Contact: Anne Lupardus, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162
Site Contact: Matt Canter, Office of the Governor, 608-215-1081
MEDIA ADVISORY
Will be Joined by Stem Cell Pioneers Dr. James Thomson and Dr. Gabriela Cesar to Address the State of Biotech in Wisconsin
Governor Jim Doyle will lead the largest Wisconsin delegation ever to BIO 2006, the world’s largest biotech conference, at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago on Monday, April 10, 2006. Governor Doyle will be joined by biomedical pioneers Dr. James Thomson and Dr. Gabriela Cesar at 4:00 p.m. in the Wisconsin Pavilion, Booth Number 2570, to deliver remarks on the major developments for biotechnology in Wisconsin. Immediately following the presentation, Governor Doyle and Drs. Thomson and Cesar will be available for media until 5:00 p.m.
Over 20,000 biotech scientists, executives, investors, journalists, policy makers from more than 60 countries are expected to attend BIO 2006, which runs from April 10, 2006 to April 12, 2006. Governor Doyle will lead over 200 industry leaders from across Wisconsin to BIO 2006 – the largest delegation ever from Wisconsin. This will mark the first time that the world’s largest biotechnology conference will be held in the Midwest.
The state of biotech in Wisconsin will be on display at the Wisconsin Pavilion: 1600 square feet of exhibition space, the largest exhibition space the state has ever had. The Pavilion will feature cutting edge Wisconsin businesses and highlight groundbreaking research at Wisconsin universities, the Biomedical Technology Alliance of Southeastern Wisconsin, the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), and the Marshfield Clinic.
In November 2004 Governor Doyle announced a $750 million initiative to cement Wisconsin’s status as the nation’s leader in biotechnology and stem cell research. The strategy called for marshalling public and private resources to develop the right facilities for the next generation of discoveries.
The cornerstone of this initiative was the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, an interdisciplinary research center that would collaborate directly with industry – turning innovative new discoveries into high-paying jobs. Last week Governor Doyle launched the first phase of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, proposing a finance plan that will include $50 million from the WARF, $50 million from UW alumni John and Tashia Morgridge and $50 million from the State of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin’s biotech firms contribute about $6.9 billion to the state’s economy and account for more than 20,000 jobs in Wisconsin.
Forward Wisconsin (www.forwardWI.com) created in 1984, is the state’s business attraction organization and is a unique public-private marketing group, chaired by Governor Doyle. Its job is attracting new businesses, jobs and increased economic activity to the state. Forward Wisconsin identified biotechnology as a target industry for the state in 1988 and continues to market Wisconsin for life science growth. For more information on BIO 2006, visit http://www.bio.org/events/2006/.
WHERE: The Wisconsin Pavilion
Booth Number 2570, BIO 2006
McCormick Place Convention Center
Level 3 Exhibit Hall A
Chicago
WHEN: Monday, April 10, 2006
4:00 p.m.
The Wisconsin Pavilion will be open for visitors on Monday, April 10 from 9:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; on Tuesday, April 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and on Wednesday, April 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Media registration for BIO 2006 is complimentary and can be done on-site at the McCormick Convention Center. For more details on media registration, visit http://www.bio.org/events/2006/media/onsite.asp.
