The 2009 BIO International Convention is Coming to Georgia
The state’s fast-growing activities in the bioscience industry have helped Atlanta host the BIO International Convention in May 2009.
Why Georgia?
Visitor Information
Why Georgia?
Georgia’s Biocience Industry
Home to over 270 bioscience companies such as Merial, Solvay, Ciba Vision, UCB Inc., as well as many public universities, hospitals, and research institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Cancer Society and the Arthritis Foundation, employing over 30,000 overall
Employment in bioscience industry jumped 11.3%, versus 4% for all industries
Product sales in 2007 reached near $7 billion and are growing annually at 17%
The industry grew by 38.3%, compared to the state’s total industry growth of 13.8%
Bioscience industry investment jumped from $3 billion to $20.9 billion in just 10 years
The Atlanta-Athens region is in the 97th percentile for R&D funding nationally
Atlanta will host the 2009 Bio International Convention — more than 25,000 people from 70+ countries are expected to attend
Georgia Tech-Emory Department of Biomedical Engineering ranked 2nd in US (U.S. News & World Report)
Research Capabilities
Emory Vaccine Center- 35 affiliated faculty and 100+ postdoctoral fellows and graduate students; dedicated to creating new technologies to prevent emerging infectious diseases and to making GA a leader in vaccine R&D
The Center for Biotechnology and Drug Design at Georgia State University focuses on vaccines, diagnostics, applied genomics, drug design, synthesis, etc.
The Center of Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia- focuses on autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes
The University of Georgia’s Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute
University Collaboration
Several collaborative centers comprising Georgia Tech and Emory faculty as well as participation by other institutions include:
1. Nanomedicine: attracted over $40M in funding to the state
2. Regenerative medicine: provided $30M over the last 9 years for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research and development, and has additional partners at UGA,Spelman College, and Morehouse
3. Pediatric medicine: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has invested $430 million of their endowment to seed a partnership including Emory and Georgia Tech.
To find out more about Atlanta's biotech industry, please visit www.AtlantaBioscience.com.
Visiting Atlanta and Getting Around
With one main airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and a variety of Atlanta transportation options, getting around the city is easy.
Atlanta's mass transit system, MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) provides a convenient and fluid ride via train around the city for just $1.75. The A to Z Route connects riders with the Georgia Aquarium and Zoo Atlanta. The Peach, or Route 110, travels from Lenox Square to the Georgia State Capitol with several stops in between at popular locations.
What to Do
While you are visiting our city for the 2009 BIO International Convention, here are some of the top attractions in Atlanta:
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta Civil War Historical Sites
Atlanta Braves and Turner Field
Centennial Olympic Park
CNN Studio Tour
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Georgia Aquarium
Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and The King Center
NEW World of Coca-Cola
Piedmont Park
Stone Mountain Park
To learn more about Atlanta, visit the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau or check out ExploreGeorgia.org for complete visitor information. Order our Official Travel Guide and starting planning for 2009 today.
Please visit this page often for updates, news and information on this upcoming conference.