Stem Cell network – Funded!
Exciting news for ScanBalt stem researchers with the announcement that NorFA will fund the ScanBalt stem cell research network. This funding will seek to develop the existing strengths in stem cell research of the ScanBalt bioregion by creating a common framework of collaboration. Read more here.

AgroBiotech network – Funded!
ScanBalt is pleased to announce that NorFA has granted funding to the Agro-Biotechnology Network focused on Root Microbe Systems (AB-RMS). It will develop a network of excellence, including both research training and research collaboration, in the Baltic Sea region. Read more here.

Boosting Baltic  – Kick Off meeting
The Boosting Baltic kick off meeting took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, with a presentation of data on national strengths and expertise by the participating partners. Read more here.

ScanBalt CompetenceRegion – Kick Off meeting
The kick-off meeting was the first official get-together of the “ScanBalt CompetenceRegion“ partners after the project application succeeded. The meeting was held in parallel to the kick-off meeting of the ScanBalt “Boosting Baltic FP6” project. Read more here.

ScanBalt Position Paper No.1: Metaregions and FP7
ScanBalt is proud to publish its first position paper. This position paper contributes to the debate regarding the EU’s seventh framework programme for research and technology (FP 7).
Read more here.

ScanBalt Bioregions exhibiting together at BIOnale 2004
The regions and regional networks that make up the ScanBalt BioRegion were at Bionale in Maastricht, last week, giving a very strong sign of their collective will to collaborate. They were using ScanBalt as a shared umbrella for the exhibition of their activities within research, education, tech transfer and development. Read more here.

Latvian company data added to capacities database
One of the objectives of ScanBalt is to provide information and links on the capacities that exist within ScanBalt Bioregion. The Companies database has seen the addition of new information on the Latvian biotech sector. Read more here.

ScanBalt Bioregion  – News
News and events from within the ScanBalt Bioregion

First German-Norwegian college for Neuroscience
The main target of this new network is to study how the brain regulates cognitive and affective functions and how these brain processes are involved in the pathogenesis and therapy of various clinical problems.Read more here.

New Danish Research Centres Funded
Funding from the Danish National Research Foundation has enabled the creation of three new centres for research at the University of Aarhus. Read more here.

Janez Potocnik – Commissioner designate for Science and Research
The hearing for the new commissioner designate, for science and technology, took place on the 1st of October. He made a number of key points, including that it is was vital that the commission introduce better forms of governance in order to make the Lisbon agenda more obtainable. Read more here.

Novetreat Ltd, Finland, receive permit for drug manufacture
The National Agency for Medicines granted a permit for a pharmaceutical plant to Novatreat Ltd on 4 October 2004. The permit makes it possible to manufacture the first product registered as a drug in the company´s production facilities in the Bio Valley area of Turku Science Park. Read more here.

Medical Biotechnology Centre – Inaugurated at the University of Southern Denmark
The centre will focus on biomedical research and in particular on the molecular analysis of disease mechanisms. Cutting edge research will be conducted in disease areas such as cancer, sclerosis, arthritis, CNS, cardiovascular diseases, infections and stem cell research. Read more here.

Vivoxid, Finland, enters European Market with Bioactive Glass
Vivoxid Ltd (Turku, Finland) has registered two new products for marketing in the European Union. CE approval was obtained for products aimed at solving medical problems in the head and neck / cranio-maxillofacial area. Read more here.

UNEP presents report on the state of the Baltic Sea
The United Nations Environmental Program presented its Global International Waters Assessment (UNEP-GIWA) report on the Baltic Sea on Friday during the 12th annual session of the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperation organization in Malmo, Sweden. Read more here.

Baltic Development Forum – Innovation and State of the Region Reports
At the recent Baltic Development Forum in Hamburg two new reports were launched concerning the Baltic region. These were publications on the State of the Region and Innovation in the Nordic-Baltic Sea region. Read more here.

Bioton, Poland, prepares for an IPO
Bioton, a Polish biotech company specialising in the production of recombinant insulin will be hoping to generate more funds from an IPO scheduled for later this year. Read more here.

Protobios, Estonia, seeks partners for stem cell technologies
Protobios Ltd is an Estonian biomedical research startup (Oct 2003) company for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. They are seeking partnerships to evaluate the Company’s cells and technologies in animal models and/or for drug screening purposes. Read more here.

Member News
News for and about ScanBalts members

11th Biotechnology Summer School, 2005 – BioMobil, Poland
The 11th Biotechnology Summer School (BSS 2005) is expected to take place between 10 and 17 July 2005. It will be organized by the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG-MUG under the auspices of the Centre of Excellence “BioMoBiL”. Read morehere.

Ludesi (Sweden) and Alphalyse (Denmark) unite Bioinformatics and Proteomics
BioTEAM south released the news of an alliance between Swedish bioinformatics company Ludesi, a leading software firm in the proteomics sector, and Danish proteomics company Alphalyse, who have a unique protein identification and characterization platform. Read more here.

Biotechnology in Estonia
The 2003 review of Estonian Biotech is available for download from the Estonian Biotechnology Association. Read more here.

Brand new Tri-City central laboratory opens in Gdansk, Poland
This brand new building opened earlier this month. It is part of the Medical University of Gdansk and includes new cell biology, molecular enzymology and molecular microbiology laboratories. Read more here.

EU Focus
Events and news from the EC

News/Policy
News from the European Commission

Kok report on the Lisbon strategy
Harmonised clinical research
SMEs Go Life Sciences – fully operational
1.6 Millon Euros to fight lung cancer
Danish Scientist calls for European Evaluation Area
3 Actions for innovation launched
EU and US Cooperation
Awards for Young Scientists
Venture Capital Network instigated
Descartes prize winners to be announced
New network for young researchers

Publications
Publications from the European Commission

Cordis Focus Supplement – SMEs ‘ride the wave’
Ethical aspects of cord blood banking
Survey on UK, European and US science parks – Cambridge is best

Calls, Funding and Grants
Call information, deadlines and reminders

Entrepreneurial Innovation – Networking Key Players and Users
8 more calls for Marie Curie
Research infrastructures
Economic and Technological Intelligence

Events
Conferences, workshops and forums in the EU

Pharmaceutical Computer Systems Validation Conference – 31st January, London, UK
Lithuanian Research Forum – 25 November 2004, Brussels
More and Better SMEs in EU Research – 12th November 2004, Oslo, Norway
FOODtechexpo, 8 December, 2004, Warsaw, Poland
Hormone Mimicking Chemicals in the Environment, 30 November, 2004, London, UK
Workshop on Molecular Complexity, 2 December, 2004, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Converging Science – 16-17 December, Trento, Italy
Epoline Annual Conference – 23 – 24 November, Salzburg, Austria
Technical Investment Forum, 15 November, The Hague, Netherlands
Computational Systems Biology,  6 December, 2004,Trieste, Italy

Web Services
Information portals, databases and other useful EU links

ERRIN launched to support regional participation in ERA

Biotech News
Notable stories from the Biotech world

$3 billion investment in stem cells in California
On the 3rd of November Californians voted on the radically ambitious ‘Proposition 71’, which releases at least $3 billion dollars purely for stem cell research. Read more here.

Become a member of ScanBalt
Learn more about ScanBalt membership. Click here.

Visit the news letter archive
Read previous issues of ScanBalt news. Click here.

Deadline for the next issue of ScanBalt news is 25th November