June 7-11, 1999
MISSION DESCRIPTION:
US&FCS Hamburg will recruit and organize a U.S. biotechnology delegation for a mission which will meet with selected German biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and venture capital organizations. On June 7, 1999, the first day of the mission, U.S. and German companies will attend a Biotechnology conference, which will serve as a forum for networking between U.S. and German companies. From June 8-11, the mission will offer participants one-on-one meetings with German companies in Hamburg and Berlin/Brandenburg. These regions are two of Germanys five main biotechnology centers.
U.S. manufacturers, researchers, or service providers in the biotechnology field are eligible to participate in the five-day mission for a $900 fee, provided their products are at least 51% US made (see Criteria for Participation below). German companies, who are prospective customers of the U.S. biotechnology industry, are eligible to participate in the biotechnology conference on June 7, 1999 for a fee of $220. The cost of the mission is completely paid by participation fees.
COMMERCIAL SETTING:
The U.S. is the worlds leading manufacturer and researcher in the biotechnology industry. In general, the German commercial environment is favorable toward U.S. products and services. The most promising sectors among the biotechnological products and services for U.S. sales in Germany are: gene amplification, DNA sequencing and synthesis, diagnostic kits, DNA probes, protein sequencing and synthesis, monoclonal antibodies, cell/tissue culture and engineering, purification/separation, electrophoresis, transgenic plants and animals, gene therapy and antisense technology, biotransformation, and enzyme engineering.
MISSION GOALS:
The missions goal is to enable American small and medium-sized companies to establish contact with the German biotechnology industry for the purpose of exporting their finished products, licensing their patents, and finding German venture capital for the continuation of their research.
MISSION TIMETABLE:
Sunday, June 6, 1999
Members of the delegation should arrive at the Marriott Hotel in Hamburg for an evening icebreaker with the delegation and conference speakers.
Monday, June 7, 1999
The Biotechnology Conference begins at 9 a.m. Senior managers of pharmaceutical and agricultural companies will make presentations on the German market and environment for Biotech. Mission participants will be given an overview of financing arrangements for German-U.S. startups and the EU regulatory environment information. Four afternoon breakout sessions keyed to topics covered in the morning will be followed by a joint session at 4 p.m., which will conclude at 5:15 p.m.
Tuesday, June 8, 1999
One-on-one meetings will take place at locations in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.
Wednesday, June 9, 1999
The Brandenburg Economic Development Corporation will give mission participants a tour of its facility devoted to pharmaceutical biotechnology and diagnosis. A briefing by the chairman of supervisory board will be followed by a session devoted to intellectual property and financial consulting for the U.S. mission participants. That evening, Ambassador Kornblum, Minister-President Stolpe, and the American Chamber of Commerce will host a dinner with leading members of Berlin-Brandenburgs scientific and business community at the Biotech Campus in Potsdam.
Thursday, June 10 Friday, June 11, 1999
One-on-one meetings take place in Berlin and Brandenburg.
Saturday, June 12, 1999
Participants depart from Berlin.
RECRUITMENT:
Recruitment will commence immediately and will close on April 12, 1999. Late applications will be accepted on a space available basis.
CS Hamburg has principal recruitment responsibility and has set a target to recruit 12-15 U.S. firms. Event promotion will involve, but is not limited to, the following venues: the Export Assistance Centers and their teams; Showcase Europe posts; relevant trade associations; German and American economic development offices, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and various in-house and purchased industry lists. The Biotechnology Mission will also be listed on the International Trade Administrations Internet home page.
CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION:
- Relevance of the company's business line to mission goals.
- Potential for business in the selected markets.
- Timeliness of the company's completed application and payment of applicable participation fees.
- Provision of adequate information on the company's products and/or services and communication of the company's primary objectives to facilitate appropriate matching with potential business partners.
- Certification that the company's products and/or services are manufactured or produced in the United States or if manufactured/produced outside of the United States, the product/service must be marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have U.S. content representing at least 51% of the value of the finished good or service.
Any partisan political activities of an applicant, including political contributions, will be entirely irrelevant to the selection process.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
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