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By Edward D. Murphy Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Maine biotech firms are getting a chance to show off for the world this week, and they don't even need to venture too far beyond the Piscataqua River.

Nearly two dozen firms and high-tech organizations from the state are in Boston for the 2007 BIO International Convention, which is expected to draw about 22,000 people from more than 60 countries in what qualifies as a sort of Super Bowl for biotechs.

It's the ideal place for biotech firms that are looking for customers, investors and partners -- in other words, every biotech company.

"This is a place where a lot of different global companies, as well as various countries, can go for one-stop shopping," said Bill Harris, chief scientific officer of MariCal, a Portland-based biotech company working on research and products for the aquaculture industry.

Harris said it's a gift to have the showcase just a couple of hours' drive from southern Maine, especially for smaller companies that would be daunted by the expense of sending people and displays to, say, San Francisco, the site of a previous convention.

"This is the first time in a long time that the meeting has occurred so close," he said. MariCal has only 40 employees and, if the convention were farther away, "it would be a much more difficult decision. It's expensive and hard to do."

The state is taking advantage of the nearby locale as well, setting up a booth to house all the Maine biotechs, along with several supporting organizations, such as the Biotechnology Association of Maine and the Maine Research Coalition. The location of the state's booth, Harris said, highlights the depth of interest in the convention -- Maine's spot is nestled alongside booths for Holland, Singapore and Kansas.

"There are states, countries -- all sorts of pavilions," Harris said.

Having a state-sponsored booth highlights Maine's commitment to biotech, said John Richardson, commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

"We have a critical mass of biotech companies in Maine that are currently located here," Richardson said. "The explosion of biotechnology in the world and our cluster of biotechs here positions us very well."

Cluster, of course, is a very big word in Maine economic development circles. As highlighted by a Brookings Institution assessment of the Maine economy released last fall, clusters are the foundations on which smaller states, like Maine, can build a niche in the global economy. Once you get a cluster of companies in one industry, it attracts others because it means a community of skilled workers and access to necessary resources.

Betsy Biemann, president of the Maine Technology Institute, said the state already has some major players in biotechnology, with Jackson Labs and Idexx, for instance, and the convention can leverage their draw and name recognition to shine a light on some of the smaller firms.

"It's a terrific opportunity to showcase the up-and-coming companies," Biemann said.

For some, that could mean a boost of cash because the convention draws scores of representatives of venture capital firms looking for the next big idea to bankroll. The venture capital can be critical for firms looking to make the transition from a few people with a great biotech idea to a functioning company with research, development and products to sell.

It all adds up to make 2007 BIO worth a two-hour drive, Biemann said.

"It reinforces our identity as being part of this hub of life sciences activity," she said. "It's a very important opportunity."

Staff Writer Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at: