Attendants will be invited globally from the enterprise, academic, research and investor sectors, as well as institutions related to biotechnology.

BIOLATAM is a partnering forum with global reach and Latin American focus, open to companies, researchers and venture capital companies. The partnering module will be managed using the PartneringOne software by EBD Group (a regular provider at Biospain and other renowned fairs), and the conference agenda will cover an array of topics, including bioeconomy and biofuels, advanced therapies, food biotechnology, personalised medicine, sanitation products and venture capital.

The Spanish Bioindustry Association (ASEBIO) and Invest in Bogota (the agency for the promotion of the Colombian capital city) are tasked with the organisation of BioSpain (5th largest trade show in this sector worldwide in terms of business development meetings in 2012). Both organisations announced this global initiative in the context of the BIO International Convention, the largest trade show in the world for this industry, held in Chicago, Illinois.

The expectation for this first edition of BIOLATAM is for attendance to exceed 500, with a high percentage of delegates from the US, as well as Latin American and European countries. Representatives from relevant biotechnology markets such as Japan, Israel and Canada are also expected to attend.

"We believe Colombia is the ideal country to partner with in Latin America, and to become a biotechnology hub in the region for many reasons: the commitment that institutions have towards innovation, the country’s political and legal stability and the historic and academic relationship that exists between Colombian and Spain. The Colombian-scientific community is rich in biodiversity, and is the second largest in Spain, thanks to the economic strength of many biotechnology dependent sectors, such as foodstuffs, cosmetics and energy", explained Regina Revilla, president of ASEBIO.

"In the past two years, ASEBIO had been analysing potential Latin American partners to jointly address business development opportunities in the region. It finally chose Bogota which, also, boasts an unparalleled geostrategic position that allows for many direct flights to be organised directly to and from the main cities in the Americas", Revilla continues.

Juan Gabriel Perez, Executive Director of Invest in Bogota, comments, "Bogota is very pleased to have been chosen to host the first edition of a globally prestigious event such as Biolatam. A few weeks ago, the most recent ranking published by FDI Markets American Cities of the Future 2013, listed Bogota as ninth from among 49 cities in the American continent, and as the first city in Colombia, based on its doing business environment. Also, when all the variables assessed are weighed in, the city was ranked fifth as City of the Future, from among 120 cities in Latin America, after Sao Paulo, Santiago, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. The results from this ranking also prove that Latin America will continue to be, in the medium-term, one of the most dynamic and attractive cities globally."

Contact information:
Lucía Cecilia
Communication Manager ASEBIO
Phone:. + 34 91 2109 374
Fax: +34 91 2500063
Email: lcecilia@asebio.com

Carolina Hernández
Marketing and Communications Officer Invest in Bogota
Phone: +57 1 7423030
Email: chernandez@investinbogota.org