The decision to move molecular diagnostics company Biocartis from Eindhoven to the small Belgian city of Mechelen could be viewed as a nostalgic one by the firm's Belgian founder, Rudi Pauwels. However, the location's tax incentives and grants have gone some way towards helping the firm to prepare for an international expansion. 

The Bio International Convention in Philadelphia attracted thousands of visitors from the world of biotech. Michal Kaczmarski spoke to representatives from a number of locations keen to catch the attention of would-be investors in this lucrative field to find out what makes their country stand out.

Thailand's expertise in the life sciences sector has long remained under the radar, with a lack of investment preventing many of the discoveries from its scientific community making it to the commercial stage. But a government entity, the Thailand Centre for Excellence for Life Sciences, is looking to change this.

Locations are taking advantage of the growing demand for healthcare, bringing together academia, big industry, start-ups, hospitals and sources of capital to create thriving specialised biomedical-pharmaceutical clusters.

Building an innovation culture can help countries prepare for the outbreak of diseases such as Ebola, write Rachel Chu and Meir Pugatch of Pugatch Consilium.

Steeped in history, the Polish city of Lublin had fallen upon hard times in the 20th century. However, its 2013 to 2020 strategy plan is already reaping dividends in positioning the city as a centre of business, investment and entrepreneurship within easy reach of both Warsaw and neighbouring Ukraine.

The rapid growth of Alvogen is impressive by any standards, but for a company operating in the ever-changing pharmaceuticals market it is even more remarkable. The secret of Alvogen's success lies in its decision to expand and diversify its company function, its product line and its geographical markets.