A 25-member delegation of Swiss scientists, corporate executives and government officials will visit South Florida next week, seeking to establish life science collaborations with Scripps Florida, the University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University.

The visit, which reciprocates for a science and technology mission Gov. Jeb Bush led to Germany and Switzerland last year, is seen as further proof that South Florida has become a worldwide focal point for drug discovery and could become a key location for companies' expansion into Central and South America.

And with The Scripps Research Institute opening a life science research campus in Palm Beach County, Florida has gained momentum in its quest to become a hub for biotech companies and related academic research.

"We're all very excited about the prospects," said Larry Lemanski, vice president for research at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. "There is a huge potential for collaborations with Swiss pharmaceutical firms and our center of excellence for finding drugs from the sea."

But that might only be the start. The University of Miami, for example, is seeking to transform part of its medical campus into a Latin American capital for health care and life sciences, said Richard Bookman, the school's vice provost for research.

"From a pharmaceutical point of view, Latin American markets are huge. We're looking, for example, at being able to conduct clinical trials there," Bookman said.

The Swiss delegation is coming largely from Basel, considered one of the largest and most important clusters of life sciences in the world. The area boasts more than 15,000 scientists and is home for headquarters of Novartis AG and Hoffman-LaRoche Ltd. -- two of the world's biggest drug companies.

"The Swiss have a very disciplined entrepreneurial culture, and Basel is known for spectacular life science research," said Bookman, who lived there for three years.

The delegation will arrive just in advance of Art Basel Miami Beach, an international art show modeled after its sister event in Switzerland. The show here will run from Thursday through Dec. 10.

But for Monday and Tuesday, the focus will be on scientific research and potential collaborations.

Hosted by Enterprise Florida, the state's business development organization, the delegation will begin its two-day mission with a welcome breakfast Monday in Coral Gables and Gov. Bush will speak. The group then travels to the University of Miami medical campus for networking, seminars and lunch. The university president, Donna Shalala, will be the keynote speaker.

On Tuesday, the group heads north to Scripps Florida in Jupiter for a tour, seminars and presentations by Scripps and FAU officials.

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