 5th Annual Most Innovative EU Biotech SME Award 2014 that will be presented that day as well as the 1stEntente‐Life Sciences Investment Forum taking place the following day!
Some of the most notable events planned for this edition include workshops and career fairs for students, company site visits, bioscience forums, social media competitions, theatrical performances, photo exhibitions and even interactive science labs with hands-on biotech experiments!
A new entry for this year’s edition will also be the #mybiotech social media campaign developed by EuropaBio as part of the Growing Voices campaignthat encourages scientists and students involved in ag-biotech to share their passion for plant science online.
There is something for anyone with a curious mind and an interest to find out more about biotech during European Biotech Week – information about all the activities that are taking place across Europe can be found using the interactive map of Europe at www.biotechweek.org, so don’t miss out!
Visit the European Biotech Week website here to find out what events are taking place this year. Follow us @biotechweek from 06 to 12 October to see the latest updates.
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