Experts to meet in Biovision's annual forum to discuss effects of disruptive innovation in healthcare

Leading figures to meet in Lyon, France to discuss new horizons in the healthcare of tomorrow

Biovision, the annual forum devoted to future-oriented research in life sciences, is launching this years’ registration campaign and its call for applications for innovative projects and companies. This year’s event will take place in Lyon, France, on June 5 and 6, 2014.

The World Life Sciences forum attracts a wide range of innovative companies seeking funding, partners and broader industry exposure. This year, it will bring together international decision-makers from the academic, policy-making, civil society and private sectors to discuss the effects of ‘disruptive innovation’. 

New in 2014, two special sessions will also raise awareness and educate the general public on the scientific issues of tomorrow.

High quality panelists from all over the world will debate the two key future-oriented themes of 2014: ‘immunotherapies’ and ’healthy ageing’. 

Immunotherapies:

Immunotherapy is a key topic at Biovision 2014. Today, better knowledge of the immune system is driving considerable advances in diagnostics, prevention and therapeutics for the treatment of infectious or chronic diseases and cancer. What are these solutions and how can they be developed to face the new challenges in human health care? How can we ensure that the greatest number of people can access these innovations via holistic or personalized medicine?

Healthy ageing:

The subject of healthy ageing spans health care policy, access to care, e-health care and innovative technologies. Worldwide, the number of people over 65 is set to triple between now and 2050, rising from 531 million to 1.5 billion. By 2050, the majority of people in Japan, South Korea and Germany are expected to be older than 50 (source: Pew Research Center). Speakers at Biovision will discuss the collective approaches developed in response to population ageing and a range of individual solutions that can help citizens to ’age well’.

Funding for health care projects takes center stage at Biovision 2014

By popular demand, the Biovision Investor Conference is returning for a second edition this year. Dedicated to funding for innovative businesses, it will connect start-ups, growth companies and mid-sized businesses with financial and industry partners in a series of discussions and meetings. 

Start-ups – selected by a committee co-chaired this year by Tim Haines, a partner at Abingworth, London, UK and Alexia Perouse, Associate Director for Life Sciences at Omnes Capital, Paris, France – will introduce their respective businesses at two dedicated sessions. 

Biovision, in partnership with world-class bio-cluster Lyonbiopole, is also organizing the second Catalyzer conference, which showcases innovative collaborative projects. Two sessions will provide increased exposure for immunology and ’healthy aging’ project owners and offer new opportunities to meet with potential partners. 

“Biovision reflects a desire to move from thoughts to action,” explains Alain Merieux, chairman of the Fondation pour l'Universite de Lyon and the Institut Merieux. “With this in mind, it is a place where multiple stakeholders can meet, be they from academia, the policy or private sectors, or from civil society - which also needs to understand the complexity of our professional challenges.”

Endorsed projects and companies who respectively wish to participate to the Catalyzer and Investor Conference will be announced online in early March. The final list of project holders and companies selected to present at Biovision will be announced on April 21 for Catalyzer and on May 5 for the Investor Conference.