The partners within the FP6 funded project Boost Biosystems together with the Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum have organized the Boost Biosystems Brokerage Event for academic professionals and entrepreneurs from the field of microsystems and biotechnology to hold bilateral meetings at Hannover Messe (21 - 25 April, 2008) Europe's leading industry fair. The focus of Boost Biosystems Brokerage Event: Problem solutions in modern biotechnology and medicine require increased interfacing of biology with microsystems components, creating hybrid systems. Monitoring devices, instrumentation sensors and systems, devices for minimally invasive surgery, biochips, biorobotics, micro-nanotechnologies and biomaterials are some of the technologies addressed at this event.

In addition to the Brokerage Event an Industry Study Tour on 23 April, 2008 in and around Hamburg was offered in cooperation with Norgenta North German Life Science Agency, one of the BOOST partners. Within the Life Science Nord region, considerable expertise and innovation capacity in implantology, molecular diagnostics, as well as prosthetics and biomechanics (imaging methods in particular) is available. The region is an excellent example how close interdisciplinary collaboration between enterprises, hospitals and research institutions has significantly contributed to the development of biosystems technologies. The study tour aimed at increased integration and knowledge exchange about production processes in microsystems technologies and how they can be adopted to biosystem technologies as well as the demands of “bed side diagnosis” and analysis.
 
The destinations of the study tour were the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology, Itzehoe near Hamburg and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf’s Department of Clinical Chemistry / Central Laboratory. The Fraunhofer-Institute for Silicon Technology (ISIT) works on design, development and production of microelectronic components as well as on microsensors, microactuators and other components for microsystems technology. The UKE Central Laboratory offers laboratory services in analysis and diagnosis for clinical applications.

Biosystems technology is a cross disciplinary field and players come from several sectors. The lack of interaction between players and the general lack of knowledge of users (clinicians), suppliers (including academic suppliers of specific assays) and markets impedes the introduction of innovative biosystems technologies to the sectors. These technologies are presently not adequately implemented in big industry, SMEs and clinical routines, leaving a huge potential between suppliers and users of biosystems technology which has not yet been developed. To add value to this cross-disciplinary field, transregional competences from the biotech- and the microsystems sectors, both from academic and industrial players, must be joined to create innovations out of a critical mass. SMEs are key actors in this value chain as motors of innovation but often lack the necessary academic and industrial partners for this interdisciplinary approach.