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
2026 - The year of policy initiatives to accelerate Europe's industrial biomanufacturing scale-up
Europe is a global leader in innovation and piloting, but it lags the US and Asia in commercial scale-up, with fragmented regulatory frameworks, delayed approvals, and deficiencies in affordable feedstocks and scale-up capital held to blame. These are issues that a raft of new EU policy initiatives looks to solve.
To avoid missing net zero goals and becoming a biotech R&D lab for the world, exporting manufacturing jobs, IP and wealth to the US and Asia, Europe aims to bridge a biorefinery “capacity gap” of up to 20x by 2040.
This keynote session examines these new initiatives – What advantages do they bring, do they go far enough, and how can government and industry best align to accelerate scale-up in this pivotal year for European industrial biomanufacturing.
EuropaBio
09:40
GFBiochemicals
10:00
ChainCraft
10:10
Primient Covation
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 CAPEX 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 Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC)
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 nova-Institute
12:15
Michelin Engineered Polymers
12:25
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]
12:35
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]
12:45
IFF
13:00
Networking lunch
14:30
Panel discussion
Defossilizing fashion: accelerating the industry’s shift towards sustainable and cicular alternatives to fossil-fuel polymers
This panel hears from brands and developers working on projects to drive industry-wide adoption of bio-based fibres and materials for fashion and footwear. From toolkits to achieve price parity with traditional fossil-based synthetics and strategies for ethical and scalable sourcing of sustainable feedstocks, to the development of unified industry-wide approaches to measuring and certifying environmental impact, we hear from those building a future where bio-based has replaced fossil-based in our wardrobes.
15:00
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]
15:10
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]
15:20
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]
15:30
Networking refreshments
16:00
PANEL DISCUSSION
Maximising Euorpe's feedstock potential: Building low-cost resilient supply chains for Europe's biomanufacturing scale-up
European companies sourcing feedstocks for scale-up face the multiple challenges of cost, import dependency, seasonal availability, and competition with food/energy uses. This panel discusses opportunities to build resilient, low-cost feedstock supply chains by valorising agricultural residues, forestry waste, and organic by-products, investing in collection logistics, and implementing supportive policies to ensure sustainable, competitive sourcing from within the Continent.
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.