Awards, ‘Bio Day’ mark Arizona Bio Expo

April 5, 2005

By hammersmith

Arizona’s annual conference to showcase its top bioscience research and industry practices opened on March 29 with the reading of a gubernatorial proclamation to honor the day as “Arizona Bioindustry Day.” The two-day expo featured a full agenda of presenters from Arizona and beyond, plus an inaugural bioindustry awards dinner.

Gilbert Jimenez, director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, opened the meeting by reading the proclamation from Gov. Janet Napolitano. The document cited the importance of the bioindustry to Arizona and its citizens.

The expo, held in Phoenix at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, is the centerpiece event of the Arizona BioIndustry Association.

Featured speakers included:

  • Michael Coffee, chief business officer of Avigen, Inc.
  • Patrick Kelly, vice president of state government relations for the national Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
  • Richard Love, chief operating officer of TGen.
  • Joseph Panetta, president and CEO of BIOCOM in San Diego
  • Walter Plosila, Vice President of Battelle and the chief architect of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap
  • George Poste, director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University
  • Raymond Woosley, president of the new Critical Path Institute (C-Path) in Tucson
  • Mary Jo Waits, senior fellow at the Center for the Future of Arizona.

Between panel sessions and plenary talks, attendees retreated to the exhibition hall, where 35 biotech vendors, companies, and related organizations manned booths. A scientific poster display presented the work of local research teams from some of the state’s primary research institutions. In all, about 250 presenters and registrants attended the event.

The conference also featured the first annual Inaugural Excellence in BioIndustry Awards Dinner, which recognized companies and individuals in five categories of excellence. The winners named were:


For more information:

Bio device by Tempe company acclaimed,” Arizona Republic, 03/31/2005

Closer Look at Biotech,” Arizona Republic, 03/29/2005

Arizona Bio Expo website