A new forum, the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA), is to be established in June to help Asian biotech and academics\forge business links through deals such as technology transfer agreements. India, Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Israel are founder members—and the list is expected to grow. "FABA would act as an apex body for biotech companies across Asia and all biotech associations would become part of it," said Bhim Sain Bajaj, chairman of the Southern branch at the All India Biotech Association (AIBA; New Delhi). FABA will help its members become familiar with technologies available in the region through annual trade shows and foster links among industry players and between industry and academia. The federation will also act as facilitator and matchmaker, either by helping to assess the technology in a deal or by working out the best price and terms for royalty payments. "The federation is a good idea because its members will be able to better negotiate the terms between themselves than with a company in the developed world," comments Anwar Nasim, chairman of the National Commission on biotechnology of Pakistan (Lahore). KSJ