Commentary: UPPER RHINE BIOVALLEY (Satis Shroff)

 Alas, the EU support has run out, and Bio-valley can’t bring up such a lot of money on its own. It’s interesting to note that the member firms in Germany pay a nominal sum of 150 euros per annum. The Swiss pharmaceutical giants have the necessary financial potential and are, after all, global players and are reluctant to invest in local, provincial environment represented by the Bio-valley cluster.

Commentary: UPPER RHINE BIOVALLEY (Satis Shroff)

The Biovalley is located in the heart of Europe in the Upper Rhine region. It comprises a tri-national environment with Switzerland, France and Germany and offers a heavy concentration of scientific services and business dedicated to life sciences and medical technologies.

In this constellation renowned universities, public and private labs, it can boast of three Nobel Prize winners in Medicine and Chemistry. The qualified technology transfer offices are based in Conectus in Alsace, the University of Freiburg and the University of Basle. These scientific platforms provide state-of-art scientific services to the industry and academics. Screening, spectroscopy, phenotyping, clinical research are some of the services provided. Together they have a talent pool, which is capable of adapting to an international environment with its qualified manpower and excellent training centres. This makes the Bio-valley an excellent place to boost research and business in Europe for business partner from all over the world.

Biovalley happens to be the leading tri-national bio-cluster in Europe, and one of the world’s leading Life Sciences clusters. The project synergy, due to its location in the heart of Europe,  brings together regional know-how from France, Germany and Switzerland together and all are located in the Upper Rhine region.

The Bioregion Freiburg alone is attractive and dynamic with a high quality of life. Although it’s located in south-west Germany, it is close to France (just across the Rhine in Breisach) and Switzerland (one-hour-ride with the sleek, white ICE-train). With its more than 600 Life Sciences companies, among them such global firms like Novartis, Roche, Pfizer, Sonofi-Aventis, Teva, Ciba, Bio-valley offers real expertise. Four universities and the joint biotechnology study programme train the next generation of young scientists on their way to becoming highly qualified experts in the biomedical sciences.

It might be mentioned that the above-mentioned tri-national cluster has received 2.2 million euros from the EU through the Interreg-programme. There were 21 other donors, of which 12 were from the German side, and a nice sum of 3.8 million euros came together. Alas, the EU support has run out, and Bio-valley can’t bring up such a lot of money on its own. It’s interesting to note that the member firms in Germany pay a nominal sum of 150 euros per annum. The Swiss pharmaceutical giants have the necessary financial potential and are, after all, global players and are reluctant to invest in local, provincial environment represented by the Bio-valley cluster.

‘How much does the Bio-valley homepage cost?’ you might ask. A sum of 15.000 euros at least. Nevertheless the people who run the German Biovalley platform are optimistic after 15 years of Interreg support. Who’s going to pay the bills in the future for the ambitious projects of the tri-national Biovalley platform ? The three-nation members want to do it on their own by financing it from the treasuries of the regions, as well as partners from commerce. 

Biovalley is the engine of development in the Upper Rhine, runs the motto. It is hoped that it’ll take a positive trend in the distant future, because the 600 firms involved will have 50,000 jobs to lose, with 300 firms involved in Biotech and Pharmaceuticals, 100.000 tri-national students, 15.000 scientists and 40 science-related technologies.

Green City Freiburg: European Convention of Environmental Laureates (Satis Shroff)

European Environmental Laureates Convention in Freiburg (Satis Shroff)

Freiburg is set to play host to environmental laureates from across the globe: under the patronage of Klaus Töpfer, the European Environment Foundation is organising the first “European Convention of Environmental Laureates”, to be held in Freiburg from 08-11 March 2012.

The convention is to serve as a platform for international and interdisciplinary exchange between figures who actively shape environmental policy.  There is to be a joint declaration from environmental laureates on UN Conference Rio+20. As part of the convention there will be meetings with young academics, students and school pupils, which is to this scribe reminiscent to the pow-pow of Nobel Prize laureates in the flowery isle of Mainau, which I attend sometime back as an invitee of the committee.

From 8-11 March 2012, the European Environment Foundation will hold the 1st European Convention of  Environmental Laureates in the fair Schwarzwald city of Freiburg. The remit of organising such a convention in the city is a key aspect of the European Environment Foundation’s charitable work.

Forty scientists and environmentalists from around the world, all winners of prestigious European and selected non-European environmental prizes, have announced their intention to participate at the first convention being organised in Freiburg.

The Convention has three key aspects: It is planned that environmental laureates will adopt a “Declaration of European Environmental Laureates on Rio+20” at the convention during the run-up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

Time for exchange between prize winners and young academics, students and school pupils, which is being coordinated together with the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg. Other programme features include a panel discussion with selected laureates and young environmental campaigners, as well as round table talks where laureates will discuss issues in detail with school pupils, students and young academics.

The convention aims to provide a platform for international, interdisciplinary, open-ended exchange between laureates from a broad spectrum of countries and from diverse research and working fields within the wide environmental world. In particular, it is intended to facilitate exchange at a personal level between environmental policy visionaries and pioneers, which is why the convention programme also includes a number of cultural events and opportunities to socialise. Furthermore, all laureates have been invited to attend together with their partners.

The patron of the 1st European Convention of Environmental Laureates will be Prof. Klaus Töpfer, former German Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Prof. Töpfer is also a former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi. Furthermore, acclaimed climate researcher Prof. Hans Joachim Schnellhuber will speak about “The Great Transformation” at a public event on the evening of 9th March 2012 in Freiburg’s Historic Merchants’ Hall (Historischen Kaufhaus), which is located near the cathedral.

The convention will be financed by the European Environment Foundation and through contributions from Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik & Messe (FWTM). The Mayor of Freiburg, Dieter Salomon, is a member of the Board of Trustees and has supported the project from its initial stages.

Freiburg is considered to be one of the birthplaces of the environmental movement, and has made a name for itself in the fields of solar research and solar technology, traffic policy, environmental and climate protection, and urban development. By launching the convention, the founding members and trustees of the foundation wish to strengthen Freiburg’s role as a “Green City” and a pioneer of sustainability. They also aim to provide fresh impetus to sustainability policy in Freiburg and the discussions that surround this. Bringing together international visionaries and pioneers in Freiburg in this way also serves to publicise and develop ecological endeavours across the globe. The international focus of the convention stems from the conviction that all environmental policy must be implemented on an international scale in order to be effective.

The European Environment Foundation was founded in autumn 2011. The aim of the foundation, which is registered under Swiss law, is to promote dialogue in all environmental policy disciplines within the European states, to provide them with stimuli and to spur on exchange within Europe that is constructive, builds trust, fosters communication and inspires research. The foundation is proud to name 12 distinguished figures from the international environmental movement as its trustees. Prof. Eicke R. Weber, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, holds the position of Chairman. Founding members of the foundation are Bernd Dallmann and Rolf Hiller.

WELCOME TO KAPPEL! Freiburg-Kappel's MGV 'Liederkranz' invites the delegation (laureates) of the European Environmental Convention to the Brauchtumsabend, an evening of traditional Allemanic customs and beliefs at the Festhalle Kappel.
The Schauinsländer Berggeister (Mountain Spirits of Schauinsland) are at it again in Kappel: the season of merry-making has started.Will be attending Kappel's traditional Brauchtumsabend, an entertaining evening of traditional customs from the Black Forest.