Short Profile

The Society for Biotechnology – Biosciences and Culture, a non-Governmental Organisation, in close cooperation with its affiliated and branch companies BIONOVA, Nova Forma, Hellenic Biotech Association, is functioning under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Its staff deals with Biotechnology, Biosciences, Environmental problems, Research & Technology, Culture Heritage and Clean Energy.

As a Greek NGO involved in said topics, the SBBC has the ambition to promote the sound management of available resources with respect to environment and cultural heritage, to contribute to the Hellenic research community and to apply bio technology as a vehicle , leading to regional development, where innovations play a major role in creating grounds for “culture sharing”.

The existing practices in Greece have specific scope often theoretical. Therefore, practical measures could create a hub of provision and exchange of services focusing on BioInnovation in relation to culture and environmental practices.

There are specific limits to Greek agencies with capacity to carry out exchange of knowledge and innovation. The reason lies mostly, in organisation, coordination and management.

These obstacles inefficient hinder sustainable development, regional and local progress, environmental protection and culture promotion.

The Society founded in January 2006 is a leading privately funded biotech consulting and publishing company, which supports knowledge dissemination and innovation transfer in the field of biosciences, in South-Eastern Europe and merges successfully such knowledge with culture.

Hand in hand with its affiliated Co BIONOVA (Greece’s NCP for the 7th European Framework Program) offers to the Greek scientific and research community, conferences, workshops,  training seminars, meetings etc). Appropriate work includes in-depth consulting  technical & administrative support and partner matches to successful EU-funded scientific projects and networks.

BIONOVA, already participates in 4 EU-funded projects, namely : 1) Project «RADICAL» of the thematic priority ICT as coordinator 2)  Project «Health NCP NET» of the thematic priority Health as a partner 3) Project «KAPPA» of the thematic priority Health as a partner 4) Project «Bio NCP NET» of the thematic priority Bio as a partner. 

In 2005, BIONOVA was appointed as sole private contractor for the program of Technology Transfer (Biosciences) by the Greek General Secretariat of Research & Technology in order to deal with the academic and industrial communities, develop commercially attractive intellectual property, provide legal assistance, and promote successful technology licensing alliances.

Bionova contributes to the regional development by promoting alliances and technology transfer between highly active research teams as well as between Research Institutes in Greece and investors from all over the world. BIONOVA has signed Memorandums of Understanding with the AgroBiotechnology Institute of Sofia (Bulgaria), Mubarak City for Scientific Research and Technology Applications (Egypt), and China National Biotech Group (China).

In 2002, BIONOVA organized the first International Biotechnology Forum (IGBF 1) in  South Eastern Europe in order to give to the regional Greek scientific community in- depth  knowledge concerning green, white and red biotechnology issues, and technology transfer. The success of the 1st IGBF (more than 2,000 participants/visitors) continued in 2005, 2006 and 2008 with IGBF 2, 3 and 4, under the auspices of relevant Greek Ministries and sponsor ships of  leading biotechnology and pharmacology companies.

More than 250 prominent speakers gave lectures, including Nobel Prize laureates Prof. R. Zinkernagel, K. Wuthrich and Sir John Martin Evans. Politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, and numerous companies participated in the big concomitant EXPO.

Furthermore, since 2006 BIONOVA is the founder of the Hellenic Biotech Association, and since end of 2004, an active member of the European Association for Bio-industries (EuropaBio - with a total membership of 1.900 SMEs and 80 Corporate Enterprises around Europe-) and National Representative of Greece in the promotion of domestic biotechnology innovation. In addition, for the period 2006 - 2008, BIONOVA will be an active voting Member of the Board of EuropaBio Brussels.

BIONOVA’s operations include the edition and publication of BIO (Greece’s sole scientific journal dedicated to Biosciences and Biotechnology) and Med Review, (providing in Greece internationally accredited clinical research information).

In addition, BIONOVA is a member of “BIC of Attika” (Business and Innovation Center of Attika), full member of the European Network of BICs.

In 2007, BIONOVA,  in order to improve  its NCP and EUROPABIO activities has restructured its operations and formed two new bodies, namely, “BioTech Transfer” and “BioScientific Communications/Publications”. Is also a member of the European Federation of Biotechnology, the European Association for the Transfer of Technologies, Innovation and Industrial Information and actively participates in Thessaly Biofuels Platform, a project dealing greatly with environmental protection.

In summary, BIONOVA, affiliated to the Society for Biotechnology – Biosciences and Culture is capable of making “operational” policies on the axis “Biotechnology-Environment-Cultural Heritage”, otherwise it operates on a path which provides “better life to people”, where people are placed rather on a anthropocentric” social and cultural level and less on consumption-unit grounds. It appears from what is presented hereby, that the said Society is in a position to put into practice coordinated action in regards to regional Projects to be applied in Greece.