Special feature: Biotech Act Part I – Dr Claire Skentelbery, Director General EuropaBio @ BIO-Europe Spring 2026

Join our Director General Dr Claire Skentelbery at BIO-Europe Spring on the 23rd of March for an afternoon session dedicated to the EU Biotech Act Part 1.

The EU Biotech Act represents a landmark piece of legislation aimed at positioning Europe as a global leader in biotech. Structured in two parts, the legislative program seeks to drive competitiveness across multiple sectors. Part I of the EU Biotech Act, published in December 2025, focuses on advancing health innovation. Key initiatives include accelerating clinical trials, extending intellectual property protections, launching a robust investment program, and introducing strategic projects designed to achieve critical mass in applied innovation. Part II, set to be unveiled in 2026, will shift the focus toward maximising biomanufacturing across industries, further strengthening Europe’s biotech ecosystem.

This feature session is dedicated to the Biotech Act part, including a Keynote and Fireside Chat.

16:30 Keynote presentation: Dr Claire Skentelbery, Director General EuropaBio

17:00 Fireside chat: Dr Claire Skentelbery in discussion with Dr Tilo Mandry, Lead International Liaison Manager IGES

17:15: Session: Special feature: Biotech Act Part I – What’s in it for me? Industry panel discussion
Panelists:
– Dr Morgane Rousselot, Founder, Chairwoman and CEO, SeaBeLife Biotech
– Dr Ann Belien, Founder & CEO, Rejuvenate Biomed (tbc)
– Andreas Prenner, Policy Officer, European Commission
– Dr Marjo Puumalainen, International Director, SwedenBIO
– Dr Tilo Mandry, Lead International Liaison Manager, IGES (Moderator)

This panel continues the EU Biotech Act Special Feature: We will discuss what the Biotech Act means for biotech companies and Europe as a biotech investment location, and how companies can best adapt to its provisions.

There are many questions about the Biotech Act:
– How will industrial clinical research be accelerated and how will this affect the development of innovative therapies?
– How will the Biotech Act impact the financing of innovative biotech start-ups?
– Can cell and gene therapies now be developed more quickly by companies in the EU and brought to patients more easily?
– What does the extension of intellectual property protection mean for biopharmaceutical companies in practice?
– Is the Act sufficiently targeted at industry and where are the risk points?
– And finally, can the EU compete globally, particularly with the US and China, thanks to the Biotech Act?
We will discuss these and many other important aspects with the panelists and the audience.

18:00: Close