The Basque BioRegion has proven its abilities and promoted its increasing international scope with its participation in Biospain 2010, the main biotech congress held in Spain, which took place in Pamplona at the end of September.

The Basque delegation comprised over 40 institutions - companies, representatives of the healthcare sector, scientific and technological agents, technology parks, incubators and public bodies -, that participated actively in the event, both in the scientific congress as in the other activities in the event, like partnering sessions or the investment forum.

The companies secured trade agreements, established relationships and laid the groundwork for future business with domestic and international companies. The international presence grew significantly in this Biospain edition with regard to the previous one; 520 of the 670 companies and institutions attending this fair were from abroad (France, Germany, Canada, Belgium, United Kingdom, USA and Switzerland). The event recorded over 1,300 registrations of scientists, professionals and industry executives.

Vacunek presented its business project and the new lines of bovine vaccines at the Biospain investment forum; in turn, IkerChem expounded on its latest advances in the design of new molecules with oncological applications in front of some of the sector's main multinational firms.

In Teresa Porto's words, Business Development Director of OWL Genomics, Biospain has helped her company and other Basque companies to hold "interesting meetings" in the partnering activities and "to strengthen incipient trade relationships". Innoprot, on the other hand, has dealt with issues related to the distribution of their products, and "complex research projects that require contribution of different technologies", as Jorge Gámiz, Business Development Manager, explained.

Biobide held a conference on the main advances in hepatotoxicity in zebrafish, while BTI Biotechnology Institute presented the latest advances in PRGF technology. Both companies took part in the partnering sessions, establishing significant relationships with potential clients.

Moreover, Vita Aidelos presented its products and R&D lines, receiving the visit of the Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Cristina Garmendia, who expressed interest in their activities and in the biotech dissemination workshops hosted in "Tu Casa Biotech” (Your Biotech Home), a project organised by ASEBIO and funded by Genoma España within Biospain 2010.

BioBasque's presence also stood out in BIOTEC 2010, the biotechnology conference which took place within the trade fair, where CIC microGUNE lectured on new quick-diagnosis techniques based on microtechnologies, Inbiomed presented its work on tumour stem cells as breast cancer therapeutic targets, and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) acted as moderator of the biofuels presentations.

Biospain also hosted the meeting of the BioRegions Network, of which BioBasque is the founding member.