This is what Len Yodes, head of the Israel-Lithuania Chamber of Commerce, said at an event held by the Israeli Embassy on the occasion of the opening of the Life Sciences Baltics conference. Teva has been in Lithuania for a decade, now invites Israelis to receive testing and production services at the biotech-pharma company he heads.
A unique center (HUB) for the field of life sciences shared by Israel and Lithuania has begun to operate within the framework of the Israel-Lithuania Chamber of Commerce. This was stated by the head of the Israel-Lithuania Chamber of Commerce, Len Yodes. The father will provide linking and matching services between biotechnology and life sciences companies from the two countries, and will also help them become familiar with the laws and the investor environment in the other country.
The words were said at an event held by the Israeli ambassador to the Baltic states, Hagit Ben Yaakov, for the members of the large Israeli delegation (about 150 people who arrived on a special flight from the country) to the second Life Sciences Baltics conference. The first conference was held two years ago, and since then Lithuania has also had the chance to be the caretaker president of the European Union. The scientific program of the conference is organized by the companies Bioforum And the kaleidoscope of Israeliness.
Zev Zelig, one of the initiators of the conference and former senior vice president of the international biotechnology company Genzyme, says: "It is wonderful to see how the conference has become one of the most important conferences in Europe and serves as a platform for scientists, doctors, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and businessmen to seek joint business opportunities. There is no doubt that the cooperation between Lithuania and Israel will accelerate in the coming years. Therefore, we established a joint virtual center in the field of life sciences that will serve as a liaison unit between Israeli companies and Lithuanian companies and between them and European institutions and will be a compass that directs the companies to business success."
The Baltic states in general and Lithuania in particular are a regional focus for the field of life sciences. At a press conference on the occasion of the opening of the conference, the Lithuanian Minister of Economy Avalds Gustas said that 300 companies and a large number of research and development centers in the life sciences sector operate in the Baltic countries, and they offer an excellent opportunity for researchers, companies and investors. A growing number of companies are growing out of university research centers. These companies are successful in their fields of activity, and therefore they capture the attention of some of the world's largest companies in the field of biotechnology. As a result, Lithuanian companies were acquired by global market leaders such as Thermo Fisher, Mog and Sikor/Teva Group.
The biotechnology sector in Lithuania is experiencing growth of 22% per year, and the field of pharmaceutical research and production is at a 20-year high. Moreover, Lithuania's exports in the field of biotechnology grew by 17% in 2013. About 90% of production in the field of biotechnology is exported to over 100 countries around the world.
Over 15 thousand scientists and R&D people in various fields of life sciences have built the platform for a large number of success stories. Moreover, Lithuania has over 8,000 students for the various degrees in the field of life sciences and 1,200 graduate every year, a huge pool of talent. Strategic investment in modern infrastructures and a preferred environment for research and development add to the vitality of the industry in the area.
Factory tour - Biotech Pharma
One of the most prominent people in the field of life sciences in Lithuania is Prof. Vladas Bumelis, who for about a decade was the head of the branch of Teva - Teva-Sikor, which owns a manufacturing plant for biotechnological drugs in Vilnius. He serves as an honorary consul of Israel in Lithuania, and in the professional field he is currently the chairman of Biotech Pharma, a company that provides services in the field of protein development and testing their effects. He calls on Israeli companies that develop drugs to use the company's services, from testing to carrying out the entire production process.
"Lithuania and all the Baltic countries are an excellent place to do joint research or even invest in the production of medicines, and in various technologies in the life sciences because we have an excellent infrastructure, talented people who know how to work with technologies in the life sciences and also a positive environment for investments. There is also support from the governments in the high-tech industries and in particular in the life sciences so that every time you receive government support for the development of technology, you create new jobs and of course, in the end, make money:
What do you make here?
We do everything from A to Z from protein cloning in mammals, bacteria and yeast, UPSTREAM and DOWNSTREAM development for mammals and bacteria. We focus especially on the structure of proteins, checking the integrity level of the proteins (Impurity Profile) and more. We have a thousand-liter facility for mammalian cells and a 300-liter facility for bacteria. We deal not only with active ingredients but also pharmaceutical products and everything under GMC - GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE."
"I can help you maintain your vision. I can develop technologies for you and give you products so that you can do clinical trials, come to Lithuania, we are ready and we are doing this for global companies, I hope to help Israeli companies as well."
Can you tell about a special relationship with Israeli bodies?
Prof. Bomlis: "We are developing recombinant proteins, together with the Weizmann Institute. Today, these materials are used for research, but in the future, some of them may reach medical use through companies that will grow based on the drugs developed at the institute."
