South Florida is a vast region characterized by unique educational institutions and organizations, both large and small, involved in all aspects of the Life Sciences from research, development and commercialization of novel diagnostic and therapeutic products to world renowned treatment centers that offer the latest advancements in patient care. To address this dynamic marketplace, the Enterprise Development Corporation of South Florida (EDC), in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University, launched its annual Life Science conference in 2002 to “connect the dots” across our region. Since then, the conference has grown and been hosted by four of South Floridas universities, and this year will return to Florida International University in Miami on April 24th.
Addressing one of the key trends in todays healthcare marketplace, the convergence of information technology and the Life Sciences, the conference will explore how we are using information technology not only to meet todays healthcare challenges, but also to link South Floridas Life Science community together for meaningful collaboration and ultimately, the successful growth of this cluster in our region. Over 300 industry veterans, seasoned academic professionals and entrepreneurs will attend this daylong event and engage in meaningful collaboration through poster sessions, panel discussions and networking. Biotech 2008 features three Keynote speakers, each bringing vast experience both in industry and academia, including: Dr. Alex Ullrich, Max Planck Society, Noel Guillama, The Quantum Group and Dr. Anne Burdick, University of Miami. Discussion topics will include: underlying technology platforms that are driving the healthcare industry; novel applications for patient monitoring, diagnostic, and therapeutic products; South Floridas pipeline of emerging technologies; venture capital funding of Life Science products; and improved medical billing, records retention and other healthcare services. Speakers will discuss the current state of our healthcare system, new research and discovery programs, innovative product developments, and where we can go from here in order to fully leverage the promise of technology to improve patient care. Nearly two dozen speakers and over 25 sponsors are participating this year to support one of South Floridas most important and fastest-growing industries. More information and a complete agenda can be found at www.edc-tech.org.
