Moving into US market, opportunities and advice for biotech firms

By Biocat

Biocat will hold the workshop Fostering internationalization (III): United States on 9 April 2013 in Barcelona, featuring Dr. Karin Hollerbach, founder and CEO of the Silicon Valley-based Taku Group consultancy. Hollerbach, who studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of California Berkeley, has been connected with the life sciences arena for the past 20 years and advises all sorts of companies. Her work is based on facilitating the international expansion of US companies and the landing process for foreign companies in the United States. She has also lived in Europe and collaborated with European companies in the sector.

The United States is the life sciences market par excellence. This leadership is based on a system that simultaneously grows and consolidates the market: strong intellectual property protection, a regulatory framework that has consolidated the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the gold standard, and significant public and private funds for biomedical research, among other factors. The United States has a strong research system and a biopharmaceutical sector that stands out for its innovation. For years now, the biopharmaceutical industry has been an important factor contributing to the country’s economic growth, creating more than 650,000 jobs directly and some 4 million indirectly. However moving into the US market isn’t an easy process, as obtaining FDA approval can take between 18 and 50 months and be quite costly.

The workshop will discuss the opportunities available in this market for Catalan biotechnology and biomedical companies, as well as recommendations for a successful landing. Time will also be set aside to debate the key points of attending the BIO International Convention, the top global biotechnology fair that takes place each year in a different US city, in order to make the most of the opportunity and not miss out on any of the many sessions and partnering options available. This year, a delegation of 35 Catalan companies and organizations led by Biocat will travel to BIO Chicago 2013 from 22 to 24 April.

During the event, Karin Hollerbach will speak about the opportunities this market offers for Catalan biotechnology and biomedical companies and recommendations for a successful landing. Afterwards, there will be a roundtable featuring executives and entrepreneurs with first-hand knowledge of the country, who will explain their experience:

• Karin Hollerbach, founder and CEO of the Taku Group
• Lydia Cánovas, general manager of operations at Aspahlion
• Bruce Thompson, Aspahlion US Agent
• Albert Zamora, founder and CEO of Bionure
• Josep Ribas, head of Industrial Department at Bioibérica

The roundtable will be moderated by Mamen Martí, head of Internationalization at Biocat.

This workshop is the last in a series of three organized under the framework of the European bioXclusters project, which have addressed issues related with internationalization with experts in the target markets. The first session focusing on Brazil was held in April 2012 and this January, one on China.

Like the previous ones, this workshop is geared towards executives and business development directors at SMEs in the biotechnology and biomedicine sector, as well as research organizations and related support bodies.

Program (the workshop will be held in English)

Registration closed

Date: 9 April 2013
Time: 9 am to 2 pm
Venue: Palau Robert • Sala Cotxeres • Passeig de Gràcia, 107 • Barcelona (map)

Questions:
Biocat
Business Development Department
Mamen Martí (Head of Internationalization)
cmarti@biocat.cat
Phone +34 93 310 33 89

Follow us on Twitter @bioXclusters

Related information:

• Reports and documentation on the biotechnology sector in the United States
• Videointerview with Karin Hollerbach (April 2013)

See all the news on the bioXclusters project.