On 28 November in Paris, France, INRIA is hosting a new international forum dedicated to emerging technologies in bioinformatics and pharmaceutical research. The forum seeks to foster exchanges between academic research, the pharmaceutical industry and technology companies. The stated ambition is to see convergence between industrial problems and innovative solutions developed by bioinformatics experts.

A new area for exchanges and convergence

What are the industrial problems faced by pharmaceutical R&D? How can research into information and communication science and technology be harnessed to serve this R&D? What innovative technologies are currently available? So many questions that will be raised and debated during the first Life Science Computing Conference forum.

Knowledge management and systems biology at the heart of the debates

Prepared by a committee of industry experts, the programme will present participants with the results from ongoing projects and innovative technologies in knowledge management and systems biology. The forum is organised as four round tables, moderated by speakers from well known pharmaceutical groups and research institutes.

This first step should let participants identify the problems faced by the pharmaceutical industry, to work together is sketching out solutions to come and to envisage future partnerships between research, industry and small and medium sized companies.