bioProcessUK 2025: Driving innovation in UK bioprocessing
In this blog, Ethan Almond, Content & Communications Executive at BIA, explores the influence of the BIA’s bioProcessUK conference. The 22nd edition highlighted the UK’s leadership in bioprocessing, showcasing innovations from cell and gene therapies to ADCs, AI-driven manufacturing, and sustainable processes, while celebrating collaboration and the next generation of talent shaping the sector.
Our annual bioProcessUK conference has cemented as reputation as one of the UK’s hottest life sciences events, and the 22nd edition, held in Newcastle, was no exception. It was emblematic of the innovation, collaboration and resilience that has come to define the bioprocessing sector, bringing together around 370 attendees and over 40 speakers.
Conference highlights: panels, exhibitors and awards
The conference featured its classic line-up of insightful panel discussions, an array of 50 innovative exhibitors – ranging from Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to Fujifilm and Innovate UK to Cytiva - inspiring award ceremonies and a display of informative early career posters.
Day one kicked off with a strategy update from our Managing Director, Jane Wall, who highlighted the restless work the BIA does for our members.
Riding the geopolitical wave’ saw panellists discuss how the sector has been navigating the ever-changing global political landscape. The conclusion was reached that “the UK is in the right direction when it comes to pandemic preparedness in the future.
That preparedness is in no small part thanks to the efforts of Cath Green OBE, Head of Clinical Bio Manufacturing Facility, Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, who received the Peter Dunnill Award. Her subsequent lecture received a rapturous applause, as she told the story of how eight years were condensed into one to manufacture the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. “I am 10% more likely to reach my next birthday thanks to vaccines,” she stressed.
Innovation in bioprocessing: cell and gene therapy, ADCs and AI
The political contextualisation continued in ‘Scaling innovation: Insights from the UK cell and gene therapy sector panel’, which explored how the UK is driving forward innovation in cell and gene therapy, highlighting key advances in manufacturing, automation and delivery. Rosie Lindup, our Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager, highlighted the opportunities for the UK to cement its position as a global hub for cell and gene therapies amid the ongoing geopolitical environment, including by driving efficiencies in manufacturing and ensuring risk-proportionate regulation.
A popular regular feature of the conference is the early career poster flash session, where selected bursary winners took to the stage with “flawless” short oral presentations, according to presenter Brendan Fish, Director of Biologics and RNA Centre of Excellence at Centre for Process Innovation (CPI). Congratulations to Ashish Choudhary, PhD Candidate at the University of Manchester, who won the audience vote for his work on cryopreserved assay-ready cells.
The afternoon was punctuated by ‘Advancing ADCs (anti-drug conjugates) with an end-to-end approach’, hosted by BIA Manufacturing Programme Manager Abby Clark. Panellists were optimistic about the “new and exciting” therapies, maintaining that “we are going to see a lot of innovation in the characteristics of the products we’re making.”
The UK has significant interest in ADCs, and, as a real evolving modality linked to the manufacturing capability of the UK, it is important we talk about the challenges facing the industry, particularly given the current political climate. From a financial perspective, who biotech engages with in manufacturing and clinical development and delivery may seem like a challenge, but there is an opportunity to leverage that as an upside.
Driving collaboration and innovation: MMIP, sustainable manufacturing and AI
The following morning began with a fireside chat on the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP), where host Ian McCubbin, Chair of RoslinCT, waxed lyrical about the conference as “an amazing forum for technology and education,” also highlighting “the vital social element” – the fun yet integral foundation to fostering a collaborative industry.
This was followed by a Dragon’s Den featuring projects funded by Innovate UK’s Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme (SMMIP). Congratulations to Asel Sartbaeva, CEO and Co-Founder of EnsiliTech, who won the audience vote for her work on Ensilication®, a novel method for encasing thermally unstable biomolecules within a silica network to prevent degradation and improve shelf-life.
The day concluded with a panel on AI case studies in medicines manufacturing, which moved the conversation firmly beyond the hype, demonstrating the real, practical value of bioprocessing and drug development.
The impact of the conference: fostering future collaboration
I spoke to Thomas Smith, Head of Bioprocess Automation at Labman Automation Ltd, who said that Labman look forward to bioProcessUK all year.
You can’t even go for a cup of coffee without bumping into three or four people you haven’t seen in months. Everyone is open to sharing what they’re working on. As an engineer, I find it highly beneficial to hear from the biologists at the conference. We’ve been coming here for four or five years now, and the transformation it has gone through is astonishing. Each year sees more exhibitors and more attendees whilst still maintaining the quality of panels the BIA is known for.
As Gareth Lewis, Executive Director BioPharm R&D at AstraZeneca, said, the bioProcessUK conference is more than an event; “it’s a celebration of a globally significant community.”
We would like to give a special acknowledgement to all our speakers, sponsors and exhibitors for making this year special, and extend our thanks to all attendees, who make bioprocessing the dynamic, collaborative industry it is today. Thank you to our host supporter, Fujifilm, and our other supporters – Acro Biosystems, Asimov, AstraZeneca, Astrea Bioseperations, Avantor, Catapul Cell and Gene Therapy, Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), Cytiva, Cytomos, Digital Technologies Group, Innovate UK, Labman, Resilience, Roche, Sartorius, Symbiosis and UKbiocentre
We look forward to seeing you all again 17-19 November 2026 in Brighton!
