Wisconsin had much to offer and learn at BIO 2005

In 1996, the last time the Biotechnology Industry Organization held its international convention in Philadel-phia, about 3,700 people attended. A decade later, BIO prepared for at least 18,000 people to attend its convention in Philadel-phia in late June.

As much as Philadelphia officials may claim it's all about their sprawling convention hall and other civic improvements, the size of the BIO 2005 crowd says much more about the growth of the global biotech industry.

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It also speaks to the need for Wisconsin to stay competitive in a field where standing out from a very large crowd is not just beneficial but essential. Com-panies and delegations from 61 nations and 48 states gathered in Philadelphia for the BIO convention, which began in 1993 with about 1,400 people in Raleigh, N.C.

This year's gathering featured 24 session tracks, 180 panels and 900 speakers and panelists.

From Taiwan to Israel, and from Norway to Singapore, virtually every nation with expertise in biotech was represented in the exhibit hall.

Wisconsin's pavilion, for example, was positioned near Austria, Florida and Malaysia. The Badger state's 60-member delegation represented about three dozen companies and organizations, a fraction of the 1,525 exhibitors in the hall.

Was the Wisconsin exhibit merely a syringe in a high-tech haystack? In some ways, yes. It's hard to compete with exhibits from some of the largest biotech states, which often spend more on this three-day convention than Wisconsin spends on tech promotion in one year.

Also, the major beneficiaries of the convention are likely to be companies in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware region, which is rich with biopharmaceutical firms.

But the BIO convention also is one that Wisconsin cannot afford to miss. With increasing attention being paid to the potential of human embryonic stem cell research, Wisconsin is known as the state where professor James Thomson pioneered such research. Only a few states are likely to emerge as stem-cell leaders, and Wisconsin could be among them.

Another pavilion attraction was planning for UW-Madison's Institute for Discovery, a $375 million facility that will house interdisciplinary research programs. The institute may be a national prototype for a series of "discovery-innovation institutes" under review by the National Academies, the nation's leading scientific advisory group.

Wisconsin also comes to this convention amidst media attention about its research base, business advantages and quality of life.

A year ago, Forbes magazine ranked Madison No. 1 on its "best places for business and careers" list and placed other Wisconsin cities relatively high. This year, Madison made the Forbes Top 10 again.

A recent report in Inc. magazine listed three Wisconsin cities in its top 40 places to do business; that was more listings than the rest of the Midwest combined.

Wisconsin is also a leading state in agricultural biotech research and development, an area that will grow in importance as the nation considers how best to protect food and water supplies and possible biofuel resources.

Other states may throw more money into their BIO pavilions, but the investment in biotech in Wisconsin goes back more than a century. The commitment to keeping that base strong, and telling our story effectively in forums such as the BIO convention, is vital. Next year, BIO comes to Chicago, the first time the convention has been held in the Midwest. It will offer Wisconsin another chance to shine � this time, much closer to home.