Calling All SMEs! - Bio.be

Calling All SMEs!

EuropaBio Launches the Most Innovative European Biotech SME Award 2011


Press Release:
Brussels,
10
th

May 2011


Today EuropaBio
invites nominees for Europe’s
Most Innovative Biotech SME
of the year
by
launching the call

for applications to the 2011 awa
rd. The award offers the opportunity to build the
public profiles of companies leading the way in developing Europe’s strong scientific potential in the
application of biotechnology. With a prize fund of € 10,000
and two y
ears free membership of
EuropaBio (worth over €5,000
)
,

the competition is again expected attract an outstanding array

of
applications from across

EU member states and representing all sectors of the Biotech industry.


The award ceremony scheduled to take p
lace in Brussels on November 8th, will acknowledge the
achievements of, and the outstanding contribution made by, Biotech SMEs towards helping the EU
reach its goals of creating a smart, sustainable and inclusive EU economy by 2020 and in providing
solutio
ns to society’s needs and grand challenges
of
today and tomorrow.


This year's expert panel of judges will include Steven Burrill, Founder and CEO of Burrill & Company;
Paul Ruebig,
MEP and President of SME Global;

Tom Saylor, Chair of EuropaBio’s SME Plat
form and
Nathalie Moll, Secretary General of EuropaBio.


Last year’s competition attracted 32 applications, from companies operating in 12 countries,
representing healthcare, agricultural and industrial biotechnology sectors.


With four outstanding
runners

up: AMSilk, KeyGene, Prosensa and TiGenix, Paola Testori Coggi
, Director General
of DG
Sanco awarded the prize to
Addex
Pharmaceuticals. They
w
ere

honoured

for

their
discoveries in the
field of allosteric modulators for human health focused on validated
therapeutic targets for diseases
of the central nervous system, metabolic disorders and inflammation
.

Commenting on the 2011 award, Dr Andrea Rappagl
iosi, Chairman of EuropaBio remarked: “. The
award represents our acknowledgement and contribution to reta
in excellence in R&D&I in Europe.
At EuropaBio we continue to support the European Commission and Member States in delivering on
the Innovation Union Agenda and the engagement of Commissioners Tajani, Dalli and Geoghegan
-
Quinn in making it a reality”.

Tom
Saylor, Chairman of EuropaBio’s SME Platform
said: “The Most Innovative Biotech SME Award
provides very valuable public recognition for the companies which are set to play such a crucial role
in the future of Europe’s knowledge
-
based economy. SMEs, represe
nting 99% of all enterprises in
Europe, are of vital importance to rebuilding the economy and creating more jobs. However, they
lack the financial support needed from government to bring innovative products to the market. This
award gives biotech SMEs th
e opportunity to show case their talents and commitment to meeting
society’s greatest requirements in the areas of healthcare, industry and agriculture”.

To apply for the 2011 award or to learn more about the event, please download the application form
our

website:

http://www.europabio.org/SME/SME_Award.htm



~ Ends ~

For further information please contact:

Rosalind Travers,

Communications & Associations

Liaison O
fficer, EuropaBio

Tel: +32 (0) 739
11 73

/
Gsm: +32 (0) 478 680 301

Email:
r.travers@europabio.org


About EuropaBio

EuropaBio is the European Association for BioIndustries and was created in 1996 to provide a
voice for the biotech industry at
an

EU level. EuropaBio's mission is to promote an innovative
and dynamic biotechnology
-
based industry in Europe.

Members of EuropaBio

are involved in the research, development, testing, manufacturing and
commercialisation of biotechnology products and p
rocesses. Our corporate members cover a
wide range of activities including companies focusing on human and animal health care,
diagnostics, bio
-
informatics, chemicals, crop protection, agriculture, food and environmental
products as well as service
-
providi
ng companies.
We currently have 66 corporate and 7
associate members operating worldwide, 4 Bioregions and 22 national biotechnology
associations representing some 1800 small and medium sized enterprises in Europe. To learn
more visit our website:
www.europabio.org


About the SME Platform

EuropaBio’s SME Platform focuses its activities on highlighting challenges and financial
constraints that biotech SMEs

face, and developing policy recommendations to optimise EU
and member state funding instruments for biotech SMEs.

The SME Platform brings together
CEOs, of SMEs, National Biotech Associations, Venture Capitalists and private banks, European
financial inst
itutions, representatives from the EC, and other interested stakeholders.