Business and science leaders from Central Europe and Connecticut will converge in the Ceremonial Courtroom at the Quinnipiac University School of Law Center on Friday, Jan. 27, for the day-long forum, “Building International Bridges in Life Sciences: Hungary, Poland and the Bioforum of Central Europe.” The program, which runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., is free and open the public.
Christopher Ball, director of the Central European Institute at Quinnipiac University and honorary consul of Hungary for Connecticut.
“The Central European Institute and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac University are hosting this forum to build wider cooperation between Central European and U.S. companies and investors,” said Christopher Ball, director of the Central European Institute and honorary consul of Hungary for Connecticut. “Entrepreneurs who attend the forum will have an opportunity to watch presentations by Polish, Hungarian and select U.S. companies, and learn about life science and innovations in Central Europe, private and public research and development funding and the European biomarket.”
Ambassador Ferenc Kumin, Ph.D., consul general of Hungary in New York. Contributed photo.
Ambassador Ferenc Kumin, Ph.D., consul general of Hungary in New York, will moderate the forum’s first panel discussion, “The Landscape of Life Sciences in Central Europe and the United States.” He will be joined by Professor Tadeusz Pietrucha, founder and CEO of Bio-Tech Consulting LTD and BioForum, who will discuss the Polish life science sector; Marcell Veidner, vice president of the Hungarian Biotech Association, who will describe the Hungarian biotech and bio-informatics sector; Harry Penner, director of CURE and entrepreneur in residence at Connecticut Innovations, who will explain how Connecticut’s science community can connect with Central Europe; and Norman Gray, director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac, who will discuss innovation at Quinnipiac and how it connects with life science.
Gabor Garai, a partner and business lawyer at Foley & Lardner LLP and chair of the firm’s private equity and venture capital practice, will moderate the session, “Leveraging Opportunities in Central Europe and the United States.” He will be joined by Pietrucha, who will discuss the BioForum, the Central European forum of biotechnology and innovative bioeconomy. In addition, Mateusz Wołkowicz, consulting project manager of Bio-Tech Consulting, Ltd, will talk about private and public research funding in Poland. Daniel Wagner, managing director of investments for Connecticut Innovations, will round out the panel, describing opportunities for partnerships between Connecticut and the countries of Central Europe.
In addition, Beatriz Gutierrez, executive director of business development for the state Department of Economic and Community Development, will make remarks at noon, and Carlton Highsmith, chairman of the board for the Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology, will deliver the closing remarks, “Opportunities, Innovation and Possibilities in Connecticut,” at 4 p.m.
The forum, which is being sponsored by the Central European Institute and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac, CURE, the Consul General of Hungary in New York and the BioForum, is free and open to the public. Please register by Jan. 20 by calling 203-582-8737.