The Biotechnology Center of Excellence Corporation (BCEC) provides technical assistance and public policy
guidance in biotechnology development to public agencies and universities in the U.S. and abroad. It maintains
cooperative agreements for technology transfer projects in health care, agriculture, and environmental protection with
several entities. These include the Northern Regions Center of Hokkaido, Japan; the Quebec Biotechnology Innovation
Center in Quebec, Canada; the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, UK; the Consortium for the Development
of the Industrial Area of Cagliari, Consortium 21 in Sardinia, Italy; the Zamudio Technology Park near Bilbao, Spain; and
Binghampton University in New York. Former collaborations include agreements with the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization in Vienna, Austria,the BioMinas Foundation in Minas Gerais, Brazil; the Fundación Chile in Santiago, Chile; the
Queensland Government Office in Los Angeles and Uniquest of Queensland, Australia.
Through its BioAmericas program, BCEC continues to advise government agencies
and universities in Chile in the area of biotechnology development policy for agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and related
areas. BCEC has completed a major study for the Corporacion Andina de Fomento in Caracas, Venezuela relating to global markets
for biodiversity-based resources in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. BCEC staff is also engaged with
the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America in providing strategic policy guidelines for biodiversity usage and
biotechnology development in the Andean region. In the marine biotechnology area, BCEC served as the founding
Secretariat for the Pan American Marine Biotechnology Association.
A private non-profit organization since 1991, BCEC is a successor agency of the Massachusetts Centers of Excellence
Corporation, created by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1985 to facilitate technology transfer and commercialization
of emerging technologies through university/industry collaboration. In this capacity, its support enabled the establishment
of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Institute, now the Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI) in Worcester, MA.,
providing the initial administrative funds to set up the incubation and venture capital instruments originally
associated with that effort.
Biotechnology Center of Excellence Corporation
371 Moody Street
Suite 109
Waltham, Massachusetts 02453 USA
Phone: (781) 894-7457
Fax (781) 894-7459
E-Mail: bcec@mindspring.com
