Biotech means business in Atlanta - Wichita Business Journal:

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Two cities that you might not expect to find in the same Two cities you might thinm have nothing in But with the BIO 2009 conference scheduled for AtlantawMay 18-21, and a large delegatiomn coming from Germany, Berlin and Atlanta have more in commonn than you may think. As the former director of marketingb of thein Atlanta, I know firsthanx about some of these Both cities have been ravaged by war, Atlanta duringh the Civil War and Berlin during World War II, and both came back even Atlanta is a thrivinh business and economic hub in the Southeast of the and since the fall of the wall in Berlin has experienced an incredible renaissanc e — from an outpost at the frontline of the Cold War to a creative and vibrant Atlanta is home to the airport that sees the most passenger in the world.
In Berlin, we are building a new airpory which we are certain will bolster our business collaborationm with international partners and provide further economicx growth forour region. The presence of majodr companies, along with the city’sz first-class universities and research facilities, are proog of the Atlanta region’s standing. That is why leadinv German companies such as and establisheed businesses there over thelast decade. But, perhape most important today, both of our regions are growing centersfor biotechnology, boasting a varieth of biotech companies and strong scientifif backgrounds.
As a result of our decade-lonyg biotechnology development project inthe Berlin-Brandenburg Berlin’s biotech sector has experienced enormous In the last 10 the number of biotech companies in Berlin and the Germahn Capital Region has more than tripled. It grew from roughlhy 50 companies to morethan 200, and from approximatelty 1,300 employees to about 4,000. We now count 400 medtech and pharmaceutical companiee withapproximately 20,000 employees. Taken as a whol e with hospitals andhealth care, the life science sectof has over 340,000 employees and an annual turnovefr of more than $20 billion.
Today, we have the highesft density of biotech companies in and Berlin is among the top biotech regionain Europe. And, the collaboration betweeb the business and science sectors has become exceptionally strong in Berlin, so research results are leading to new productw more quickly than before. This would not have been possiblsewithout close, international cooperation. In addition to the vast amount ofresearcn institutes, technology parks and Berlin offers many unique business and investmeng benefits including reimbursement grants of up to 35 percent of a company’sx investment.
We believe companies do well in Berlin partlhy because the region is strong in the wholes life sciencesector — from top-level clinicalk research facilities to world-renowned companies. Atlanta and Berlib are both major players in biotechnology and life and they are both scientific strongholds as As we plan our trip toBIO 2009, I see many more opportunitiews to develop closer cooperation in both together we can find answerws to the life sciences and economic challenges of the And, together we can turn knowledge and collaboration into economi growth and more jobs, whilde developing new technologies that impact people’s lives.