FRANKFORT, Ky. (August 5, 2014) – The Kentucky BioAlliance (KBA), a statewide biotechnology and life science industry group, has launched a new website in conjunction with an initiative to recruit new members.
Kentucky BioAlliance is a 501(c)6 non-profit, member-supported industry organization providing support and services to the state’s biotechnology and life science firms and institutions. The KBA’s vision is to connect, promote and developing the assets of the industry into a community achieving sustained economic growth. The organization acts as a catalyst for sharing ideas, exchanging knowledge and identifying potential collaborations and resource sharing opportunities. It also seeks to co-develop projects, implement strategic initiatives and communicate member strengths and objectives to key stakeholders throughout the commonwealth and across the nation.
The organization’s new online home (www.KentuckyBioAlliance.org) and menu of offerings includes reduced fees, enhanced networking, educational opportunities and other resources and benefits in support of Kentucky’s biotech and life science industries. Membership is free to college students, recent college graduates and those seeking jobs in the biosciences.
Under the direction of the KBA’s new board and its executive director, Paul Boisvert, who was named to the position earlier this year, the organization will be more focused on the needs of its members. “In February we surveyed current and prospective members around the state,” said KBA Board Chairman Eric Ostertag, who is also CEO of Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., in Lexington. “The results clearly indicated that the KBA needed to offer a broader range of programs and benefits to help attract and retain members. As part of our response, the KBA’s new website is very interactive and informative, with more features and content to help our members stay informed about news and events, as well helping them access resources, such as students and recent graduates from Kentucky universities who are looking for internships and jobs.”
Ostertag emphasized that the website is just one component of the KBA’s effort to help the state’s biotech and life science community grow and succeed. “We feel that Kentucky’s high-tech companies and entrepreneurs can benefit tremendously by being better integrated, by sharing knowledge and resources, and communicating their objectives and accomplishments to local, state and national lawmakers. These are key objectives as the KBA moves forward,” he said.
KBA Executive Director Paul Boisvert, who until recently worked for the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and has more than 25 years of experience in promoting science and technology, agreed that the KBA needed to be more focused on supporting its members. “Having worked for almost a decade to help provide state support for Kentucky’s high-tech sectors, it was apparent that more support was also needed on the private side,” said Boisvert. “That’s why we’re implementing new programs such as scientific conferences, educational seminars, online courses and presentations by industry experts and service providers, as well as continuing existing efforts such as promoting Kentucky at the annual BIO convention.”
In June, the KBA led a contingent of Kentucky startup companies, university researchers and local economic development groups to the annual Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) convention in San Diego, California. The Kentucky Pavilion, featuring exhibitor stations and meeting rooms, attracted hundreds of attendees who were interested in learning more about the science and technology being developed in the state. Kentucky exhibitors held more than 50 meetings at the Pavilion with representatives from biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Genentech and Eli Lily, as well as executives from foreign companies. “We are already discussing plans for BIO 2015, which will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 15-18,” said Boisvert.
Interested companies and individuals can visit www.KentuckyBioAlliance.org or call Boisvert at (859) 415-4949.
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