Explains Heinrich Cuypers, senior project manager of BioCon Valley GmbH, “We wanted international recognition. Biotechnology is an international business. We wanted to be ambitious with international businesses. If you are going to develop a biotech sector, you will be competing with San Francisco, Cambridge, Shanghai, etc. We needed to show companies they could be successful in the international arena. Our brand helps to show externally that we are ready to be competitive and show people internally that they need to think global.”

“The valley concept works,” he says. “We are often asked where our valleys are. Our highest point here is about 200 meters. But thanks to Silicon Valley, people immediately realize that we are talking about a regional industrial cluster.”

In the US, meanwhile, the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (RCGA) has spearheaded an effort to get its own biotech sector on the map—the St. Louis BioBelt: the Center of Plant & Medical Sciences. This sector’s development stems from the Battelle Memorial Institute’s analysis that revealed an area rich in plant and life science assets and expertise. The ensuing 20-point action plan included the establishment of an umbrella brand and a marketing position.

“We were beginning to see an emergence of these cluster brands, for example Research Triangle Park,” explains Dick Fleming, president and chief executive officer of RCGA. “St. Louis was a new player with demonstrable assets, but not on the radar screen. We would need a marketable hook to demonstrate the region to industry. We also needed the community here to understand the importance and economic value of our life and plant sciences assets.”

“The BioBelt brand was a critical foundation and starting platform for creating an identity for the assets already here. It was also a rallying point for the life science community here. Before BioBelt, people wouldn't talk about the opportunities in the life sciences here,” continued Fleming. “Now even sports presenters will mention life sciences in their broadcasts.”

Linda Magee, head of the Bionow initiative in the northwest of England, agrees that cluster branding is important to build a vibrant community. “Bionow is a brand belonging to the Northwest Development Agency. It represents the cluster development program of the Agency in life sciences and the pharmaceutical industry. The Bionow name is firstly shorthand for the Development Agency's program,” Magee explains, “but everyone was aware of Research Triangle Park and Medicon Valley and we thought it would be important to do the same. A cluster brand would give members of the biotech community here a better sense of belonging.”

However, there is a major difference between Bionow and many of the other cluster brands. Magee notes, “We are a sub-brand of the Agency and the Bionow brand is used in conjunction with the agency brand. It would be inappropriate to eclipse the Agency brand. We don't exhibit or advertise as Bionow, for example.”

Bionow has been successful in its work (The cluster is the UK's third largest.), but perhaps as a result of the brand ambiguity or perhaps because Bionow lacks obvious geophysical references, Magee concedes that companies may still refer to the cluster as the northwest biotech cluster, rather than Bionow.

Perhaps a geographical-sounding moniker is more important than a brand?

Edwin Colyer is a science and technology writer based in Manchester, UK.