BERLIN, November 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The German government's active support of biotechnology investments is one of the country's leading advantages to international investors. The German government's strategy of fostering innovation in biotechnology and possible benefits of such support to foreign companies will be the focus of a presentation series at Bio-Europe 2008 on November 17, 2008 in Mannheim, Germany addressing opportunities for foreign biotech investors in Germany. The presentation series takes place during the Bio-Europe 2008 convention, running November 17-19, 2008 in Mannheim.

Germany's support of biotechnology investments has helped turn the country into the home of 500 biotech companies and make it a leader in specialist areas such as regenerative medicine. Public funding for biotechnology in Germany will be the topic of Dr. Stefan Lampel's presentation. He is the head of EU and International Affairs for the Project Management Organization Juelich. His talk will also examine eligibility criteria for foreign companies to receive public funds.

Industry clusters have helped Germany become a leader in health care and biotechnologies as they allow for companies of all sizes to pool resources. The director of Germany's top health care cluster will be one of the speakers at the seminar. Dr. Christian Tidona, Managing Director of BioRN Cluster Management GmbH, will discuss how his cluster won a Euro 40 million research grant. With this grant, companies in the cluster hope to develop up to 70 new drugs, diagnostics, and platform technologies, in addition to 19 innovative services by 2013. The BioRN Cluster is also the home of 2008 Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Harald zur Hausen.

Lastly, the presentation series will focus on regenerative medicine. Germany's expertise in this area allows for foreign companies to use the country as a base for RD activities in this exciting area of medical research. This will be the topic of Dr. Anja Elstner's presentation. She is the network manager for the Regenerative Medicine Initiative at the Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies. She will discuss the role of the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Research Foundation in supporting specialized research centers focusing on regenerative medicine. These centers located in the German cities of Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, and Hannover and will receive Euro 150 million in support.

Dr. Nicola Henneberg, Senior Manager for Healthcare at Invest in Germany GmbH, will start the presentation series with an introduction to Germany as a biotech investment location. She notes, Government support, along with an excellent workforce, have helped make Germany one of the world's top players in biotechnology and a leader in regenerative medicine. The presence of clusters helps make the country particularly welcoming to small and medium-sized enterprises as new entrants can plug into a pre-existing infrastructure and then focus only on its core competence, such as RD.

Invest in Germany is the inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. It provides investors with comprehensive support from site selection to the implementation of investment decisions.

Media Contact: Eva Henkel Invest in Germany Phone: +49-30-200099-173 Fax: +49-30-200099-111 Email: Henkel@invest-in-germany.com

Media Contact: Eva Henkel, Invest in Germany, Phone: +49-30-200099-173, Fax: +49-30-200099-111, Email: Henkel@invest-in-germany.com