Biocat and other European and Australian organizations sign international super cluster agreement

Six European and Australian organizations in the healthcare and life sciences arena have signed a business development agreement at the BIO International Convention, the largest biotechnology fair in the world held this year in San Francisco. The agreement will help forge alliances between companies, research centers and hospitals on the two continents. Moreover, it will also help accelerate companies’ business results and resolve a common problem for SMEs: landing in new markets.

The four European clusters involved in the bioXclusters+ alliance are: BioM from Bavaria (Germany), bioPmed from Piedmont (Italy), Lyonbiopole from Auvergne-Rhône-Alps (France) and Biocat from Catalonia. All together they represent more than 3,300 SMEs that develop drugs and healthcare and medical technology.

“Having strong connections to businesses in South Australia will be great for Catalan life sciences companies looking to commercialise their IP,” explains Biocat CEO Albert Barberà.

The two Australian organizations, BioSA and Health Industries South Australia, represent more than 100 companies and research bodies in Adelaide, a city with a quickly growing healthcare and life sciences sector. In fact, the Adelaide healthcare and life sciences sector, BioMed City, is one of the largest in the southern hemisphere and is receiving more than AU$3.6 billions in investment.

“This cooperative effort will deliver real, practical results for companies and research organizations across all our regions, and is particularly exciting for Adelaide as it focuses on growing its health industries,” says Health Industries South Australia CE Marco Baccanti.

The agreement seeks to raise awareness of business opportunities abroad, which is one of the main challenges facing companies in the sector; to provide government support to foster relationships between business, research, education and clinical care organizations, and to help companies new to a region with the local regulatory framework and making connections in the local business community.

“This agreement will benefit South Australian companies targeting European markets enabling them to create networks for potential commercialization partners and customers,” concluded Meera Verma, acting CE of BioSA.