Biotechnology Innovation Organization

Trade meetings

BIO holds a trade meeting each year in the United States, which are essential for the business development and partnering activities that are required in the biotechnology sector, in which it is expensive to develop products, timelines to develop products are long, and regulatory risks are high.^[5] In 2018 the BIO International Convention was held in Boston and was attended by 18,289 delegates from 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and 67 countries.^[6] The event also held over 46,916 One-On-One Partnering Meetings, becoming a Guiness World Records, Record Holder for the "Largest Business Partnering Event."^[7][8]

It also holds regional partnering meetings, for example in China,^[9] India,^[10] and Europe.^[11]

Lobbying

In 2013 it spent $1.98 million on lobbying in the United States.^[12] Issues included the amending the Internal Revenue Code to provide an exception from the passive loss rules for investments in high-technology research small business pass-through entities, to include vaccines against seasonal influenza within the definition of taxable vaccines, and to extend, expand, and improve the qualifying therapeutic discovery project program that first became law in 2010.^[13][14]

Examples of its public lobbying efforts, include support for development of biofuels such as those produced from algae,^[15] genetically modified crops,^[16] strong intellectual property rights,^[17] and for a more efficient and predictable regulatory process for new food and drug products.^[18]

Alliances

In June 2013 BIO partnered with the Coalition of Small Business Innovators to lobby the U.S. government to modernize the U.S. tax code "to recognize and promote small business innovation as fundamental to the long-term growth of the U.S. economy".^[19][20]

It is a member of The Alliance to Feed the Future, an umbrella network, the mission of which is to "raise awareness and improve understanding of the benefits & necessity of modern food production and technology in order to meet global demand".^[21][22]

Members

James C. Greenwood, President of BIO, 2017

BIOs members include companies that make Pharmaceutical drugs, biofuels, industrial enzymes, and genetically modified crops.^[23] As of 2016, it represents 1,100 biotech companies in all 50 U.S. states, which employ 1.61 million Americans and support an additional 3.4 million jobs.^[19]

Leadership

BIO was founded 1993 in Washington, D.C. and Carl B. Feldbaum was the president from BIO's founding until he retired in 2004,^[24] and was succeeded by James C. Greenwood. As of 2018, John Maraganore, PhD., president and chief executive officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., was chairman and ^[25] James Greenwood was president and CEO.^[26]