Biotek-konferencen "EU Biotech 2002"

The spoken word holds.

Commissioner Liikanen, ladies and gentlemen

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to this conference on life sciences and biotechnology.

This conference has brought together participants from all over Europe: From industry, from academia, from the public administration and the political sphere.

I am sure that you, like myself, have been looking forward to this event on life sciences and biotechnology.

I shall not take it upon myself to give you an exact definition of biotechnology. But it is often described and thought of as a very new technique.

We all know that this is of course not the case. Denmark has produced beer for many years. And this would have been impossible without biotechnological processes.

The driving force

Biotechnology has been put at the very top of the European agenda. We see biotechnology as a driving force. Biotechnology will help us to achieve the European objective for the next decade.

The ambition for Europe is to become the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world.

To release the enormous potential in the bio-science and bio-technology field, we need to capitalise on our strengths and invest in our future.

We have come a long way. We have major initiatives like:

• The 6th Framework Programme
  
• The European Research Area
  
• The strategy and actionplan on life sciences and biotechnology
  
• and the G10 report on innovation and new medicines.
  

Today, we have an important task to carry out. We have to be very focused.

We have to ask ourselves how we can contribute to the development with these connected strategies? And ask: How can we get the benefits while taking due account of ethical and social concerns?

My view is clear: We have to utilise the results of research. We have to turn ideas into new products and services.

This is a process which requires substantial effort in:

• First: strengthening the chain from education, through research to innovation
  
• Second: building partnerships between universities and industry
  
• Third: stimulating technology transfer
  
• Fourth: increasing investment
  
• And fifth: promoting and integrating ethical reflections in research and development
  

Today, in this forum, we have an outstanding chance to involve essential stakeholders in the process. We need an on-going dialogue between industry, the universities and research institutions. That is the only way to discover and use the full potential of the sector.

As minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, I think its important to work for improved co-operation between education, research and innovation.

I will give you a few examples:

In Denmark we have had success with graduate schools jointly funded by industry and the government.

Industry is taking a greater co-responsibility for the training of a new generation of scientists. Industry is showing a rapidly growing interest in financing what we call "industry-Ph.Ds".

Since 1987 biotechnology has had high priority in Danish research policy. The public sector has invested more than 200 million Euros.

We have also invested in "centres without walls" in the health care sector. Three centres provide bridges between education and research. And between public and private research collaboration.

Public-private collaboration is also a key element in terms of investments and access to venture capital. In fact, life science-companies received more than 40 percent of the venture investments in 2001.

We also have to focus on the regional perspective:

The Danish Growth Fund has established a Nordic Biotech Fund with Swedish and American investors.

Of course, this initiative has been brought along by the perspective of future investments in Medicon Valley and the Øresund-region.

Knowledge

A strong knowledge base is crucial to Europe's competitiveness. And we should remember that Europe is home to some of the world?s leading scientists and cutting-edge technologies.

But when it comes to education and research we have to take the skill-shortage seriously. That calls for a qualitative approach as well as a quantitative.

And we must ask ourselves, what kind of skills are needed and in which areas? It is not sufficient to state that we need more candidates and Ph.Ds in the life sciences.

We also have to encourage greater mobility among researchers. That is between the public and private sector. But also mobility in Europe. And between Europe, America and Japan.

We need to think in terms of multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary research.

It is also required that we integrate ethical and societal perspectives in the life sciences and biotechnology knowledge base.

This conference is very timely. In November the competitiveness council will discuss and adopt a road map.

The road map will steer us towards the implementation of the European strategy on life sciences and biotechnology

I hope that this conference will be able to contribute to this road map. Therefore, I will invite you all to work actively for the implementation.

Thank you for your attention.