This landmark EuropaBio event aims at giving a snapshot of the significance and importance of biotech today in relation to the grand challenges we face in Europe.
High-impact presentations by CEOs focusing on the leading-edge applications in healthcare, agriculture and industrial biotechnology will be followed by testimonials from real-life beneficiaries of biotech.
The event will conclude with an awards ceremony celebrating exceptional small and medium-sized companies in Europe that have developed novel ways of meeting our societal, technical, and environmental problems through the application of biotechnology.
Euronext and EuropaBio are also pleased to invite you to the Bell Ceremony to celebrate the opening of the event. To join us at the Information Office of the European Parliament (rue Trèves 3) at 8.30, please contact BrusselsEvents@euronext.com.
Speakers include...
Philippe De Backer
Host MEP
Carlo Incerti
EuropaBio Chair
Chief Medical Officer, Genzyme Corporation, a Sanofi Company
Vytenis Andriukaitis
EU Commissioner for Health & Food Safety
Carlos Moedas
EU Commissioner for Research, Science & Innovation
Elcin Ergun
Executive Vice President, Global Head of Commercial Operations, Merck Serono
Hagen Duenbostel
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) KWS SAAT SE
Marcel Wubbolts
Chief Technology Officer, Royal DSM
Christine Lavery
Chief Executive, Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases
José Romão Braz
Finançor Agro-Alimentar
Tom Domen
Long Term Innovation Manager, Ecover
8:30am
Bell Cereomony | Carlo Incerti, EuropaBio Chair, and Philippe De Backer, Host MEP (at the Information Office of the European Parliament)
10:00am
Introduction | Carlo Incerti, EuropaBio Chair, and Philippe De Backer, Host MEP
10:10am
Opening Speech | Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
10:30am
Solutions to heal and support an active and ageing population | Elcin Ergun, Executive Vice President, Merck Serono
10:40am
A patient’s perspective | Christine Lavery, Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases
11:00am
Solutions to optimise food production and increase sustainability | Hagen Duenbostel, CEO KWS
11:10am
A feed operator’s perspective | José Romão Braz, Finançor Agro-Alimentar
11:30am
Solutions to cater for our world’s needs while caring for our environment | Marcel Wubbolts, Chief Technology Officer, Royal DSM
11:40am
The societal value of industrial biotechnology | Tom Domen, Long Term Innovation Manager, Ecover
12:00pm
EuropaBio’s 6th Most Innovative EU Biotech SME Awards | Introduction by Carlos Moedas, EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation
12:25pm
‘We need to have a healthy disregard for the impossible in order to make truly great leaps in innovation. All the winners and finalists of this year’s EuropaBio Most Innovative European Biotech Awards undoubtedly share that healthy disregard for the impossible, and it has been inspirational for me to play a small part in these awards’.
ONE | Because biotechnology, as an enabler of the bioeconomy, contributes to creating 22 million jobs in the EU and revenues of 2 trillion euros for the region.
TWO | Because the discussion around biotechnology is often marred by lack of knowledge and clashes between extreme positions and only dialogue can lead to knowledge and understanding.
THREE | Because biotechnology is a cutting-edge field that offers real value to EU Member States. To name but a few examples, biotech companies develop innovative cancer therapies in France and medicines for brain diseases in the Netherlands, biodegradable plastics in Italy, sustainable manufacturing processes in Denmark, revolutionary treatments for hearing disorders in the UK, novel anti-infectives in Germany, lactose free dairy products in Finland, diabetes solutions in Sweden, advanced therapies in Spain, and many more solutions and products.