By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – An international biotechnology conference in Philadelphia next week will give the state of Missouri the opportunity to promote its potential for investment.
A group of more than 70 from Missouri are planning to attend BIO 2005.
They include plant and life science company representatives, economic development officials and business leaders.
Greg Steinhoff, head of the state's department of economic development, says Missouri has a combination of biotech research and development, and private industry in place.
"We just are a fertile field here," Steinhoff said. "We've got a lot of momentum built in the biotech and plant biotech areas and that collaboration that companies like to see with those interests is very important. So we try to sell that. We try to sell the fact that Missouri is very business friendly."
Business leaders in Missouri like to call the state and St. Louis region the "bio belt."