Algérie Presse Service (APS) – August 7, 2012
Minister of Health, Population, and Hospital Reform Djamel Ould Abbès officially launched today the Biotechnology Pole project to be built at the new city of Sidi Abdellah, near Algiers.

Mr. Ould Abbès, who was accompanied by the dean of Harvard University’s medical school, Dr. William Chin Waiman, also laid the first foundation stone of the Biotechnology Engineering Center.

The biotechnology pole project, which includes the biotechnology engineering center, is one of the major cooperation projects being jointly implemented by Algeria and the United States in the health area. The project will be implemented in partnership with nine of the world’s major pharmaceutical producers, Mr. Ould Abbès said.

The biotechnology pole’s missions will be to develop scientific research and use its outcome, identify and master techniques relating namely to manufacturing and production in the area of biotechnology.

Replying to a question relating to training of Algerian researchers, the minister of Health, Population, and hospital Reform stressed the results expected to be gained in terms of training and research management from cooperation with Harvard medical school.

“The protocol to be signed this year with Harvard University will determine whether training will take place in Algeria or the United States.”

For his part, Dr. Chin Waiman hailed the competence of Algerian physicians and the political will of the Algerian authorities to implement the biotechnology pole project. He said that given Algeria’s geographical location and economic potentialities, the country “can move ahead in the area of innovation and research.”