Brussels, Belgium
24 June 2011

At its Annual General Assembly, held on June 23rd in Brussels, EuropaBio formally appointed Stephan Tanda, member of the managing board of DSM, as Chair of the Association. He succeeds Andrea Rappagliosi, who has completed his mandate and will continue to represent GSK as a member of the EuropaBio Board. Mr Tanda previously acted as treasurer of EuropaBio.

The General Assembly also confirmed the appointment of the following Vice-Chairs: Lars Christian Hansen, Novozymes, as Chair of the Industrial Biotechnology Council; Thomas Bols, Merck Serono, was re-elected Chair of the Healthcare Biotechnology Council; Serge Zybach, Syngenta, will remain Chair of the Agriculture Biotechnology Council, Jan Wisse, NIABA, was re-elected as Chair of the National Associations Council and Tom Saylor Arecor Ltd, will remain as Chair of the SME Platform.

The association also elected five new Board Members, bringing the number of representatives of companies and associations from across Europe to 23 on the EuropaBio Board.

In addition to these appointments, eight new members have also joined EuropaBio, bringing the total number of corporate members, National Associations, BioRegions and associate members to 93. These are: Addex Pharmaceuticals; LaboratoiresGenévrier; BioBlank International; BioAmber; Deinove; SITRA; Areta International and MLP Vision Biotech S.L.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Tanda said: “Determined innovation is the key driver for sustainable growth for countries and companies, large and small. Europe has made a commitment to innovation through the EU2020 Innovation Strategy, and Biotechnology is uniquely positioned to contribute significantly to both Europe's economic success and to the health and wellness of its citizens. By working together with stakeholders from government, industry and civil society we can greatly accelerate progress in areas like pharmaceuticals, agriculture and materials and energy derived from renewable resources. This will ensure that also future generations can live in a healthy, sustainable, and prosperous Europe with the help of a vibrant bio-based economy."

In welcoming the new appointments and members, Nathalie Moll, Secretary General of EuropaBio stated: “We are delighted to welcome our new Chairman, new Board members and new members to EuropaBio. One of our biggest strengths as an association is to represent all the sectors through which this incredible technology makes a contribution to our daily lives, the other great strength is the dedication and expertise of our members on which we rely entirely.”

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Website: http://www.europabio.org

Published: June 24, 2011