The Hindu Business Line : German FIZ for Indian biotech cos

Dr Christian Garbe, Managing Director and CEO, FIZ (right), and Dr Helmut Menhart, Senior Member, at a press conference in Bangalore on Monday. — G.R.N. Somashekar

Bangalore , Aug. 23

FOR biotechnology companies looking at European tie-ups and markets, the journey could begin with `FIZ' in Germany.

Dr Christian Garbe, MD and CEO of FIZ (the Frankfurt Innovation Centre for Biotechnology), said it could be the gateway for Indian biotech companies looking at setting shop in Germany. The State-funded agency would be their bridge with German companies in technology or market tie-ups. It would help cut down the time to market. FIZ has the latest technology and solutions and can act as a catalyst for the Indian sector to achieve its goal of $5 billion in revenues by 2010, Dr Garbe told a news conference here on Monday.

Started in July 2002, FIZ has 15 biotech companies working in areas such as inflammation, central nervous system, proteomics and bioinformatics. Bangalore showed a big potential in bioinformatics related activities. According to him, FIZ is in talks with two Bangalore-based and a Pune-based biotech company.

Likewise, three German companies are also looking at outsourcing bioinformatics and formulations to India. Some of these may finalise their plans by October this year, when the Prime Minister of the German State of Hesse, Mr Roland Koch, is scheduled to visit Bangalore. Last month, German biotech major MWG opened operations in Bangalore.

FIZ last month signed an MoU with the Karnataka Biotechnology Development Council to promote cooperation in the area.

Dr Garbe said Germany was until recently inward looking but had now started noticing Asia as an important region. India, China and Japan were among the priority countries.

Dr Helmut Menhart of FIZ and Ms Anandi Iyer of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce said Germany the high burnout rate and high cost of commercialisation in Europe were driving R&D companies there to look for solutions in countries like India.