ABOUT THE INNOGEN CENTRE

Innogen is the Centre for Social and Economic Research on Innovation in Genomics. It is part of the ESRC Genomics Network, three Centres across the UK studying the evolution of genomics and life sciences and their far-reaching social and economic implications.

The life sciences have the potential to transform health care and food production systems in developed and developing countries and to provide one of the main platforms of economic growth and global competitiveness in the 21st century. Rapid developments in life sciences also challenge our existing regulatory systems and raise new ethical and social issues. Innogen's research is providing a sound base for decision-making in science, industry, policy and public arenas and will improve our understanding of each of these contexts and their interactions.

Innogen is based at the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the Open University, and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The Centre’s research and policy programme is highly interdisciplinary and its researchers have backgrounds in social sciences, natural sciences, geography, development studies, economics and law. The Centre also engages with a wide range of stakeholders, nationally and internationally, including scientists, industry and private interest groups, policy makers and regulators, and citizens and public interest groups.

ABOUT THE ELSIS CONFERENCE

The life science industries are entering a period of major challenge to their existing structures and relationships, and to established operating systems. Difficulty in maintaining the impetus in drug pipelines is leading to new relationships between multinationals and small and medium sized companies; scientific advances in pharmaco-genomics, genetic databases, stem cells and bio-informatics are opening up new options for disease treatment regimes and for cures for chronic diseases; the dividing lines between the bio-pharmaceuticals, agro-biotechnology and food industries are being eroded; these changing boundaries and new scientific developments are presenting new policy challenges; and factors like demands for cheaper drugs or public rejection of GM crops are causing turbulence in previously stable markets

WHO SHOULD COME?

The ELSIS conference will be unique in bringing together keynote and session speakers with international reputations, including industry executives, scientists, policy makers and academics, in a series of plenary sessions. They will give their views on how these important trends are evolving, how they will interact with one another, how they will impact on the future shape of the life science industry sectors, the range of products and processes that emerge from these innovation systems, and the range of human needs they will serve. An important aim of the conference will be to promote constructive dialogue among participants from all these areas, helping to shape future pathways of innovation in the life sciences.

THE VENUE

The Edinburgh International Conference Centre is a world class location and Edinburgh itself is one of the top three conference locations in Europe (http://www.eicc.co.uk/content/). We will cater for approximately 500 conference participants, with at least four parallel streams of presentations.

SPONSORSHIP

We are actively seeking sponsorship for various aspects of the conference and would welcome contacts from organisations interested to participate in this or any other way. Sponsorship opportunities include:

• Reception/whisky tasting on the evening of 23rd February
• Second evening reception on 24th February
• Presentations from keynote speakers
• Attendance from developing country participants and students
• Attendance from members of the sponsor’s organisation
• Support for particular streams at the conference
• Conference presentation and publicity materials, e.g. conference bags, publicity banners inside or outside the Conference Centre
• Presentation of publicity materials on TV monitors strategically placed around the conference reception areas

The area where lunches will be served has ample space for publicity stands which will be hired to individual organisations to present their products.

THE PROGRAMME

Each half-day session will include at least one plenary address by an internationally known speaker from science, industry, government, policy or academic communities.

The final session will be opened up to a wider local audience and will be addressed by three plenary speakers on issues related to the long term evolution of the life science industries and the impact of new scientific knowledge on this evolution.

The remainder of the conference will be devoted to at least four parallel streams: two covering Industry/Science Strategies; one on Governance, Policy and Regulation; and one on Integrated Evolution, dealing with industry/policy/strategy interactions.

Many of the presentations at the conference will be by invitation, but we will also welcome offers of papers on any of the themes below. At this early stage we are also open to suggestions for additional themes

Themes proposed for the parallel sessions include:

Industry/Science Strategies (1) – industry perspectives

• The future for ‘big pharma’
• Pharmaco-genetics and industry strategies
• Mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances
• Evolution of life science industries in Asia and Latin America
• The future for the agro-biotechnology industry

Industry/Science Strategies (2) – new medical and food-related technologies

• Stem cells and cloning – their potential impacts on therapies
• Bio-informatics and new discovery strategies
• Knowledge management in life sciences
• Genetic databases – impacts on public health and evolution of life sciences
• Public benefits from GM crops

Governance, Policy and Regulation

• Globalisation and the international governance of life sciences
• Science strategies and their impacts on industry and life sciences
• Regulation of the life sciences in health-related industry sectors
• Regulation of the life sciences in agriculture and food-related industry sectors
• Regional development and biotechnology clusters

Science, Industry, Policy and Stakeholder Interactions

• Industry structures and dynamics - policy options and their implications for innovation
• New discoveries, new areas of innovation and their links to industry strategies and government policies
• The impact of ethical and stakeholder pressures on policy and innovation
• Communicating about life science-related innovation

Final Plenary Session

The final plenary session will open up the issues discussed at the conference to a wider audience and will be hosted by a media personality.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Many of the presentations at the conference will be by invitation, but we will also welcome offers of papers from individuals.

Abstracts of approximately 250 words containing the paper title and a summary of the content should be sent by 27th September, 2004, using the proforma on the Innogen website, to:

Julie Hamilton, Project Manager

ERSC Innogen Centre

The University of Edinburgh

Old Surgeons Hall

High School Yards

Edinburgh EH1 1LZ

Email:

DEADLINES

Notification of Interest Form by 30th August 2004

Abstract submitted by 27th September 2004

Paper submitted by 8th November 2004

Final paper acceptance 13th December 2004

Register from 1 September 2004

Early booking rate applies to registrations received BEFORE 1 November 2004.