Highlights of the 1^st St. Petersburg International Pharmacy Engineering and Biotechnology Forum IPhEB

The 1^st St. Petersburg International Pharmacy Engineering and Biotechnology Forum IPhEB took place on April 26 – 28 in St. Petersburg. The IPhEB Forum was held wit the support of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North-Western Federal District and St. Petersburg Government. The Forum was opened with welcome speeches by Valentina Matvienko, Governor of St. Petersburg and Viktor Khristenko, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

The IPhEB Forum started with the plenary session Pharmaceutics and biotechnologies as strategic directions of innovative business in Russia. The session was take part by Valentina Matvienko, Governor of St. Petersburg, Viktor Khristenko, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Elena Telnova, acting Head, Federal Service on Surveillance in Healthcare and Social Development (Roszdravnadzor), Oleg Kostin, Director General of Special Economic Zones OJSC. Opening the plenary session, Mikhail Oseevskiy, Vice Governor of St. Petersburg who moderated the session –  emphasized that although “this forum is a debut for us, but it was a success. Many interesting, potential companies have come. We will have an opportunity to discuss problems, find new partners”.

787 Russian and foreign specialized have registered in the IPhEB events during the tree days of the Forum. The final resolution of the Forum included suggestions on the healthcare development, on forming the demand on innovations in medicine and pharmacology, on creating equal conditions for the public and private medical companies, on introducing international regulation practices, on forming clear rules on the right to apply for the Government financing, on staff training and many others.

The Forum featured opening of the first IPhEB exhibition of medical, pharmaceutical and laboratory equipment, where all the latest achievement in the pharmaceutical industry, innovative medicine, nano- and biotechnology were demonstrated. 110 business meetings and negotiation have been organized and held at the Matchmaking Center.

Initially the Forum was aimed to become the ‘business card’ of the Northern Capital – as it was announced by Zakhar Golant, Deputy Chairman, St. Petersburg Committee for Economic Development, Industrial Policy and Trade. He said that it is not planned to facilitate signing any agreements at the Forum. The main objective covered experience exchange only. However, St. Petersburg Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy has signed three agreements at the Forum. The first one concerned staff training – an agreement on using the European education program of state inspectors training for the pharmaceutical industry. The second one – with STADA CIS – on staff retraining. And the third one – between the companies PFIZER HCP Corporation, BIOKAD and the Academy – on opening a new department in St. Petersburg Chamical and Pharmaceutical Academy on the base of the BIOKAD laboratory in St. Petersburg special economic zone Neudorf .

All the participants have noticed the highly effective character of their participation in the IPhEB events. Vadim Vlasov, President of NOVARTIS in Russia said, “Many persons able to take decisions and who are interesting to talk to have come to the Forum. I would also emphasize the originative role of the Government of St. Petersburg, that brings some kind of provocative atmosphere that makes is interesting for participants to work there, the persons did not only attended the ceremonial part of events. St. Petersburg Forum – is the industry focused platform, and I think it is very important that this tone was set from the very beginning“.