Creating Connection – 2010: OBA Annual Conference
By Linda Barney, Barney and Associates

Creating Connection – 2010, the Oregon Bioscience Association’s annual conference, was held on Thursday, June 10 at the Oregon Zoo’s Conference Center in Portland. The conference broke records for attendance, and included technology experts, contract specialists, scientists, industry researchers, advocates, funding experts and policymakers. Speakers and attendees exchanged ideas about the aspects of local, national and international biotechnology and life sciences the state of biotechnology in Oregon and ways to improve it. A wide range of ideas were proposed and lively discussions occurred on the success and role of academic research, technology transfer and companies in the biotechnology industry.

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Full recaps of the day’s presentations

Keynote: State of Biotechnology and Oregon’s Role

Panel Discussion: Biotech Companies in Oregon – Why Are We Here?

Panel Discussion: Innovate Collaborate Oregon – Technology Transfer Examples

Keynote: Council of State Bioscience Associations – Biotechnology Industry Overview

Panel Discussion: Funding Bioscience in Oregon

Key recommendations from the conference

• Oregon currently has a highly educated workforce but needs adequate funding for future education.

• Oregon needs to do a better job of preparing K-12 students for college and moving students into careers in science, math and technology.

• Oregon lacks adequate funding for academic research and capital for new companies.

• While success stories were highlighted, Oregon needs to increase its efforts in collaboration and technology transfer by assisting in turning research into new commercial companies.

• The Oregon biotechnology industry needs to increase its efforts in collaboration and to showcase its capabilities.

Oregon currently has a number of existing programs and collaborations to meet these issues. The bioscience industry, the OBA, universities, government and companies are also developing new ways to improve education, increase bioscience funding, improve collaboration and provide an environment that fosters innovation.

Programs and opportunities to meet industry needs

• The new website called Innovate Collaborate Oregon (ICO) features innovations and opportunities from four of Oregon’s premier research universities: Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University, Portland State University and the University of Oregon. ONAMI and Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) are also collaboration sources.

• The Oregon Translational Research and Drug Development Institute (OTRADI) is a signature research center dedicated to providing a unique and previously missing link between Oregon university researchers and biotech or pharmaceutical companies to fuel drug discovery and commercialization in Oregon.

• University Technology Transfer programs available to help commercialize research include: PSU Lab2Market mentoring, Microproducts Breakthrough Institute, OHSU Bioscience Innovation Program (BSIP) and Springboard Programs, and the Oregon Graduate Institute's Real World Entrepreneurship program.

• The Portland State Business Accelerator provides a site with support for start-up companies.

• The Portland Community College Bioscience Technology Program helps prepare workers for bioscience careers.

• Funding grants are available through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant programs (under NIH).

• The Oregon Growth Account (OGA) provides investment capital to help encourage Oregon start-ups.

• The Oregon Innovation Council (InC) is a collaboration source.

• The Economic Gardening Bill is designed to provide funding for second-stage businesses already in the state.

Linda Barney is the founder and owner of Barney and Associates, a technical / marketing writing, training and web design firm in Beaverton, Oregon that provides writing and web content for the high tech, government, biotechnology, medical, sustainability and scientific communities. Linda writes articles for the Software Association of Oregon, the Oregon Bioscience Association, the Clean Technology Alliance, and the Supercomputing Conference. Contact Linda at linda@barneyassoc.com.