BioMed SA strikes deal with BioJerusalem
San Antonio mayor, BioMed SA president co-sign memorandum of intent with Jerusalem Development Authority initiative to begin building relationships to benefit biomedical sectors of both regions
"This represents an important step in our vision for San Antonio to be recognized around the world as a healthcare and bioscience leader," Stevens said. "We are excited to have an opportunity to open doors and build relationships with our counterparts in the capital of one of the world's most technologically advanced nations.”
As America's seventh largest city, San Antonio is a regional hub for medical care and one of the nation's bioscience leaders in key disease areas including diabetes, military and regenerative medicine, the neurosciences, cancer, and infectious diseases, among others.
Jerusalem is home to such important institutions as Hebrew University and the Hadassah hospitals, along with leading enterprises such as Teva Pharmaceuticals and many promising life science startup companies.
"This agreement with Jerusalem continues a long San Antonio tradition of forging mutually beneficial relationships with international cities," Mayor Julián Castro said. "By sharing the intellectual capital each city possesses in the biomedical sector, we are each positioning ourselves for further innovation and economic growth."
Chen Levin, executive director for BioJerusalem, said, “We are excited at the prospects of this agreement and look forward to implementing it toward the mutual benefit of both regions.”
Also traveling with Mayor Castro and Ann Stevens, as part of the weeklong economic mission to Israel, are biomedical sector representatives Steven A. Davis M.D, medical director for Dermatology & Laser Center of San Antonio™ and co-chair of the BioMed SA Asset Initiative; Richard Perez, president, Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and BioMed SA Treasurer; and Dr. Mauli Agrawal, dean of the University of Texas at San Antonio College of Engineering and the 2010 recipient of BioMed SA's Julio Palmaz Award for Innovation in Healthcare and the Biosciences.
Collaboration between companies, institutions
According to Stevens, BioMed SA will be working with the leadership of BioJerusalem over the next couple of years to identify areas of complementary strengths within their respective sectors and to facilitate collaboration between interested companies and institutions.
Now in its sixth year of operation as a nonprofit industry cluster organization, supported in part by the City of San Antonio, BioMed SA has represented the local biomedical sector on economic missions to several nations, including Canada, Mexico, Japan, and most recently China to enhance San Antonio's reputation as a city of science and health. Its memorandum of intent with BioJerusalem is the first such agreement BioMed SA has signed.
BioMed SA was founded in 2005 by former Mayor Henry Cisneros and The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to accelerate sector growth, create regional economic benefit, and contribute to the health of San Antonio and beyond by establishing the city as a healthcare and bioscience leader.
BioJerusalem is an initiative of the Jerusalem Development Authority, and was created to help fuel the economic development of Jerusalem by leveraging the vast life sciences resources available in the city.
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