Fritz Bittenbender, vice president of alliance development and state government affairs at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), will be the keynote speaker at BioForward’s annual meeting, which begins at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13 at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.

Bittenbender and his team act as BIO’s liaison to patient advocacy organizations, physician and payer groups, state and national business organizations, and state and local elected officials across the country.

BIO is the world’s largest biotechnology trade association.

BioForward Executive Director Bryan Renk also will provide a brief update on the organization’s 2012 efforts and 2013 initiatives. The organization expects around 200 attendees.