Agenda

Day 1 | Tuesday 10 March 2026

10.00 - 10.50 Morning Plenary

10.50 - 11.50 Session 1 Rebuilding tomorrow's world with biology

This session will explore how we can make everyday items - from cosmetics to concrete - using biology rather than fossil resources.

Chair: Fiona Mischel, Director of International Outreach, SynBioBeta

Speakers:

  • Russ Tucker, CEO, TWIG Bio, ‘Using AI to bring biotech to beauty’

  • Jonthan Edmunds, Sustainability Director, ‘Bio-based plastic that’s high on performance, and negative on carbon’

  • James MacDonald, CEO, Solena Materials ‘Next generation sustainable fibres for market-leading apparel’

  • Alex Neves, CEO, Clean Food Group ‘Function-specific, sustainable oils and fats, from food waste’

11.50 - 12.15 Fireside Chat

Getting novel bio-based products to market.

12.15 - 12.35 Tomorrow’s World Showcase Pitches

  • Katherine Manshreck, Senior Sustainability Strategist, Shellworks, ‘Made with plants, not plastic: innovation that looks good and does good’

  • Prantar Mahanta Tamuli, Founder, Tattva ‘Built by Biology. Bioengineered materials for construction, automotive, farming and space industries’

12.35 - 14.00 Networking lunch and poster observation

14.00 - 15.00 Session 2 Feeding the future with biotechnology

The session will look at the factors influencing the adoption of alternative protein.

Chair: Imran Afzal, CEO, NAPIC

15.00 - 15.30 Session 3 Launchpad for Success

This session will take a look at the impact of the UKRI Innovate UK Launchpad programme and the Net Zero projects it has supported.

15.30 - 16.00 Coffee break

16.00 - 16.55 Session 4 Tomorrow’s healthy planet

Who's in the loop? - Water is the lifeblood of the circular economy and this session will focus on how it sits in a continuous renewal with waste, soil and ecosystems. 

16.55 - 17.15 Day 1 wrap up and prizegiving

Day 2 | Wednesday 11 March 2026

10.00 - 10.45 Morning Plenary

Scott Winston, MD, Pulpex, ‘From Concept to Consumer: Reimagining Packaging — The Pulpex Way’

Holly Reeves, CEO, HydRegen, ‘From Breakthrough to Scale-Up: The HydRegen Story’

11.00 - 12.30 Session 5 Workshops

Choose from an exciting offering of workshops and get useful know-how, insights, and engage and contribute to the discussion.

12.30 - 13.30 Networking lunch

13.30 - 14.30 Session 6 The Bio Factor

Channel your inner Simon Cowell and rate our line up of exciting start up pitches. If you dare, sign up to be on the stage. Prizes available!

14.30 - 15.10 Session 7 What’s next for tomorrow’s world?

We have come a long way with biotechnology, but there's so much more out there. From the ocean depths to distant stars, where will biology take us next?

15.10 - 15.30 Conference wrap up and close