Alliance Between VA Biotech Incubator & Israeli Biosciences Incubator Is Topic of Panel Discussion

PRLog (Press Release) – May 06, 2008 – The Virginia BioTechnology Research Park has become a nexus of innovation in bioscience. When the Park announced, in December 2007, the partnership of its newly created BioSciences Commercialization Center with a leading Israeli biosciences incubator, Richmond became a global presence in biosciences incubation and commercialization.

The leaders of that effort will speak to the Venture Forum during a lunch on Thursday, May 15, 2008, at the Virginia Historical Society. The discussion will include:
• an overview of the history of the initiative
• an exploration of the reasons why companies would choose to incubate in Richmond, rather than more established bioscience centers in Boston, New York, or San Diego
• why the relationship between the Park and Israeli companies has been driven, in part, by the presence and reputation of Virginia Commonwealth University
• how the Park’s Commercialization Center has created infrastructure to make the incubating companies attractive to investors
• what the VA BioSciences Commercialization Center means for the venture community in Richmond and central VA

The speakers:
• Donna J. Edmonds, Executive Director, Virginia Israel BioSciences Commercialization Center
• Robert T. Skunda, President & CEO, Virginia BioTechnology Research Park
• Kenneth R. Zaslav, MD, Medical Director, Virginia Israel BioSciences Commercialization Center
The panel discussion will be moderated by David R. Lohr, Executive Director, Virginia BioSciences Development Center.

The Venture Forum’s May luncheon is sponsored by PLANIT Technology Group (http://www.planittech.com). PLANIT offers its customers a wide range of integration services, delivering products, people and process in various technology verticals, including infrastructure planning and design, business continuity planning, application development, enterprise storage & backup, and network services – all with what the company calls its “service-obsessed” approach.

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The Venture Forum - the intersection of innovation and capitalization in central Virginia - is dedicated to promoting the success of entrepreneurial ventures, and the growth of entrepreneurship in central Virginia. Founded in 1986 as the Richmond Venture Capital Club, becoming The Venture Forum in 1998, the Forum has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors connect, helping Virginia become a top state for business. The Venture Forum – growth starts here.
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