Hyderabad, Jan 25 (IANS): Spain, which is the country partner at BioAsia 2013 being held here next week, is looking to network with Indian companies and other participants from the Asia-Pacific region in the area of biotechnology.
Spain, a country of science and innovation which is ninth scientific power in the world, will be the country partner at the 10th edition of the annual biotechnology and life sciences conference to be held here Jan 28-30.
"Spain will showcase its core R&D capacities and technology leads, facilitate identification of partners and create critical mass for future R&D calls or technology licensing agreements," said Adrian Gutierrez Arboles of Spain's National Innovation Agency, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
The Spanish delegation will use the platform to identify potential partners for industry-driven R&D consortia for future R&D calls for proposals under the DBT-CDTI programme or other European programmes.
It was in 2011 that the programme of cooperation was signed between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, India and Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), Secretariat of State for R&D and Innovation, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Spain.
The objective was to promote and provide preferential financing for innovation-driven research and technology development, encourage partnerships and business-led R&D&I collaborative projects in the field of biotechnology.
Adrian, who is also the head of Science and Technology Department, Embassy of Spain, said the Spanish biotechnology sector is only 15 years old.
"The success of Spanish biotech companies depends to a large extent on their capacity to export their products, establish joint projects and technology exchange agreements and obtain international financing."
"Regarding companies' priority markets in their internationalization strategy, Brazil, the Southern Cone and India are becoming more important, although the EU and USA remain more relevant," he added.
The number of biotech companies in Spain during 2000-2010 rose 359 percent.
The European country has 1,095 companies in the biotech sector, fifth largest in the world.
Spain is the second OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) country, only after the US, by number of biotechnology firms.
It is the eighth OECD country in terms of total biotech R&D expenditure of the business sector.
Adrian believes BioAsia has excellent track record in terms of attracting international participation, main stakeholders, venture capitals, reputed pharma and biotech companies and R&D institutes.
It benefits from outstanding institutional support from the state of Andhra Pradesh as well as from different agencies and ministries of India.