Re Building on Virginia's Biotechnology Foundation

The 2006 Virginia Biz/Bio Conference (December 14, Virginia BioTechnology Park, Richmond) was an important, perhaps seminal event for the Commonwealth. Robert Skunda, Mark Herzog, Aneesh Chopra and all the organizers deserve congratulations for an excellent, eye-opening Conference. Dr. Charles Hamner, William Conklin and other speakers graphically illustrated what works to develop and grow a world-class biotechnology and life sciences cluster, and thereby provided keys to what we need to do now. The speakers and panelists illuminated many dimensions of Virginia's opportunities and challenges.

It is clear that Virginia has a solid foundation, and exciting new developments, thanks to proactive State action, important biopharma industry investments and public-private-academic partnerships. We are ready to jumpstart Virginia's leadership position.

We need to work hard, and together, to develop and strengthen the critical mass, infrastructure and identity to support Virginia's emergence as a global leader in the biotechnology and life sciences sector. Let us make 2007, the Jamestown QuadriCentennial, a year of leadership, action and progress for Virginia-based biotechnology and life sciences.