Welcome to Biomedica.

In 2006, BioLiège, Life Sciences Limburg and LifeTec Aachen-Jülich joined forces and announced the convergence of their conference activities. Biomedica 2007, as a result, has been a big success with about 650 participants.
 
Until then, these three life sciences organizations in the regions of Liège, Aachen and Limburg organised their local conferences individually (Bioforum, Cells at Work, LifeTecXchange and Colloquium on Biomaterials). The three organisations have decided to hold one annual conference jointly, thereby focusing on the core competences of their regional research institutes and the research activities of companies active in the life sciences cluster. This is quite unique in the world of Biomedical Technology.

Within the Meuse-Rhine triangle, covering the neighbouring regions around Aachen in Germany, Maastricht in the Netherlands and Liège in Belgium, there are strong competences in life sciences. Behind these competences stand 5 universities within a range of about 40 kilometres from each other, but also a number of key research institutes and more than 300 larger and smaller companies, all active in the area of life sciences.

The regions have organised their life science activities through foundations: LifeTec Aachen-Jülich, Life Sciences Limburg and BioLiège. They are part of what is called the “Heartbeat” of Life Sciences in Europe. These foundations have created strong networks between their members and organise events on new developments. Here, science and industry meet which stimulates new initiatives for co-operation.

Further steps have been taken by the Partners to promote the Meuse-Rhine triangle and to become a top region in life sciences, recognised as such world-wide.

The organisations mentioned decided to strive towards an even stronger linking of their activities and initiatives by jointly organising the Biomedica conference in Maastricht in 2008, in Liège in 2009 and in Aachen in 2010.

To arrive at a clearer structure and perspective in their activities, the partners have created the Biomedica foundation and have chosen a number of focus areas in life sciences.

These focus areas are also the main topics of the Biomedica conferences:

1. Biomaterials
2. Molecular medicine and imaging
3. Medical devices
4. Biopharmaceuticals
5. Industrial biotechnology
6. Food & green biotechnology

In these areas, the existing strong competences can be further enhanced through new contacts and co-operations between the members. This is why the Foundation organises Biomedica 2008 and invites the world of life science to participate.

From left to right: Dr. F. Bollen (Life Sciences Limburg); Dr. R. Gossink (LifeTec); Prof. C. Grandfils (BioLiège).