BIOSPAIN 2026

Following the publication of the proposed Biotech Act I Regulation, the European Commission has launched a consultation process for the future Biotech Act II, which will focus on industrial policy and on building a broad, forward-looking biotechnology ecosystem.In this session, organised by AseBio, we will examine the opportunities presented by Biotech Act II to advance biomanufacturing and biotechnology innovation in Europe, while also addressing the regulatory, financing, and scale-up challenges facing the sector.

Regional biotechnology clusters and associations play a vital role in strengthening the biotechnology ecosystem by promoting collaboration among stakeholders, facilitating knowledge transfer, and accelerating the scientific and business development of the sector. Their work enhances the competitiveness of biotechnology companies while reinforcing the innovation and growth potential of their respective regions.

The aim of this session is to examine the role of biotechnology clusters and bioregions in the development of the sector, explore how they collaborate with one another, and identify the key strengths and challenges across different regions, highlighting both shared priorities and the distinctive characteristics of each regional ecosystem. The discussion will also address the Biotech Act proposal to promote networks of biotechnology clusters as a means of strengthening competitiveness and fostering collaboration across the European biotechnology sector.

Imagine a crossroads where human health, animal welfare, and the environment meet — and a new generation of sentinels stands guard. This panel will convene those sentinels to tackle the urgent challenge of protecting vulnerable people and animals from disease driven by major antibiotic‑resistant threats, and to showcase the bleeding‑edge tools that spot and dissect multidrug‑resistant bacteria across clinical, food and environmental landscapes within a One Health framework. We’ll voyage through the knotted realities of vaccine development and market access, then move into the fast‑moving world of diagnostics: gene‑based LAMP assays that turn hours into minutes, electrochemical biosensors that read microbial whispers as electrical signals, nanomaterial‑amplified methods that reveal the faintest traces of pathogens, microfluidic “lab on a chip” platforms that miniaturize whole laboratories, and point‑of‑care systems built for real‑world decisions. The growing appreciation for vaccines—from immune surrogates of protection to fresh insights into host‑pathogen dynamics and sharper disease definitions—will be explored as a keystone for prevention. Recent breakthroughs already sound like science fiction: sub‑hour detection of key AMR genes, ultra‑low limits of detection in messy samples, and real‑time antimicrobial susceptibility testing that brings clinical and research timelines into alignment. These advances not only sharpen bedside decision making but also feed drug discovery with high‑resolution pathogen profiles that accelerate new antimicrobial development. The panel will bring together thought leaders in vaccines, diagnostics, microfluidics, biosensing, environmental microbiology, and pharmaceutical innovation to chart the next frontiers in AMR detection — and to imagine how those frontiers will reshape the hunt for tomorrow’s drugs.

Introduction – The One Health Challenge of MDR Bacteria

Block 1 - From Immunity to Impact: Building Executable AMR Vaccines
Block 2 – Genetic Detection of MDR Bacteria: LAMP and Other Rapid Molecular Techniques
Block 3 – Electrochemical Biosensing: Fast, Sensitive Characterization of MDR Bacteria
Block 4 – Point of Care Devices and Lab on a Chip Systems for Rapid AMR Decision-Making
Block 5 - Connecting Diagnostics to Drug Developement: TheFeedback Loop

Looking ahead to 2035, what single technological or ecosystem change would have the greatest impact on transforming AMR detection from a reactive activity into a predictive and actionable One Health system?