Welcome to the bio hub
A look at what biotech is and why it matters to New England — and to you
Six months ago over coffee in his office, Henri Termeer, chief executive of Genzyme Corp., the state’s biggest and one of its oldest biotech companies, asked me, ‘‘What is the Globe doing when the BIO convention comes in May?’’
In a way, this special section, Bio Hub, answers Henri’s question. With biotechnology and the life sciences reshaping the world in which we live, and the debate over stem cell research raging hotter than ever, this week we truly are at the center of the biotech universe. Today through Wednesday, some 20,000 people will flood the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for the BIO International Convention, the industry’s largest annual gathering, run by the Biotechnology Industry Organization.
It makes perfect sense that the convention would come here. Open The Boston Globe on most days and you’ll find a story on biotechnology. It’s a rapidly growing piece of our region’s life sciences economy, at the intersection of so much that we do well: research and development at some of the world’s preeminent universities and teaching hospitals, venture capital, financial services, and a cluster of innovative companies feeding off each other.
The convention’s arrival is the perfect opportunity for us to devote a special section to what the industry is and why it matters — to our health and our economy. With stories from the Globe’s business and health and science departments, and terrific contributions from our graphics experts, our life sciences editor Mark Pothier put together a compelling package we know will enlighten and excite the casual reader as well as experts in this field.
There is more online. At Boston.com/business we offer additional features and will be blogging throughout the convention. For more information about the convention, go to bio2007.org. If you have thoughts on the section, I’d love to hear them. E-mail me at solomon@globe.com.
