BIO 2024: Elevating Federal Labs in the Biotech Ecosystem

In a few weeks, San Diego will host the biotech industry's biggest global event of the year: the Biotechnology Innovation Organization's International Convention, or BIO. This annual conference draws more than 20,000 people from across the biotech ecosystem, including representatives from startups, big pharma companies, government and research organizations, academia and nonprofits.


In 2023, the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) began hosting shared boothspace with federal labs at BIO, making it easier for the labs to attend the conference, gain visibility and make connections for valuable partnerships. This year, the FLC booths will host representatives from the National Institutes of Health, the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations.


In this episode, representatives from these organizations will talk about what BIO has to offer, what they have to offer other BIO attendees and how to navigate this massive event.






In This Episode:


[02:12] Steve Ferguson NIH. The NIH has participated in BIO before it was even formed. This is a must-have meeting for technology transfer in the Biotech Industry.


[03:14] At one conference, they are able to see everything from manufacturing to policy issues to everything that impacts their job.


[04:08] Jamela Mavrakis FLC partnership manager. FLC's presence at BIO offers a cohesive platform for seamless networking opportunities for all of the labs.


[05:05] The shared space makes it invaluable for agencies to readily access opportunities and facilitate connections.


[05:44] Steve Ferguson talks about having the opportunity to work with multiple labs. It's more incentive for collaborators to work with Federal labs.


[06:31] Martin Hindel from NIST talks about how the conference strengthens their relationship with FLC. It gives them an entrance to the larger BIO world to showcase their technologies.


[07:24] John Kaplan from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is also looking forward to networking, sharing technology, and finding companies to collaborate with.


[08:28] Vladimir Popov from the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research will be manning a booth and moderating a panel discussion to raise visibility of his lab and opportunities in federal tech transfer.


[10:31] Research well and do your homework and look up the companies you'll be speaking with, create a good description about your lab, and things you would like people to approach you about.


[12:23] Hawk Tran from NAVREF talks about how amazing it is for the industry world and federal labs to come together, create synergy, and create solutions.






Resources: 


Biotechnology Innovation Organization's International Convention (BIO) (https://convention.bio.org/registration)


Steven Ferguson National Institutes of Health (https://www.techtransfer.nih.gov/prof...)


Vladimir Popov Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (https://frederick.cancer.gov/about/le...)


Martin Hindel National Institute of Standards and Technology (https://www.nist.gov/people/martin-hi...)


Hawk Tran National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (https://navref.org/professional-staff)


Federal Laboratory Consortium (https://federallabs.org/)


Jamela Mavrakis LinkedIn (  / jamela-mavrakis-b8a564131_i-had-a-fantasti...  )


John Kaplan U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (https://www.research.va.gov/programs/...)