iBIO Announces Keynote Speakers for the 2008 iBIO Industry Expo & Marketplace (iBIO IndEx).

CHICAGO -- The Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization (iBIO) is honored to announce that Dr. B. Joseph White, President, University of Illinois; Yoshihiko Hatanaka, President and CEO, Astellas US, LLC; and Dr. Paul A. Willems, Technology Vice President, Energy Biosciences, BP Group will be they keynote speakers at the 2008 iBIO Industry Expo & Marketplace (iBIO IndEx). The daylong conference is February 20, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago.

"The iBIO IndEx is recognized as the premier event for the life sciences industry in the Midwest," said iBIO President and CEO David Miller. "As such, we are proud to be able to bring to the attendees well-respected leaders in the region who represent several important sectors of the Midwest's biotechnology community."

Dr. White has served as President of the University of Illinois since January 2005. He has written, taught and lectured extensively on leadership, management and organizational matters. Prior to joining the University of Illinois, Dr. White spent nearly three decades affiliated with the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he received his doctorate in business administration in 1975.

Dr. White earned his bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, in international economics from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1969 and an MBA, with distinction, from Harvard University in 1971.

Mr. Yoshihiko Hatanaka leads Astellas US LLC, a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc., based in Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Hatanaka's career spans twenty-six years with Astellas (formerly Fujisawa) in various marketing and corporate development positions. Mr. Hatanaka's experience in marketing began when he joined the company in 1980 as a Marketing Analyst, Pharmaceutical Division, in Osaka, Japan, and then spent several years as a Medical Sales Representative before advancing to Associate Manager, Marketing Planning in the Tokyo office. He was assigned to the U.S. in 1992 as Director, Marketing Planning, Immunology. While in the U.S., Mr. Hatanaka planned the launch strategy in the United States and Canada for Prograf[R], Astellas' transplant immunosuppressant, and coordinated the Prograf global launch preparation activities.

Mr. Hatanaka has a bachelor's degree in economics from the Hitotsubashi University. He serves on the Board of Directors for Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), New York Pharma Forum, and Japanese Chamber of Commerce Chicago (JCCC).

As Technology Vice President for Energy Biosciences in BP, Dr. Paul Willems is responsible for integrating biotechnology into BP's business activity. His duties include leading the development and execution of an integrated technology strategy which incorporates all of BP's bio-related activity and which is fully integrated with BP's company-wide business strategies. Dr. Willems is also the Associate Director for the Energy Biosciences Institute, a 10-year research collaboration between the University of California at Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and BP. In this capacity he is responsible for providing strategic input into the Institute's overall mission and research programs and for integrating the research results and capabilities of the Institute into BP's business activities.

A chemical engineer, Dr. Willems has held a variety of technical, manufacturing and commercial leadership roles throughout his 20-year career. He previously served as Business Technology Manager for BP's global PTA (purified terephthalic acid, a polyester raw material) business, and as Technology Vice President for acetyls and aromatics. In this capacity, he guided the development of BP's next generation PTA technology. Dr. Willems has deep experience in the development, scale up and commercialization of manufacturing technologies for commodity chemicals. Dr. Willems earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ghent in Belgium in 1986.

About iBIO IndEx

The 2008 iBIO IndEx is a unique opportunity for organizations in Illinois and the Midwest to interact in one location with representatives of academic centers of excellence; corporations representing human and animal healthcare, agriculture, environmental and industrial applications of biotechnology; and service providers in the scientific, business and legal sectors. In addition to the three keynote addresses, this year's event features four interactive panel discussions and networking opportunities from the morning breakfast through the evening cocktail reception.

For more information, visit www.ibio.org/ibioindex.html.

About iBIO

The Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization (iBIO) champions biotechnology in Illinois and the surrounding Midwest region. Headquartered in Chicago, iBIO's mission is to strengthen the leadership position of Illinois and the Midwest as a globally recognized center of medical, agricultural, industrial and environmental applications of biotechnology. With leaders from business, academia, and government, iBIO promotes the development and retention of new companies as well as corporate expansions. We also advocate sensible public policy at the local, state, and federal levels. To learn more about iBIO and its programs, visit www.ibio.org.

iBIO's Leadership Sponsors are Abbott, Astellas Pharma US, Baxter International, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, and TAP Pharmaceutical Products.

Other Upcoming iBIO and Affiliated Events

2008 Midwest Venture Summit

March 17, 2008 - March 18, 2008 Chicago, IL

The Midwest Venture Summit is the only Midwest capital conference presented by Venture Capital firms. These VCs are seeking new investment opportunities and created a venue where companies at different stages of development can present their plans. This is the place to network with the most active VCs, attorneys and accountants that specialize in early stage companies and entrepreneurs.

Fifth Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing

April 27 - 30, 2008 Chicago Hilton & Towers

The Fifth Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing will provide a forum for interdisciplinary interaction and networking. The conference program features sessions on a diverse set of topics involving Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing.

2008 BIO International Convention

June 17, 2008 - June 20, 2008 San Diego, CA

The global event for biotechnology is a blend of international and domestic executives and management from research, business, academic and investment communities.