The conference sessions, running parallel to the 1-2-1 meetings program, underpins the event’s core mission of scaling industrial biomanufacturing in the region.
In this pivotal year for the growth of European biomanufacturing, a carefully curated program of company presentations, guest speakers and panels will deliver actionable insights and solutions to critical industry challenges – sparking transformative 1-2-1 commercial discussions.
08:00
Networking coffee & registration
09:00
Opening Remarks
Paul MacDonald, Co-Founder & MD, Bio Innovations Europe
09:10
Opening address
Europe's Bio Revolution - Right Here, Right Now!
Biomanufacturing is the future, with world regions racing to create products, convert supply chains and establish global positions.
Europe is waking up to the fact that it must accelerate its biomanufacturing innovation and production capabilities to stay relevant and competitive.
Governments are catching up with this new reality, with a hurricane of initiatives and legislations aimed at creating markets for biomanufactured products, harmonising the single market and accelerating regulatory pathways. Find out how this will impact your company and products, and help drive what happens next.
Dr. Claire Skentelbery, Director General, EuropaBio
09:40
Guest keynote address
From the football pitch to circular bioeconomy pioneer: An interview with Mathieu Flamini, Co-Founder and CEO of GFBiochemicals
In this in-depth interview, Mathieu Flamini shares how he balanced a top-flight football career with Arsenal FC and AC Milan while founding a company that has become a European success story in industrial biomanufacturing.
From re:chemistry, the company’s core technological breakthrough, to the creation and growth of GFBiochemicals, we explore the scale-up journey from startup to commercial-scale producer. Mathieu also outlines his vision for future growth and the role of circular bioeconomy solutions in transforming industry.
Mathieu Flamini, Co-Founder & CEO, GFBiochemicals
10:00
ChainCraft
Marc den Hartog, CEO, ChainCraft
10:10
100% Bio-renewable 1,3-propanediol combines performance and sustainability reducing scope 3 emissions in multiple applications: an overview
100% bio-renewable 1,3-propanediol is a versatile building block and bio-solvent used in many commercial applications today and wide available. The Zemea® product brand finds its way in many cosmetics applications and HI&I (household, industrial &institutional) cleaning applications while Susterra® is mainly used in reactive chemistry to produce resins and polymers for the elastomers market (footwear, artificial leather…), resins for coatings and adhesives and also as glycol/water mixture in heat transfer fluids. This presentation will give an overview in times where petroleum based materials availability is under pressure and companies are looking for lower carbon footprint alternatives.
Patrick Van Waes, Susterra® Global Marketing Director, Primient Covation LLC
10:20
RISE Research Institute of Sweden
10:30
Panel discussion
FILLING THE FUNDING GAP TO FINANCE EUROPE’S NEXT GENERATION BIOREFINERY SCALE-UP
To achieve their scale-up ambitions European companies must bridge a huge funding gap, by unlocking new public funds and attracting far greater private capital. In 2026 the EU will mobilise unprecedented public funding and deliver innovative de-risking instruments along with regulatory clarity to attract more private investment to the sector.
How can scaling companies access these new sources of capital? What technical, contractual, and bankability improvements can the industry deliver to make projects truly “investor-ready”? Will private finance finally step up? And how must public funders, banks, corporate offtakers, and private investors align to deliver the multi-billion transformative capital Europe needs to close its 20x biorefinery capacity gap by 2040.
Hosted by:
Samuele Ambrosetti, Head of Programme and Innovation, Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC)
Featuring:
Ward Heij, Business Development Manager, Colesco Capital Circular & Climate Credit Impact Fund
Rolf Kjærgaard, Special Advisor, Novo Nordisk Foundation
11:00
Networking coffee
11:45
Panel discussion
From fossil to bio: Unlocking opportunities for biosolutions in Europe's chemical industry transformation
This panel explores the pivotal role for bio-based chemicals in future-proofing Europe’s chemicals industry under the 2025 European Chemicals Industry Action Plan. How will the newly created Critical Chemicals Alliance, alongside the Bioeconomy Strategy and Circular Economy Act, work to create incentives on both the supply and demand-side to drive market adoption of bio-based alternatives? How best can Europe’s chemical companies partner with bio-solutions developers to build on these incentives and accelerate the scale-up of bio-alternatives, creating a secure, competitive, and sustainable future for Europe’s chemical sector.
Hosted by:
Lars Börger, CEO, nova-Institute
Featuring:
Marco Pellegrini, Bioeconomy Manager, CEFIC
Adam Kanne, Vice President Public Affairs, Perstorp Group
Erich Cuaz, Head of Government Affairs and Advocacy, Clariant
Martin Ledwon, Vice President Marketing, Sustainability & Communications, UPM
12:15
5-HMF: One building block, multiple industrial opportunities
5-HMFis a bio-based chemical building block with strong potential to replace fossil-based and toxic molecules in various applications. Today, it is moving from concept to industrial reality, with production scaling up and first customer validations in progress. This presentation will introduce 5-HMF, its key applications, and how it can create value in resins, formulations, and chemical intermediates. It will also highlight current opportunities to engage, test the molecule, and build partnerships toward industrial deployment.
Marilyne Hurtado, Business Developer, Michelin ResiCare
12:25
Pow.bio
12:35
X, The Moonshot Factory
12:45
Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials (DEB™) a versatile technology capable of providing functional performance coupled with advanced renewable carbon
Polysaccharides, sustainable biobased polymers, offer vast potential for innovative design and functionality. While plant-based polysaccharides like cellulose and starch lack purity and precise molecular structure, enzymatic polymerization—including DEB technology—enables the creation of purer, precisely structured polysaccharides and novel types like alpha-1,3-glucans. This bottom-up process allows for unique colloidal properties and diverse industrial uses. Sustainability remains central to product innovation, with companies setting specific goals. DEB technology delivers flexible, high-performance biobased materials for coatings, packaging, agriculture, and fibers, supporting new solutions across industries.
Natnael Behabtu, Vice President Research And Development, IFF
13:00
Networking lunch
14:30
Panel discussion
Fashion for Good’s Mass Balance Demonstrator: Adopting, Implementing, and Scaling Bio-Attributed Content
Scaling biosynthetic alternatives to fossil-based materials remains a major challenge for the apparel industry. While many common biosynthetic polymers have demonstrated strong technical performance, limited production capacity, high costs, and inconsistent carbon accounting frameworks continue to slow investment and adoption. In this session, Fashion for Good and its industry partners present the Mass Balance Demonstrator, a collaborative consortium bringing together key value chain actors to adopt and implement the mass balance attribution chain-of-custody model. Panelists will explore the practical challenges, opportunities, and industry collaboration required to scale bio-attributed materials and accelerate brand-driven decarbonisation.
Hosted by:
Aidan Collins, Senior Analyst – Materials Innovation, Fashion for Good
Featuring:
Claire Mattelet, Fibers Global Sustainability Program Head, Indorama Ventures
Anders Schorling Overgård, Materials Research Lead, BESTSELLER
Richard Platt, Partner, ERM
Sophie Ridler, Recycled Engagement Manager, Textile Exchange
15:00
DAB.bio
Eric van der Meer, CEO, DAB.bio
15:10
Arborea
15:20
OxFA
15:30
Networking refreshments
16:00
PANEL DISCUSSION
From lab to factory: Building blocks for a successful biomanufacturing scale-up
This panel explores practical approaches to scaling industrial biomanufacturing, from technological development and process optimisation to investment attraction and commercial deployment. Panellists will examine key challenges in moving from innovation to pilot to full-scale production, building resilient supply chains, navigating regulation, developing markets, and accelerating the transition to a low carbon, fossil-free economy.
Featuring:
Mark Simmers, CEO, Celtic Renewables
Hendrik Waegeman, Head of Business Operations, Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
Geoff Nobes, Director of Business Development, RWDC Industries
16:30
A technical presentation from a leading bio pioneer
If you think your company would be a good fit for speaking here, please email [email protected]
16:40
BISC-E Challenge
BISC-E Challenge - Dutch Finals
BISC-E Challenge – Accelerating the Transition to a Bio-based Economy. The Bio-based Innovation Student Challenge Europe (BISC-E) is a Europe-wide student competition to stimulate entrepreneurship and award excellence, seeking to raise awareness and involve students in the transition towards a bio-based economy. And once again this year, the Dutch Finals will be held at Bio Innovations Europe! The top three teams of this year will pitch their ideas live on stage, with the winning team earning themselves a prize of 1000 EUR and a spot at the European finals in October. Don’t miss the chance to hear these exciting pitches and witness the future of sustainable innovation.