N.C. Global Gateway Platform For Investment And Economic Development Launches In China

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, April 21, 2011 (Press-News.org) The N.C. Department of Commerce, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Longistics, the North Carolina China Center (NCCC), the China Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA), Calvert Research, LLC and The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, under its new Hamner-China Biosciences Center, have announced their joint participation in the N.C. China Global Gateway Platform for Investment and Economic Development (the "Platform") to promote job creation and trade in North Carolina and China. The partners will cooperate in the development of a new model to attract investment to the state, as well as support and bolster the foreign competitiveness of N.C. exports with a process that can be replicated among many economic sectors statewide. Goals for this public-private partnership include developing an easily understandable and functional Platform that increases economic development and job creation, accelerating life science development in North Carolina and China, and establishing a showcase Platform for global life sciences, technology, business and economic development.

The Platform is part of a comprehensive effort by Gov. Bev Perdue's administration, which has spent two years encouraging more trade and investment with China. Important activities have included a business delegation visit to China by the governor, and Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco; a delegation visit from other state leaders and government officials; the creation of the China Advisory Council, a group of North Carolina leaders who provide guidance on how the state can best build productive relationships with Chinese government officials as well as business and industry; adding capacity to the existing investment and trade office in Shanghai. The Obama administration has publicly stated a goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015, which could realize up to 2 million trade-related jobs. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has endorsed this concept.

The duties of the parties involved in the Platform will include:

- The N.C. Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center will facilitate investment/export opportunities, provide resources to support the operation as well as represent the public's interest to see that the final Platform developed can be replicated by North Carolina business sectors.

- The North Carolina China Center (NCCC), started by Longistics creators Duane and Pat Long, will have Luke Treloar serve as its executive officer in Beijing and act as an independent representative of the NCCC for North Carolina. He will serve as a liaison between the N.C. partners and the China partners during the project and provide a detailed feasibility and opportunity analysis. Treloar will research, establish and define which benefits the Platform will provide all partners, then submit the plan to China to review and create visible investment projects there. NCCC works on promoting relations in business and academia between North Carolina and the greater China region.

- Longistics and The Hamner-China Biosciences Center, both based in Research Triangle Park, are participating to expand their business models into the China region. Longistics, a global logistics solution with extensive knowledge of the Chinese import and export business, will provide an in-kind donation of office space and consulting support for new businesses enter the China market. Longistics recently expanded into the China market with the launch of its new Suzhou Industrial Park International Commodities Exhibition Center and joint partnership with Chinese logistics company SeAll. The Hamner will have Treloar as its center's manager when in the United States.

- Calvert Research, based in Cary, N.C., is the initial North Carolina company involved in the Platform and is providing financial assistance to cover a portion of the Platform's initial operating costs. Calvert Research is a strategic advisory and investment firm that establishes drug development partnerships with biopharmaceutical companies to help them advance their preclinical stage drug candidates toward human testing. Treloar will concentrate on ways in which Calvert Research can expand its business model into China, focusing specifically on Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) training programs that Chinese scientists may need to successfully conduct preclinical animal testing on drug candidates according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

- CIPA, a division of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce that organizes and promotes inbound and outbound foreign investment, will apply policy and incentives to the Platform being written. CIPA depends on private sector partnerships to actualize the Platform financially, while it provides consulting and guidance of Chinese government policies and regulations.

QUOTES:
"China is North Carolina's second largest trading partner and continues to grow," said Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco. "The establishment of this Global Gateway Partnership will lead to more jobs, increased exports, and new business opportunities. This innovative approach can pay big dividends to all participants in the long run."

"With this Platform, we hope to attract additional campus development funding, expand existing life science partnerships in China and gain access to novel life science technologies developed by Chinese companies associated with the Platform," said Dr. William Greenlee, president and CEO of The Hamner. "It is a major element of our global initiative plans that can benefit many Americans and Chinese in the process."

"We are excited about this partnership and the opportunities it will provide for our state's biotechnology and life-science companies," said Norris Tolson, president and CEO of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. "A facilitated introduction between companies in North Carolina and China is a significant advantage for companies in both locations."

"Having been a proponent of more trade with China for several years, I know this is the right step for North Carolina to take," said Duane Long, chairman of Longistics. "This Platform can help North Carolina lead the nation in investing and doing business with China."

"As our mission is to create bridges of understanding between businesses and cultural and educational institutions in North Carolina and China, we enthusiastically endorse this Platform," said Tom Martineau, president of the North Carolina China Center. "It fulfills the needs of everyone involved."

"We are very pleased to be part of the launch of this Platform," said Dr. Michael A. Recny, president of Calvert Research, LLC. "We believe that Chinese companies can gain valuable knowledge and expertise from Calvert's preclinical drug development service offerings and GLP training programs. This Platform presents an ideal opportunity to help accelerate life sciences development in China by expanding our reach into this important international market."

ABOUT THE N.C. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE:
The N.C. Department of Commerce works with local, regional, national and international companies to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for all North Carolinians by serving existing business and industry, including providing international trade assistance, and recruiting new jobs and domestic and foreign investment, among other responsibilities. For more information, visit http://www.nccommerce.com/en.

ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA CHINA CENTER:
The North Carolina China Center has a mission of creating of bridges of understanding between businesses, as well as cultural and educational institutions, in North Carolina and the greater China region including Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. For more information, visit http://www.ncchinacenter.org.

ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER:
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center supports biotechnology research, business and education to create jobs statewide. Located in Research Triangle Park, it is the nation's first state-sponsored biotechnology initiative. For more information, visit http://www.ncbiotech.org

ABOUT LONGISTICS:
Located in Research Triangle Park, N.C., Longistics is a full-service provider of global logistics solutions that specializes in cold-chain logistical support and problem solving services for a broad range of pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors of high value, high security products. A leading provider of third-party logistics, Longistics has a worldwide reach and growing presence in China and other emerging world markets. For more information, visit http://www.longistics.com.

ABOUT CALVERT RESEARCH:
Calvert Research, a division of Calvert Holdings of Cary, N.C., is pioneering a new way to work with early stage biopharmaceutical companies and academic institutions to help them advance their novel drug candidates from a promising discovery to the first stage of human testing. Calvert Research leverage its extensive drug development expertise by combining it with a wide range of preclinical services offered by its CRO affiliate, Calvert Laboratories, to design and execute customized, risk-sharing drug development partnership programs with its corporate and academic partners. For more information, visit http://calvert-research.com.

ABOUT THE HAMNER INSTITUTES FOR HEALTH SCIENCES:
The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences is a nonprofit research organization located in the heart of Research Triangle Park (RTP), N.C. Its two flagship institutes, the Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences and the Hamner-UNC Institute for Drug Safety Sciences, build upon 35 years of preeminent research in toxicology and human health research to develop and validate new cutting-edge tools for safety assessment. For more information, visit http://www.thehamner.org.

Erin Smith
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