BBSRC Sparking Innovation Registration

Overview

Date and time of event: 13:30, 30 April 2025 to 16:00 1 May 2025

Title: BBSRC Sparking Innovation Conference 2025

Location: The Leeds Met Hotel, 5 King St, Leeds, LS1 2HQ

Summary:

Sparking Innovation is BBSRC’s flagship innovation conference series, which aims at bringing together the bioscience community to showcase bioscience innovation and enable meaningful connections and collaboration opportunities through a series of dedicated panel discussions, presentations / pitches, and networking opportunities. Bringing together over 150 bioscience innovators, academics, entrepreneurs, investors, industrialists and broader members of the UK bioscience community, the conference will be focused on enabling knowledge exchange, networking, and discussing the challenges and future needs of bioscience innovation in the UK. 

Description:

The BBSRC Sparking Innovation Conference returns in 2025! Taking place in Leeds on 30 April – 1 May, this year’s conference will feature a series of insightful panel sessions, presentations, and keynote speakers covering a range of subjects in bioscience innovation, alongside networking and collaboration opportunities.

Agenda:

Please note, whilst agenda itself is subject to change, the start and end times of the conference will remain the same.

Day 1, Wednesday 30 April 2025

Day 2, Thursday 1 May 2025

Day 1 - 30 April 2025

Day 1 is an opportunity to explore the impact of bioscience and celebrate our scientists and entrepreneurs through a series of presentations at the Bio-innovation showcase and Demo Day pitching session.

Bio-innovation Showcase:

Bioscience research has the potential to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges, including health, food security, and climate change! Come and hear about some exceptional projects from our academic community that have translated and commercialised cutting-edge research to have a positive impact on society, the economy, and the environment. You will also hear about funding opportunities to drive bioscience innovation, including our BBSRC Follow-on Fund, the Impact Accelerator Accounts, and ICURe!

Start-up Demo Day:

Five innovative bioscience start-ups will pitch their businesses and ideas to a panel of early-stage investors. The demo day will be followed by a networking session where entrepreneurs, innovators and investors could connect.

If you are a bioscience start-up, please indicate if you would like to pitch at this demo day. You will need to provide a short summary of your company and bioscience innovation. Please note that there are limited spaces and spaces will be offered on a competitive basis. Please note that applications for the demo day will close on 14 March 2025.

Day 2 – Thursday 1 May 2025

Day 2 will be packed with three panel sessions, a keynote speaker, and plenty of networking opportunities and refreshments. The panel sessions have been specifically designed to provide a deep dive into the journey of bioscience innovation and impact, from idea creation through to commercial success, the environmental and social impact of bioscience, and the pervasiveness and the untapped potential of bioscience.

Panel 1: Explore the untapped potential of bioscience:​ This panel will explore the pervasive nature of bioscience and how its broad-reaching applications has an impact on a wide range of sectors. The panel will discuss and showcase real-world applications of bioscience, how it's embedded within different supply chains, the policy and regulatory landscape, and how the application of bioscience in niche/emerging markets.

Panel members:

Jo Slater-Jeffries (National Biofilms Innovation Centre at the University of Southampton)

Linda Bedenik (UK Bioindustry Association)

Adrian Butt (Colorifix Ltd.)

Neil Dixon (University of Manchester)

Panel 2: From translation to commercialisation: This panel will explore end to end commercialisation, showcasing an innovator’s journey from discovery research and innovation in a lab, through to licencing and/or spinning out and raising investment. This panel will examine some of the challenges and hurdles associated with commercialising a new bioscience innovation, understanding what support is available, and when is the best time to seek investment / engage an investor.

Panel members:

Axel Thomson (Edinburgh Innovations)

Cara Griffiths (SugaROx)

Imelda Juniarsih (Pioneer group)

John Heap (University of Nottingham)

Panel 3: Bioscience in society and the environment: Looking beyond “traditional” commercialisation, this session will explore other routes to bioscience impact. The panel will discuss how bioscience innovation can have a social and environmental impact through different models such as social ventures, charities and knowledge exchange.

Panel members:

Frederic Coulon (Cranfield University)

Julie Lanigan (UCL/Trim Tots CIC)

Lizelle Gouverneur (The Pirbright Institute)

Ayela Spiro (British Nutrition foundation)

Keynote speaker: Shireen Davies will share her journey from developing a novel innovation technology as a Professor at the University of Glasgow, spinning out, and becoming the CEO of SOLASTA Bio.  SOLASTA Bio is an ambitious start up with a unique proposition: bio-precision insect control. Using nature-inspired small molecule insect control products, SOLASTA Bio provides targeted, effective, non-toxic, bio-safe and environmentally friendly solutions to target crop pests and protect our pollinators.

Registration

Please note that the conference has capacity for 150 attendees to register and operates on a first come, first serve basis. We will operate a waiting list after capacity should space become available.

We fully appreciate that real-world commitments may change you being able to attend.  If you find yourself unable to attend after registering, please inform BBSRC via the email below so that we can offer your space to someone on the waiting list.

Contact  

If you have any questions, please contact the BBSRC Knowledge Exchange & Commercialisation team at kcu@bbsrc.ukri.org. Please include “Sparking Innovation” in the email subject line. 

 

Closing date and time for registration. 

Registration for the BBSRC Sparking Innovation Conference will close on 31 March 2025.  

Please note that applications for the demo day pitching session will close on 14 March 2025.