BioFlorida event to celebrate state's growing biotech industry

May 1, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To celebrate and learn about biotechnology in North Central Florida, the community is invited to attend the 9th Annual Celebration of Biotechnology from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 10 on the RTI Biologics campus in Progress Corporate Park in Alachua.

This free event features food vendors, a new “Art Inspired by Science” display, a gallery of local bioscience companies and a bus tour of the park. There will be opportunities to network with representatives from more than 70 scientific and other vendors who will showcase their products and services and inform the public about the global impact that regional biotechnology advancements have under way.

The event is hosted by BioFlorida, the statewide trade association for the bioscience industry, as an initiative to raise awareness about Florida’s vibrant life sciences cluster. The event provides a special showcase for the Alachua/Gainesville area, home to the largest cluster of biotech companies in the state and anchored by companies such as RTI Biologics, Exactech and the University of Florida Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator. The Progress Corporate Park in Alachua is home to more than 30 companies. More than 80 percent of the 1,100 people employed there work at startup companies established with technology developed at UF.

The corporate host of the event is RTI Biologics, and sponsors include signature sponsor Fisher Scientific and event sponsors Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Banyan Biomarkers, FL High Tech Corridor and DavosPharma. The event is free and open to the public. For more information and a full list of the more than 70 scientific vendors, visit www.bioflorida.com.

BioFlorida is the voice of Florida’s bioscience industry association, and represents more than 200 member companies and research organizations in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device fields. Operating as a not-for-profit organization, BioFlorida members are involved in biomedical research and development, medical device manufacturing, clinics and hospitals, academia, government and nonprofit organizations and industry services/products. BioFlorida’s leadership and programs positively influence the growth of the industry through networking and initiatives related to capital formation, advocacy, workforce development, education and commercialization of research. In 2010, the BioFlorida Institute was established to focus on science education and professional development to provide bioscience industry resources.