Research by the European Union's Joint Research Centre (JRC) suggests that business investment in research and development (R&D) will increase by as much as five per cent per year for the next three years.

IBM unveiled a radio frequency identification (RFID) system for tracking and tracing of pharmaceuticals.

The system makes it more difficult for counterfeit drugs to get to market, protecting consumers by helping ensure the drugs they receive match the prescription from their physician.

The three finalists of the EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD 2006 have been announced. The international jury of nine experts has nominated biotechnology companies from Germany, Austria and Denmark for the Award, which is worth a total of 40,000 euros in prize money. The jury selected the finalists from a field of 16 outstanding candidates from eight countries.

Telbios, the leading telemedicine services provider in Italy, has signed an exclusivity agreement with Aerotel Medical System, world leader in manufacturing of medical devices and software platforms for telemedicine and Home Care services, for exclusive marketing and distribution of Aerotel innovative products in the Italian market.

Leading global brand consultancy, Interbrand, has again teamed up with BusinessWeek to publish their annual ranking of the Best Global Brands by brand value. Now in its sixth year, the Best Global Brands report identifies the top 100 global brands that have managed to create and sustain strong performance in today's competitive market.

Siemens Medical Solutions (Med) wants to accelerate leading-edge research in Germany. To this end, the company became heavily involved in the foundation of the first "European Institute of Molecular Imaging - EIMI" at the Westphalian Wilhelms University Muenster, Germany.

eHIT Health Gateway platform offers a mobile solution to collect measurements directly from the measuring devices and seamlessly transfer the collected data to the healthcare personnel for further analysis. According to the type of monitoring instrument used, measured data are easily transferred to the patient's mobile device via Bluetooth, infrared or cable connection.