UTSA's Mauli Agrawal joins San Antonio mayor and others on Israel trip

Mauli Agrawal and a view of Jerusalem, Israel
>> Read more at the San Antonio Express-News: BioMed SA extends its reach to Israel

(July 12, 2011)--Mauli Agrawal, dean of The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Engineering, joined San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and other San Antonio representatives in witnessing a historic moment between Israel and the Alamo City.

Castro, along with BioMed SA President Ann Stevens, signed a memorandum of intent with BioJerusalem to begin building relationships to benefit the biomedical sectors of both regions. The agreement was the culmination of a weeklong economic mission to Israel by representatives of the San Antonio academic, medical and business sectors.

"This agreement with Jerusalem continues a long San Antonio tradition of forging mutually beneficial relationships with international cities," Castro said. "By sharing the intellectual capital each city possesses in the biomedical sector, we are each positioning ourselves for further innovation and economic growth."

BioMed SA will work with the leadership of BioJerusalem over the next couple of years to identify areas of complementary strengths and to facilitate collaboration between companies and institutions.

In addition to Agrawal, the 2010 recipient of BioMed SA's Julio Palmaz Award for Innovation in Healthcare and the Biosciences, San Antonio representatives included Steven A. Davis, medical director for the Dermatology & Laser Center of San Antonio and co-chair of the BioMed SA Asset Initiative; and Richard Perez, president of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and BioMed SA treasurer.

Now in its sixth year of operation as a nonprofit industry cluster organization, supported in part by the City of San Antonio, BioMed SA has represented the local biomedical sector on economic missions to several nations including Canada, Mexico, Japan, and most recently China, to enhance San Antonio's reputation as a city of science and health. Its memorandum of intent with BioJerusalem is the first such agreement BioMed SA has signed.

BioMed SA was founded in 2005 by former Mayor Henry Cisneros and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to accelerate sector growth, create regional economic benefit, and contribute to the health of San Antonio and beyond by establishing the city as a healthcare and bioscience leader.

BioJerusalem is an initiative of the Jerusalem Development Authority, created to help fuel the economic development of life science resources in the city.