How attending BIO benefits me and my company, and can benefit you

By Nathan J. Alves, CEO and co-founder, Indiana Lysis Technologies LLC; assistant professor, Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine

Faculty, staff and students at Indiana University campuses and academic centers who seek to develop long-lasting, valuable partnerships across academia and industry should look into the annual BIO International Convention. I highly recommend attending; the conference provides many opportunities that can benefit academic and business interests.

BIO is the world’s largest trade association representing all things biotech-related in the United States and more than 30 other nations. The organization hosts an annual international convention in a major American city that draws more than 18,000 attendees. It is a major networking hub that provides a unique, speed-dating-like, one-on-one partnering system that links pharma and biotech executives, academia, and investors in one place. In 2018, the convention set the Guinness World Record for the “Largest Business Partnering Event” with 46,916 partnering meetings over four days.

I have had the pleasure of attending three BIO International Conventions. The first I attended as a student volunteer while I was a Ph.D. student at Notre Dame. That opportunity gave me access to the convention and exhibitor hall at a significantly reduced fee. It also served as an eye-opening experience, demonstrating just how important networking and building business relationships can be.

That was evidenced when I was invited back to speak on panel a few years later regarding my experiences with founding a company, Indiana Lysis Technologies LLC. As the company’s co-founder and CEO, I attended my third BIO this past year as a Start-Up Stadium finalist competing against more than 150 international startup companies.

My experiences with BIO have all been fulfilling and valuable, and I will continue to leverage the business relationships that I have developed through attending it as my career both in academia and business progresses. You should, too.