26 April 2013

PRESS RELEASE – Presented by Sherbrooke Innopole, Sherbrooke International Life Sciences Summit 2013 (SILS) reveals a full two-day program under shared honorary chairmanship from Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson, on September 26 and 27, 2013.

Over 15 renowned speakers and panelists of the pharmaceutical and medical technologies sectors from around the world will be on site to discuss collaboration and open innovation with the 300 participants expected at this event. It will be an opportunity to outline the current situation in Life Sciences and give thought to future perspectives for this industry.

SILS’s keynote conference will be presented by Dr. Robert Langer, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Langer, a pioneer in controlled-release medication and tissue engineering, will share his own analysis of current trends in Life Sciences, as well as some of his personal collaboration experiences. Dr. Réjean Hébert, Minister of Health and Social Services, will also be a guest speaker at the Summit.

Ten big pharma as well as biotechnology and medical technologies businesses, among which Pfizer, Novartis, Zimmer, Eli Lilly, Roche and CAE Healthcare, will outline their needs for collaboration to the researchers, large and small businesses, and investors attending the event.

”The Summit is an exceptional international showcase for businesses and research centers in Life Sciences from Sherbrooke. An important component will be dedicated exclusively to them through the Spotlight on Sherbrooke video, which will highlight Sherbrooke expertise and its innovative spirit”, says Josée Blanchard, Director, Business Development – Life Sciences at Sherbrooke Innopole.

Participants will also have the opportunity to attend a panel highlighting collaborative models’ success stories. Hosted by Professor Ola Hermanson, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, this panel brings together organizations from Sweden, the United States, and Canada, among which the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Medicon Village, NeoMed and MedTeq.

Parallel to this outstanding program, Sherbrooke International Life Sciences Summit offers personalized B2B matchmaking. “In this era of globalization and uncertain economic trends, partnerships and innovation are key elements in the development of our industries, including Life Sciences. Intra and inter-disciplinary networking, on local as well as on national and international levels is essential, mentions Pierre Bélanger, Director General for Sherbrooke Innopole. These meetings will give participants an opportunity to explore and stimulate business opportunities between key-players of the pharmaceutical and medical technologies sectors, large and small businesses, and researchers from all around the world.”

SILS participants will have the opportunity to attend a conference luncheon on the art of creative networking presented by Garry Savage, Director for The Centre for Research and Innovation of Performance at the Cirque du Soleil, and Sylvie Geneau, specialized consultant in Creativity and innovation.

Participant will also get a unique chance to discover the Sherbrooke region through a gourmet dinner aboard the Orford Express tourist train or a gourmet rally at the city’s best tables.

Registration to Sherbrooke International Life Sciences Summit is now open and the Early Bird fee is in effect until April 30^th 2013.

Organized by Sherbrooke Innopole with the collaboration of Rx&D and MEDEC, and with financial help from the Ministère des Finances et de l’Économie du Québec, Canada Economic Development, the City of Sherbrooke, and the Conférence régionale des élus de l’Estrie, the Summit will be held under shared honorary chairmanship from Sanofi, the most important pharmaceutical group in France, and Johnson & Johnson, an American leader with over 250 subsidiaries in the world.

All information pertaining to the Sherbrooke International Life Sciences Summit can be found on-line at www.sils-sherbrooke.com, as well as on Twitter (@SILS_Sherbrooke), Facebook (www.facebook.com/silsSherbrookeInternationalLifeSciencesSummit) and LinkedIn (groupe « SILS – Sherbrooke International Life Sciences Summit »).

About Sherbrooke Innopole

Sherbrooke Innopole’s mission is to ensure innovative, harmonious, and dynamic economic growth and development in the Sherbrooke Region by promoting the development of companies created from Sherbrooke ingenuity and research, attracting new businesses, and supporting existing manufacturing firms in their expansion, innovation, and internationalization initiatives. www.sherbrooke-innopole.com