2026 Conference Programme

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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 10^th, 2026

Keynote speaker and topic to be announced soon.

Plenary session

Day 1 - Thursday, December 10^th, 2026

11:30 AM
12:30 PM

From scientific excellence to competitive innovation: How Europe is strengthening its life sciences translation power

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 haven’t said their last word, though. 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 right place on the international stage, leveraging other players’ strengths its way.

Track 1 - R&D collaborations

Day 1 - Thursday, December 10^th, 2026

10:00 AM
11:00 AM

Case studies of successful life sciences ecosystems

Innovation is not built alone in the corner of a lab, or from the desk of a CEO with a disruptive mind. It can start there, sure, but innovation is and remains the product of a plurality of stakeholders, each contributing their part. From the spark of an idea, to technical knowledge around entrepreneurship, to elevating the science with trusted resources and commercial power: researchers, tech transfer teams, investors, startups, biotechs, pharma companies are all components necessary to nurture the ground for innovation, and collaborate together to translate science to industry. What makes an ecosystem successful? Drawing from case studies, experts will expand on the components of their ecosystem, the measures in place to hold the different actors together, and how their experience can inspire others.

4:15 PM
5:00 PM

Toolbox session

It’s never too early for TPP: Best practices for young founders

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 priorisation, 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.

Day 2 - Friday, December 11^th, 2026

11:30 AM
12:30 PM

Panel discussion

From academia to industry: Scientists turned CEOs share their experience of entrepreneurship

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.

10:15 AM
11:00 AM

Panel discussion

What makes an academic asset collaboration-ready for Pharma nowadays?

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…

Track 2 - Licensing

Day 1 - Thursday, December 10^th, 2026

3:00 PM
3:45 PM

Panel discussion

How TTOs and venture builders collaborate to create more attractive start-ups

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?

Day 2 - Friday, December 11^th, 2026

3:30 PM
4:15 PM

Fewer seed rounds and alternative financing strategies: They chose to collaborate with patient associations

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.

Track 3 - Investment

Day 1 - Thursday, December 10^th, 2026

5:15 PM
6:00 PM

Toolbox session

Too early for VC: best practices in building the bridge towards Series A

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?

Day 2 - Friday, December 11^th, 2026

9:15 AM
10:00 AM

Panel discussion

Taking the collaboration to the next level: What triggers Pharma to bring equity in biotech companies?

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?

2:00 PM
3:00 PM

Panel discussion

Investment under the microscope: 2026 review and how capital will be allocated in 2027

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.