SynbiTECH conference gets up close and personal with the synbio companies powering the uk bioeconomy

Wed, 05/06/2019 - 15:15
SynbiTECH 2019

Don’t miss SynBio unplugged sessions with Hermann Hauser, Co-founder and Venture Partner, Amadeus Capital Partners and Lord David Willetts, Executive Chair, Resolution Foundation

SynbiTECH 2019 is the only international conference focused on synthetic biology taking place in the UK in 2019, designed for senior business leaders from start-ups to multinationals, investors and policy makers. The event will address the opportunities and challenges associated with building a multibillion-dollar synthetic biology industry underpinning the fast-growing bioeconomy.

An exciting programme will showcase the trends emerging across the synthetic biology industry including the latest commercial developments, policies impacting the future of product development and a glance at some of the companies which should be high on your watch list as potential investment opportunities.

Presentations will be delivered by panels of world-leaders, sharing not only the facts, but their views on where and how synthetic biology is set to change life as we know it! Register now

Opening Keynote by Jason Kelly, CEO, Ginkgo Bioworks – First synthetic biology unicorn!
Day 1 (June 24th) begins with Dr Jason Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder of Ginkgo Bioworks – a Boston-based start-up out of MIT that has grown to become the first unicorn company in synthetic biology.

Synbio unplugged
Delegates will see one-to-one conversations with major thought leaders and technology innovators in “Synbio Unplugged” sessions. Not to be missed are interviews with Hermann Hauser, Founder and Director of Amadeus Capital Partners, and Hagan Bayley, Founder Oxford Nanopore Technologies and OxSyBio.

If you want to hear world leaders’ perspectives on the factors that are influencing the transformation of SynBio from a multimillion, to a multibillion-dollar industry, then SynbiTECH 2019 is not to be missed.

Watch list: Start-up’s and SME’s making waves in the UK
The UK is one of the world’s leaders in synthetic biology, with a thriving start-up and SME community of over 130 companies. SynbiTECH will bring to the stage over 30 of these companies to provide a snap shot of the key technologies being developed and strategies being deployed to catapult these businesses to global success. Highlights include:

  • Skipping Rocks Lab, creator of Ooho!, an edible, biodegradable water bottle providing an alternative to plastic water bottles. 
  • Higher Steaks, a company using state-of-the-art cell culture techniques to create meat products with reduced CO2 emissions, lower land and water usage and reduced risk of food-borne diseases.

Scope to transform major industries
Key industrial sectors are also experiencing the positive disruptive impact of synthetic biology. Dr Andrew Phillips, Microsoft, will share insights into Microsoft’s biodesign software; Dr David Tew, GSK, will discuss applying synthetic biology to optimise research and development; Dr Roel Bovenberg, DSM, will demonstrate applications for synthetic biology in industrial scale biomanufacturing, and finally, Dr Jason Vincent, Syngenta, will describe efforts in imbedding synthetic biology tools into agritech applications.

A new world of biodesign
Another exciting area is the application of synthetic biology to biodesign and the need to establish a more sustainable fashion industry.

The fashion industry is one of the biggest in the world and has a massive impact on the environment. Every second the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned – the industry createsgreenhouse gasemissions of 1.2 billion tonnes a year.. Most materials are unsustainable if we are to continue to consume them at the current rate.

A panel discussion addressing these issues will take place on day 2, chaired by Helene Steiner, COO and Co-Founder of Cell-Free Technology and Biomaterial Platform Lead, Royal College of Art. Panel members include: Claire Bergkamp, Innovation Director, Stella McCartney; Zowie Broach, Head of Fashion, Royal College of Art; and Sarah Mower, Chief Critic, Vogue. These experts are at the forefront of future proofing and embracing the power of synthetic biology to create opportunities that enable restorative, regenerative design – the potential of which is huge.

Investor Insights
Investment is fundamental to the emerging synthetic biology ecosystem. High-impact investment opportunities in synthetic biology, what works and what doesn't and the continuing need for de-risking early stage technology innovations, will be presented by several senior members of leading investment companies including: Irina Haivas, Atomico; George Katzaros, Farm Street Partners and Melya Hughes Crameri, Ventac Partners.

Policy Making Power
In the UK, an important development has been the publication of the Government’s bioeconomy strategy. Dr Lionel Clarke (co-chair of the UK’s Synthetic Biology Leadership Council) will chair a panel including Lord Henley, the UK Government Minister responsible for synthetic biology developments, and Dr Steve Bagshaw, lead author of the UK Government’s “Growing the bioeconomy” report.

This will be a truly unique opportunity to hear first-hand their vision of the future and the challenges that must be tackled in order to realise synthetic biology’s true potential.

Click here to reserve your place https://www.synbitech.com/register