Speaker to detail strategic plan behind North Carolina’s biotech boom

Albany, N.Y. – Dr. Leslie Alexandre, an internationally known leader in biotechnology development with more than 25 years of private and public sector experience, will detail the evolution of North Carolina as a global biotechnology hub at a Bioconnex event held Wednesday, Nov. 28 at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany. 

“Dr. Alexandre’s first hand experience driving the growth of biotech in North Carolina is immediately relevant to executives, scientists and academics throughout the Tech Valley region,” said Eugene Schuler, chair of Bioconnex. “Our biotechnology companies and research institutions represent a sizeable component of the area’s overall technology portfolio, and the potential for long-term growth in this sector is enormous.” 

From August 2002 through January 2007, Dr. Alexandre was president and CEO of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, a state-funded private, non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research, business and education across the state. 

“North Carolina is an excellent model for a strategic and sustainable approach to biotech-based economic development,” said David Rooney, CEG’s senior vice president, programs. “As we continue to advance the Capital Region and Tech Valley in a number of high tech industries, it is critical to benchmark our progress against other areas of the world and use those comparisons to accelerate our own success.” 

Last month, CEG and Union College hosted a one-day conference to analyze how Tech Valley can learn from other regions around the county that have experienced significant growth through collaboration and technology transfer. In addition to a panel discussion, speakers from Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Madison, Wisconsin, shared lessons learned from the evolution of their respective regions as world-class technology hubs. 

Bioconnex Event Details: 

Time:                5:00 - 6:00, Presentation and 6:00 - 7:00, Reception
Location:          The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center, Albany
Cost:                Bioconnex Members, $10 and Non-Members, $20
Contact:           www.bioconnex.org or (518) 465-8975, ext 228 

About Bioconnex: 

The Bioconnex network is dedicated to the development and growth of the biotechnology community, and to strengthening the competitiveness of the Capital Region and Tech Valley as the premier global location for biotechnology research, education and industry. This vision is achieved through increasing networking and collaboration within the biotechnology community, developing partnerships between research, education and business and addressing common challenges facing biotechnology organizations in the Region. Visit www.bioconnex.org. About the

Center for Economic Growth: 

The Center for Economic Growth (CEG) is a regional economic and business development organization dedicated to developing and promoting efforts to attract high tech talent and companies and to provide innovative services to bolster local businesses in New York's Capital Region and Tech Valley. CEG is committed to growing local companies, attracting new investment and preparing local communities for future opportunities to generate robust, contagious and intelligent economic expansion. Significant financial support is received from the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), New York’s high-technology economic development agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). CEG serves as NYSTAR’s designated Regional Technology Development Center for Tech Valley, one of nearly 350 MEP locations across the country assisting local manufacturing and technology companies with generating new sales, creating stronger operational infrastructure and overcoming barriers to growth. Visit www.ceg.org. 

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