From 16 to 19 of June, the European Innovation Council (EIC) gathered a select group of 14 of Europe’s leading life sciences start-ups and scale-ups at BIO 2025 in Boston, a global hotspot for biotech innovation and investment, following the successful conclusion of the EIC Immersive Week. During the fair, the delegation of EIC-backed companies engaged with investors, industry leaders, and potential partners from across the globe, unlocking new opportunities to scale breakthrough biotechnologies beyond European borders.
EIC delegation at BIO 2025
The BIO International Convention is the world’s largest biotech event, bringing together the brightest minds across health and life sciences innovation. The EIC’s programme at BIO 2025 was tailored to showcase Europe’s most promising innovators, and to facilitate meaningful collaborations that drive global growth. In the context of the upcoming EU Biotech Act, additional representatives from the European Commission and European Medicines Agency (EMA) were present at the EIC Pavilion to showcase various EU initiatives. The Pavilion hosted a dynamic mix of panels, activities, and networking events designed to connect companies with investors, and policymakers from both sides of the Atlantic.
The EIC Pavilion’s opening ceremony
The EIC Pavilion was inaugurated on BIO’s opening day with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting led by Denisa Perrin, Head of Unit of the EIC Accelerator, joined by Hilary Stiss, Senior Director of International Affairs at BIO, Carmen Laplaza Santos, Head of Unit for Health Innovations at the European Commission’s DG RTD, Giulia Del Brenna, Head of Unit for Food, Retail, Health at DG GROW, Thomas Van Cangh, Deputy Head of Unit, Policy Strategy at DG SANTE, and François Brizard, EIC Representative to the United States.
Ribbon-cutting at BIO 2025
Follow the journey of the EU delegation to BIO 2025
Five thematic panels brought together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and policy makers to explore critical themes shaping the biotech sector:
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United in 2025: How Does Collaboration Work in Today’s Biotech Pipeline? This panel delved into the importance of international partnerships in moving frontier discoveries from the lab to the patient market, highlighting key success factors.
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Ghosts in the Molecule Machine: AI’s Role in Biotech Innovation: Experts discussed the growing role of AI across drug discovery, clinical trials, and market pathways, emphasising opportunities for faster time-to-market and cost savings.
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Tackling Key Challenges in Cancer: Reshaping Oncology: A deep dive into early diagnostics and personalised treatments, showcasing innovations that promise better patient outcomes.
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Where Will the Next Breakthrough Innovation Come From? Exploring emerging technologies like nanomedicine and AI, and their impact on developing new therapies and products.
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Digital, Wireless, Smart: Integrated Care in the Clinic: Addressing how innovative sensing and monitoring technologies are transforming patient care across borders and complex diseases.
Additionally, the EIC Pavilion stage featured a dynamic and well-curated agenda, including panels, presentations and reverse pitches from both local and international stakeholders, investors, policymakers, and experts. This created a vibrant and interactive programme that fostered meaningful exchanges and cross-border collaboration.
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Reverse pitches by industry leaders further enriched the programme, with sessions featuring prominent players such as MVM Partners, the Defense Health Agency (DHA/DoD), SK pharmteco, and Novartis Contract Manufacturing, offering valuable insights into their collaboration priorities and innovation needs.
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A dedicated panel on EIC funding opportunities provided practical guidance for European start-ups and scale-ups, highlighting the role of the EIC Office in the USA, the EIC Business Acceleration Services, and EIC Programme Managers in facilitating transatlantic growth.
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In a session focused on the Boston R&I ecosystem, representatives from the Massachusetts Innovation Network and Sanofi’s External Innovation North America R&D team discussed the power of collaboration, mentorship, and open innovation in driving breakthrough therapies and startup success.
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A panel with leading US research institutions—including Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Penn State College of Medicine, George Mason University, Temple University, Northeastern University, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center—explored strategies for deepening transatlantic partnerships and advancing joint research and innovation initiatives.
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Additional panels featured discussions with major stakeholders such as BARDA, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Labcorp New Ventures, Bayer’s New Platforms, and the Japanese ecosystem including Ajinomoto’s innovation team, Osaka University, and Axil Capital.
EIC Pavilion activities
The European Night
The European Night, hosted in partnership with Czech Republic, Germany, and Switzerland, was a vibrant celebration of European biotech innovation. The evening began with welcome remarks from Denisa Perrin and Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, and featured a panel moderated by Claire Skentelbery, spotlighting leaders from BIO Deutschland, Swiss Biotech Association, and Prague.bio. The event also included a networking reception where delegates from across the biotech and innovation ecosystem connected, forging new collaborations and strengthening existing ties.
European Night at BIO 2025
Another highlight for the EIC-backed innovators at BIO 2025 was the fireside chat with European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi, including topics such as enabling research, rare disease policy, supply chain resilience, and the EU’s strategic role as a global leader in biotechnology.
In addition to the main programme, the EIC Pavilion facilitated networking opportunities, including a special meeting with Johanna Michielin, Regional Director Europe at Biolabs.
Commissioner visit at BIO 2025
The EIC Pavilion at BIO 2025 served as a powerful platform to highlight European innovation in biotechnology, facilitate meaningful transatlantic partnerships, and explore the emerging technologies in health and life sciences. With a packed schedule of expert panels, industry pitches, and networking events, the EIC Pavilion successfully showcased the EIC’s commitment to accelerating biotech breakthroughs and supporting startups on their journey to international market success.
About the EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0
The EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 supports the internationalisation of European SMEs, scaleups and startups, building on the success of its predecessor, the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme (OTF) 2.0. If you’re interested in knowing more about the programme and our open calls, please visit our page in the EIC Community.
Stay tuned!
The EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 is an initiative of the EIC Business Acceleration Services. Stay tuned on upcoming calls and find additional information through our news, stories, and programme-related trade fairs available via the EIC Community Platform and the EIC Business Acceleration Services newsletter.the EIC Business Acceleration Services newsletter.
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DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.