NCBiotech Event May 18 to Showcase Ag Innovation
A dozen agricultural biotechnology companies from North Carolina, seven other states and even a European startup from Portugal will share their breakthrough technologies for crop and animal health advancements at the day-long Ag Biotech Entrepreneurial Showcase 2016 May 18 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
The companies are using innovative technologies such as microbials to improve crop health, yield and economics, often without the need for genetic modification. Effective new vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and delivery systems will also be highlighted in the short company presentations.
This fourth annual Showcase organized by NCBiotech is intended to drive commercialization by presenting investment-ready ag technologies to an audience of some 150 entrepreneurs, investors, tech scouts, researchers and others.
In addition to the company presentations, attendees at the Research Triangle Park event will hear a panel discussion and keynote talks on various funding options for ag biotech companies and on “big picture” issues such as the importance of addressing global markets.
A keynote session will highlight the importance of innovation across the food and agriculture value chain to meet the increasing demands of our growing and increasingly more affluent global population.
The keynote speaker is Jim Blome, president, CEO and head of crop protection, North America region for Bayer CropScience.
A mini keynote by Margaret McCormick, Ph.D., CEO of Seattle-based algae company Matrix Genetics, will provide a successful entrepreneur’s take on creating value and bringing plant biotech innovations from the lab to market.
Randy Marcuson, adviser and former president and CEO of Embrex, will provide a concluding keynote, also from the perspective of a successful entrepreneur, on creating value and bringing animal health innovations from the lab to market.
A luncheon and evening reception will encourage networking.
Registration for the Showcase, at $100 per participant, closes at 11:59 p.m. this Sunday, May 15.
The event sponsors are Alexandria, Smith Anderson, and McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert and Berghoff LLP.
Summaries of the 12 presenting companies are here.