BioWorld International Correspondent

BRUSSELS, Belgium - "Further explaining to European society the benefits of biotechnology is key," said Feike Sijbesma, the new chairman of EuropaBio, the European biotechnology industry association, on his election Thursday.

Sijbesma, a member of the managing board of DSM in the Netherlands, takes over for Erik Tambuyzer, vice president of Genzyme Europe, whose two-year mandate at the head of EuropaBio has come to an end.

"EuropaBio is now broadly recognized as the representative body for the European biotech industry. We are aware of our responsibility and we will continue our efforts to stimulate the progress of biotechnology and life sciences in Europe," Sijbesma said. "Europe needs to make full use of biotechnology to improve industrial processes, to promote health care advances and boost sustainable agriculture."

EuropaBio now has some 40 corporate members operating worldwide and 20 national biotechnology associations representing some 1,200 smaller firms involved in research and development, testing, manufacturing and distribution of biotechnology products.

The new board of management for 2002-04, also elected Thursday, reflects the varied composition of the association. Among the members from big pharma are Romeo Paioni, head of scientific and external affairs of Novartis Pharma; Peter Goodfellow, senior vice president for discovery research at GlaxoSmithKline plc; and Klaus Strein, head of pharma research at F. Hoffmann-La Roche. There are representatives of plant biotechnology companies, including Hans Kast, president and CEO of BASF Plant Science Holding; Philippe Castaing, general manager Europe-Africa for Monsanto Services International; and Julien Verley, CEO of Bayer Crop Science. There are delegates from biotechnology process companies, such as Harry Jongeneelen, senior vice president of Unilever, and Mathieu Vrijsen, president for Europe, Middle East and Africa of DuPont de Nemours International. And there are senior staff from smaller, more specialized firms, ranging from Steen Riisgaard, president and CEO of Novozymes in Denmark to Philippe Archinard, CEO of Innogenetics in the Netherlands, and from Sergio Dompe, managing director of Dompé Biotec in Italy to Andrea Rappagliosi, vice president of Serono.