UCC to host prestigious conference

THE largest agricultural biotech conference in the world will be held in Ireland for the first time in August 2008 with the University College Cork campus as the venue.

It will provide a forum for internationally renowned speakers to address the challenges facing the global biotechnology industry.

A contract securing the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference for Ireland has just been signed by Professor Jimmy Burke, head of Teagasc Crops Research Centre.

He said the conference offers a great platform to showcase Ireland’s growing life science industries.

Various reports have identified biotechnology as one of the core technologies which Ireland and its industry must now embrace.

“These reports have also identified the agri-food sector as one that can benefit significantly from the tremendous potential offered by modern developments in biotechnology,” he said.

Prof Burke said the four-day event will offer participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and hear from a distinguished line-up of speakers.

The conference combines the business of science with the latest discoveries and trends in research and technology development, and gives the research and business community opportunities to meet and exchange ideas.