New alliances in biotechnology

New alliances in biotechnology

Turku Science Park enters a co-operation agreement with Heidelberg Technology Park
Turku Science Park and BioTurku in Finland continue to make alliances with the leading international operators in the field. Technologiepark Heidelberg GmbH in Germany and Turku Science Park Ltd have made a co-operation agreement focusing on biotechnology. It aims at exchange of information in order to commercialise scientific innovations and internationalise new enterprises in business incubators.

The agreement was signed by the Managing Directors of the science parks, Dr Ilkka Kouvonen and Dr Klaus Plate.

“In practice, we are investigating, for example, the opportunities for technology transfer and licensing, joint partnering events, and scientific seminars. Contacts will naturally be made closer through websites, publications, and general exchange of information,” says Ilkka Kouvonen, Managing Director of Turku Science Park. One of the focal areas in terms of content will be medical imaging, a vigorously developing line of business in which both science parks are strong.

”The agreement aims specifically at practical actions, joint projects, and results. We have a lot in common with Turku Science Park: method of operation, focal areas, and enterprise and team structures,” emphasises Klaus Plate, Managing Director of Heidelberg Technology Park. He is planning the development to lead to licensing also in trilateral co-operation which in addition to Heidelberg and Turku will be joined by Milan.

Heidelberg has undisputable recognition in biotechnology

Heidelberg Technology Park is one of the best-known clusters of biomedical business and research expertise in Europe and has expanded its operations to environmental technology in recent years. Heidelberg Technology Park started operations as Germany’s first biotechnology science park in 1985 and has been expanded a number of times after that. Today, the 50,000 m2 facilities house over 80 companies and 1,300 employees.

Heidelberg has been a highly valued university town since the 14th century and gained its world-wide reputation in biomedicine as a result of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) founded in the late 1970s, and other top research units in life sciences.

The Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) and EMBL form together a networked Nordic centre for molecular medicine, the memorandum of association of which was signed in Heidelberg on 3 October 2007. The research in the Centre of Excellence in Translational Genome-Scale Biology in Turku is part of the operations of FIMM.

For further information please contact:
Ilkka Kouvonen
Managing Director
Turku Science Park Ltd
Tel. +358 50 380 8600