South Dakota companies, communities attend BIO Show

PIERRE, S.D. - Several biotechnology companies, state development officials and communities are banding together May 3-6 to represent South Dakota at the 2010 BIO International Convention in Chicago.

“South Dakota has a lot to offer companies that specialize in biotechnology,” said Gov. Mike Rounds. “Whether companies are involved in plant or animal biotechnology, medical devices or pharmaceuticals, our state is a great location to conduct clinical trials, operate a research and development center, or produce a product.”

The Governor noted that the BIO show is the world’s premier trade show for biotechnology. More than 14,000 individuals attended the show in 2009, and more than 70 percent of them represented upper management within their organizations.

“We have strategically selected the trade shows we attend,” Gov. Rounds said. “In our four years attending the show, we have found this strategy to be extremely effective in increasing our leads and contacts with prospective companies, which in turn, brings more businesses to South Dakota.”

The following South Dakota representatives are attending the BIO International Convention: Exemplar Genetics, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Sanford Health, South Dakota State University and the SDSU Innovation Campus, and the cities of Brookings, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, Sturgis, Watertown and Yankton.

The BIO International Convention is put on by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).

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Links:

• BIO
• South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Developoment
• South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development