The Commission is organising this conference on advanced fermentation to connect stakeholders, foster collaboration and promote knowledge exchange. The conference will include a panel discussion on R&I, scaling up and financing aspects. A second panel discussion will focus on the regulatory framework and regulatory support to SMEs. Sector-specific sessions will take place during the afternoon.
To participate, please register by Thursday 18 December 2025 at 12:00.
Please note that registering does not guarantee your place at the venue. A waiting list will be maintained and those of you who secure a spot will be notified separately. If you cannot attend in person, you will be invited to follow the conference online.
Background
Both the Life Sciences Strategy (July 2025) and the Bioeconomy Strategy (November 2025) recognised the potential of advanced fermentation technologies - like biomass and precision fermentation.
These technologies can be used to produce a wide spectrum of high-end products from renewable raw materials with low environmental impact.
Products include a wide variety of sustainable food ingredients (e.g. natural colorants, low caloric sweeteners), biopolymers (e.g. spider silk), cosmetics or biosurfactants, biopesticides and chemicals.
Contact
GROW-FOOD
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (GROW-FOOD[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
- bioeconomy | biotechnology | small and medium-sized enterprises
- Monday 9 February 2026, 09:30 - 18:30 (CET)
- Brussels, Belgium
Programme
- 9 Feb 2026, 09:30 - 10:30 (CET)Welcome coffee & registration
- 10:30 - 10:45 (CET)Opening remarks
Kristin Schreiber, Director of Directorate F (Chemicals, Bioeconomy and Retail), DG GROW
- 10:45 - 11:45 (CET)Panel I: From lab to fab: supporting the innovation journey
Moderated by Peter Wehrheim (Head of Unit of Unit B2: Food Systems and Bioeconomy) with
- Anouk Bosmans (Head of Centre of Expertise ‘Sustainable Resources’, UCLL Research & Expertise)
- Nikolaas Vles (CEO, NIZO)
- Mary McCarthy (Member, Women Climate Leaders Network of the EIB)
- 11:45 - 12:45 (CET)Panel II: Navigating the regulatory landscape: frameworks in transition and SME support
Moderated by Thomas Van Cangh (Head of the Biotech Task Force, DG SANTE) with
- Klaus Berend (Director of Directorate E: Food Safety, Sustainability, and Innovation, DG SANTE)
- Leonor Enes (Senior Scientific Administrator of the SME Office, European Medicines Agency)
- Sofie Carsten Nielsen (Director, European Biosolutions Coalition)
- 12:45 - 13:45 (CET)Networking lunch
- 13:45 - 14:45 (CET)Sector session I: Biotechnology for textiles: fermentation-driven materials and processes
Moderated by Frédéric Van Houte (Director-General, European Man-made Fibres Association) with
- Lutz Walter (Secretary-General, Textiles ETP)
- Fabiana Fantinel (Founder and CEO, CO2BIOCLEAN)
- Barbara Leite (Head of R&D, RDD Textiles)
- 14:45 - 15:45 (CET)Sector session II: Bio-based products powered by advanced fermentation: valorising dairy processing side streams
Moderated by Lorena Savani (Director Biotech and Protein Thematic Leadership, EIT Food) with
- Sébastien Louvion (President, Food Fermentation Europe)
- Francis Relaes (Managing Director, Milcobel)
- Jeroen Hugenholtz (Chief Technology Officer, NoPalm Ingredients)
- 15:45 - 16:15 (CET)Coffee break
- 16:15 - 17:15 (CET)Sector session III: Advanced biomanufacturing for health: shaping the next generation of therapies
Moderated by moderated by Niall Macaulay (Policy Officer, DG HERA) with
- Claire Skentelbery (Director-General, EuropaBio)
- John Clarke (Global Head of Government Affairs and Policy, Cytiva)
- Gwenaël Servant (Vice-President, Abolis Biotechnologies)
- 17:15 - 17:30 (CET)Concluding remarks
Giulia Del Brenna, Head of Unit F3: Textiles, Food and Retail, DG GROW
- 17:30 - 18:30 (CET)Networking drinks
Practical information
- When
- Monday 9 February 2026, 09:30 - 18:30 (CET)
- Where
- Breydel AuditoriumEuropean Commission, Avenue d'Auderghem 45, 1000 Brussels, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Languages
- English