INTRODUCTION TO THE 2021 5^th BOSTON ● PARIS SUMMIT PROGRAM

An exclusive Trans-Atlantic bridge designed to foster innovative synergies between biotech and pharma companies, healthcare-focused cities and regional clusters, and institutional, philanthropic and strategic investors.  The Summit’s intent is to spark projects, their financing and strategic deals in order to solve unmet medical needs and thus improve patient lives globally.

The Summit is celebrating its 5^th anniversary in 2021 and the co-founders sincerely thank, and are humbled by, our annual Organizing Committees, Summit Teams, Faculty, Program Committees and, notably, Sponsor Organizations for their encouragement, technical services, expertise and financial support, respectively.

Summit Core Themes from 2017 to 2021:

The Boston Biotechnology Summit is a generalist platform to enable conversations and exchanges focused on providing patients with the latest innovations from the biotechnology industry. In a thought-provoking book <Range, Why generalists triumph in a specialized world> author and observer David Epstein analyzed the world’s successful artists, athletes, inventors, musicians and scientists and discovered that generalists are primed to excel in many fields.

He argues that impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepen their knowledge in a given area (2). A platform is defined as a business that can create significant value through the acquisition, matching and connection of two or more customer groups to enable them to transact. It is common knowledge that platform businesses have grown during the past 20 years (4). In his 2021 book <The Code Breaker>, Walter Isaacson importantly pointed out that “By honoring CRISPR, a virus finding system found in nature, in the midst of a virus pandemic, the 2020 Nobel Committee reminded us how curiosity-driven basic research can end up having very practical applications. CRISPR and COVID are speeding our entry into the life science era. Molecules are becoming the new microchips” (3). After hosting our virtual Covid-19 2020 Summit, we are returning to our broader generalist platform in 2021. Our core theme is <New Skills for Biotech. & New Investments in Health>. The event will be divided into three sections: (1) the state-of-the-art of our biotechnology industry and food-for-thought discussions based on plenary keynote presentation, (2) the much acclaimed “International Pitch Session” starring award winning or carefully selected young biotechnology companies, and (3) The <Summit Master Class>, emphasizing our high regard for education in our annual summit missions.

Shahin GHARAKHANIAN

2021 Program Committee Chair, Summit Co-founder with Soheila Gharakhanian, 5^th Boston Biotechnology Summit. Virtual Session, Boston/Cambridge MA September 2021.

REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY

❶ BOSTON BIOTECHNOLOGY SIMMIT™

a) 2017-2020 Boston Biotechnology Summit Booklets

b) www.bostonbiotechnologysummit.com.

❷ Epstein D (2019). Range. Why generalists triumph in a specialized world. Riverhead Books, New York.

❸ Isaacson, W. (2021) The Code Breaker. Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing and the Future of the human Race. Simon & Schuster, New York.

❹ Reillier LC, Reillier B. (2017) Platform Strategy. How to unlock the power of communities and grow your business. Gower Book, London & New York.