Press release 14 June 2008
Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Minister for Trade Ewa Björling to visit world's largest biotechnology fair in San Diego

On 15 to 18 June, Minister for Trade Ewa Björling will visit California. Dr Björling's agenda includes inaugurating the Swedish Trade Council's new office in San Francisco, taking part in the world's largest biotechnology fair - BIO2008 - in San Diego and visiting Google's headquarters, the Googleplex.

On Tuesday 17 June, Dr Björling will take part in BIO2008 in San Diego. The fair will attract over 2 200 companies from more than 50 countries. Sweden, together with Norway, Finland and Denmark, will take part in a joint Scandinavian pavilion that will attract 69 participating companies and is ranked as one of the fair's ten largest pavilions. During the day, a special Swedish seminar will be held on the theme 'The secret behind Sweden's drug development pipeline', where Dr Björling and President of Karolinska Institutet Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson will be among the speakers.

Other participants at the fair include Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who will speak about the biotechnology industry in California, Thailands Ministry of Industry Suwit Khunkitti and India's Minister of Science and Technology Kapil Sibal.

Programme points:

Monday 16 June:
Inauguration of the Swedish Trade Council's new office in San Francisco.
Visit to Google's headquarters, the Googleplex, and to biotechnology company Genetech.

Tuesday 17 June:
Participation in BIO2008. Speaker at Swedish seminar 'The secret behind Sweden's drug development pipeline'.