Over four decades Rudi Pauwels has repeatedly left familiar paths — from pioneering HIV drug discovery at the Rega Institute, through founding Tibotec, Virco and Biocartis, to building epidemic preparedness systems and now precision nutrition platforms for prevention and healthy ageing. This keynote is a field report on the lessons that emerge only when science is turned into lasting impact: the primacy of the “why,” first-principles thinking, multidisciplinary teams, and data-rich environments. He contrasts the realities of launching early-stage ventures today with his earlier experience scaling companies as CEO, and examine how innovation itself has evolved from reactive antiviral breakthroughs to proactive systems that act before disease appears. The talk closes with a clear-eyed wake-up call: if Europe wishes to shape rather than follow the next wave of health innovation, it must rediscover the courage to wonder first and wander boldly before success is visible.
Conference sessions
Guided by its prestigious committee, the BioFIT conference programme brings together the voices shaping tomorrow’s Life Sciences innovation. Designed to reflect the priorities of the ecosystem, it provides a platform for researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders to share insights, strategies and real-world experience.
The 2026 programme is structured around dedicated tracks exploring the key drivers of innovation: strengthening academia-industry R&D collaborations, unlocking value through licensing strategies, navigating today’s evolving investment landscape, and highlighting opportunities in animal health. Through panels, case studies and practical sessions, BioFIT offers a forward-looking perspective on how innovation moves from science to market.
Keynote session
Day 1 - Thursday, December 10th, 2026
Plenary session
Day 1 - Thursday, December 10th, 2026
- 11:30 AM
- 12:30 PM
Moderated roundtable discussion consisting in an exchange of ideas and perspectives by international experts to delve into the latest challenges of the sector.
Panel discussion
Europe’s science is strong. Yet, when seeing the resources allocated and cultural forces leveraged by other international giants, such as the US and China, for their economic competitiveness in life sciences, it is not uncommon for Europe to also be experienced as slow to bring innovation to market. Structural orchestration for asset framing and value-creation pathways, aligned timings and funding for maturation, or friction between sectors drivers are all parts of the knot stakeholders continuously try to disentangle moving forward. European players are not out of the game just yet. Speakers will discuss the ways Europe is already – and can further – strengthen its translation pathways to keep a competitive edge, as well as how our life sciences power can find its rightful place on the international stage, leveraging other players’ strengths for its own benefit.
- Raoul Haschke, Head of Hei Innovation, Heidelberg University
- Gerald Law, Chief Executive, Innovation DB
- Fabrizio Conicella, Vice President, Center of Open Innovation & Competence, Chiesi
- Savita Bernal, Director Acceleration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Inserm Transfert
- Yanis Feraoun, Investment Manager, Andera Partners
Track 1 - R&D collaborations
Day 1 - Thursday, December 10th, 2026
- 4:15 PM
- 5:00 PM
A toolbox session is designed to provide practical skills, easy-to-follow guidelines and take-home tools which delegates can put into practice to deal with their current issues.
Toolbox session
Did you draw your Target Product Profile? Because it might very well be the key to success. Positioning clearly is not rigidity, it is all about intent. And working on it as early as possible shows understanding of the unmet need, of the players’ drivers, of the realistic adoption pathways, of the right patient identification, of the challenges, of the possible realignments. For early founders, TPP is the tool to guide prioritisation, differentiation, direction and discipline along the development of their asset, as well as a support for the necessary resilience on the way to success. Experts will discuss the key components of the identification of the target product profile, explain its importance and its refinement to build the path, step by step but with the horizon in view.
- Farzad Abdi-Dezfuli, Partner, Sarsia
- Ricardo Pacheco, Strategic Partnering BD&L Director, Insilico Medicine
- Ingrid Kelly Spillmann, Partner, Xista Science Ventures
Day 2 - Friday, December 11th, 2026
- 10:15 AM
- 11:00 AM
Moderated roundtable discussion consisting in an exchange of ideas and perspectives by international experts to delve into the latest challenges of the sector.
Panel discussion
Pharma companies, one of the leading stakeholders of life sciences innovation, keep adapting to the evolution of the sector and the collaborations they can build according to internal strategies, pipelines and potential assets emerging from academia and young companies. With M&A activity picking up again in 2025, 25% of the deals related to early-stage assets, or else the popularity of the venture builder model, signals are here showing that the early-stage playground remains attractive to Pharma. What are big companies expecting these days to consider opening the discussion to collaboration? Speakers will bring insightful advice and perspective, from the level of data readiness, to the component of a strong team, as well as roadmaps, target product profiles…
- Ana Gallego Roman, Business Development Manager, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute
- Claudia Andretta, Strategic Advisor,
- Karin Agerman, Senior Business Advisor, Karolinska Institutet Innovation
- Alberto Diaz Jimenez, Partnering Manager Search & Evaluation, Debiopharm
- 11:30 AM
- 12:30 PM
Moderated roundtable discussion consisting in an exchange of ideas and perspectives by international experts to delve into the latest challenges of the sector.
Panel discussion
Becoming a CEO is not what most scientists have in mind when starting their careers – and yet, some of them took the big step when the asset they had been working on brought enough results to be considered as market potential for patients and launched as a spin-off. Taking the decision to step out of the comfort zone, pondering the needs of an executive position, meeting the challenges of transitioning from academia to industry: CEOs will share their inspiring experience, key messages and insights.
- Gerald Law, Chief Executive, Innovation DB
- Joana Caldeira, CEO, Fetalix
- Ramsay McFarlane, CEO, Awen Oncology
- Julie Prasivoravong, CMO, STEOM
- Fábio Rosa, Co-founder and Head of Research, Asgard Therapeutics
Track 2 - Licensing
Day 1 - Thursday, December 10th, 2026
- 5:15 PM
- 6:00 PM
The current context of early-stage capital shortage has an impact on all stakeholders in life sciences. Alternative financing strategies are not only a nice way to move forward for innovation but for some it has become necessary to survive and bring their asset to patients in need. Among these strategies, some chose to collaborate with patient associations. Through their case studies, speakers will discuss the role these alternative financing players took in the deal and how it compares to other types of partnerships, and the outcomes of the collaborations.
- Poul Sørensen, CEO, Inverna Therapeutics
- Anela Vukoja, Partner, i&i Bio
- David Findlay, CEO, Rostra Therapeutics
Day 2 - Friday, December 11th, 2026
- 3:30 PM
- 4:15 PM
Moderated roundtable discussion consisting in an exchange of ideas and perspectives by international experts to delve into the latest challenges of the sector.
Panel discussion
Academia is the main source of potential assets for the future of biopharma, and as such the best sourcing partner for industry players. A link between both worlds, the venture builder model continues to grow, signalling that pharma companies and investors are willing to bring stronger, more structured support to early-stage assets. How do TTOs and venture builders work hand in hand to nurture innovation? How is this model shifting value creation and what impacts can we observe already?
- Adam Stoten, SVP Head of Academic Partnerships, Evotec
- Arezki Yaiche, Head of Coverage France & Benelux, Mergermarket (ION Group)
- Florence De Coorebyter, Associate, Kurma Partners
- Pedro Lopes, Head of IP and Tech Transfer, CeMM
Track 3 - Investment
Day 1 - Thursday, December 10th, 2026
- 10:00 AM
- 11:00 AM
Moderated roundtable discussion consisting in an exchange of ideas and perspectives by international experts to delve into the latest challenges of the sector.
Panel discussion
Looking back on 2026 investments in the early-stage landscape, experts will pause and analyse where capital went and what it says about the evolution of the life sciences market. Investors will then discuss what decisions they foresee for the year ahead, and how founders and tech transfer teams can adapt to raise capital.
- Hanno Ronte, Partner, Deloitte
Day 2 - Friday, December 11th, 2026
- 9:15 AM
- 10:00 AM
Moderated roundtable discussion consisting in an exchange of ideas and perspectives by international experts to delve into the latest challenges of the sector.
Panel discussion
Pharma is one of the main partners a biotech company can find to accelerate its innovation, and the collaboration can take many forms to align with respective needs, roadmap and pipeline, context and resources. One of the ways an R&D collaboration can be furthered for pharma companies is to take one more step and bring equity into the equation. What makes pharma choose to add capital investment? When is it relevant for them to do so? What are the components of such a deal, the steps towards it, the implications and challenges?
- Lilian Alcaraz, Director, AlcaBridge Bio Consulting
- Pierre Gaudeaux, Associate Director of Investments, Sanofi
- Ulrich Wendt, Chief Business Officer, Alchemab Therapeutics
- Jan-Philipp Kruse, Senior Director, Lilly Ventures
- 2:15 PM
- 3:00 PM
A toolbox session is designed to provide practical skills, easy-to-follow guidelines and take-home tools which delegates can put into practice to deal with their current issues.
Toolbox session
Early-stage is being redefined. It has become increasingly difficult to complete early-stage rounds, resulting in the emergence of a financing gap for assets and towards their maturation. What does this new context mean for the traditional pre-seed, seed, series A stages? How family offices, business angels, academic funds, partnerships are participating in bridging the early need in capital and what are other solutions to be considered? What are investors expecting young companies to anticipate for the next, bigger round?
- Claudia Andretta, Strategic Advisor,
- Laura Donnelly, Associate Commercialisation Director, Cambridge Enterprise
- Sara El Jabri, Head of accelerator programme Gene.iO, Genopole
- Malin Sjöö, Chief Innovation Officer, SmiLe Venture Hub
Track 4 - Animal Health
Day 1 - Thursday, December 10th, 2026
- 2:00 PM
- 2:45 PM
From a One Health perspective, bringing innovative research to real-world application cannot do without coordinated efforts between academia, start-ups and industry. Emerging infectious diseases provides a compelling illustration of the need for stronger collaboration across the ecosystem where human, animal and environmental health intersect. Which technology transfer approaches, public-private collaborations, partnership strategies and licensing pathways can the ecosystem leverage to translate promising discoveries into tangible development? How are the different stakeholders building collaborations, and what challenges still need to be addressed to deliver more impactful innovation?
- Guerric Radière, Founding Partner, Lamina Partners
- Wim van der Poel, Professor of Emerging and Zoonotic Viruses, Wageningen University
- Casey Woodward, External Innovation and Strategic Alliances lead, Zoetis
- 3:00 PM
- 3:30 PM
Animal Health market is growing. Growth is driven by companion-animal tailwinds (deeper human–animal bond, pet longevity, medicalization) and by livestock dynamics (human population growth, protein demand, shift to prevention).
In this session, the Animal Health innovation leader Zoetis will discuss selected innovations it has launched, what made them compelling to the market and investors, and the capabilities and unmet needs it is looking to address in the next decade to support pets and livestock worldwide.
Constrained public funding and market pressures make public–private partnerships essential and Zoetis is actively seeking new academic or biotech collaborations.
- Olivier Martinon, VP External Innovation & Strategic Research Alliances, Zoetis
Pitch sessions opening
Immunology
Prabhu Velusami, Senior Director Search and Evaluation, External Scientific Innovation, Johnson & Johnson
CNS
Benjamin Hall, Director and Head of the Circuit Biology Department, Lundbeck
