EIC-backed companies at BIO 2023: European pavilion, networking and the limits of trade fair diplomacy

From 5 to 8 June 2023 the BIO International Convention returned to Boston. Alongside thousands of life sciences delegates and exhibitors, a delegation of 20 small and medium sized companies backed by the European Innovation Council displayed innovations spanning digital health, biotech and sustainable solutions. The European Innovation Council and several national trade promotion agencies convened events intended to amplify European visibility, catalyse partnerships and help participating firms pursue international commercialisation.

What took place at BIO 2023

BIO is one of the world’s largest biotech gatherings and in 2023 it attracted a global industry audience to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The event combines conference programming, an exhibit hall, curated networking and a partnering platform known as One-on-One Partnering. For EIC beneficiaries, the show offered direct access to investors, industry partners, regulators and potential customers across the Americas and beyond.

European Pavilion and the European Night Reception

The European Pavilion at BIO 2023 highlighted digital health products and sustainable biotech. The pavilion aimed to present the quality and authenticity of European novelties and to create an immersive presence for EU innovators. Complementing the pavilion, the European Innovation Council partnered with TradeEstonia, the Italian Trade Agency, Switzerland Global Enterprise, Wallonia.be, EuropaBio and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency to host an invitation-only European Night Reception on 5 June 2023.

That reception brought together more than 300 participants including entrepreneurs, trade promotion representatives and innovation leaders. The format combined networking with a panel discussion intended to help European delegates form transatlantic partnerships.

EIC presence on panels and EMA engagement

Beyond the pavilion and reception, EIC representatives participated in high level sessions during BIO. Notably the European Medicines Agency organised an event titled The Healthcare System of the Future: Emerging Technologies that Enable Drug Development and Patient Treatment. That event assembled regulators, industry and technology developers to discuss scientific foundations and regulatory practices for new technologies.

The EIC-backed companies that exhibited at BIO 2023

A delegation of 20 EIC-funded SMEs, startups and scaleups travelled to Boston under the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme. Their technologies covered diagnostics, digital health, biomanufacturing and sustainable biotech. The selected companies were chosen through the EIC programme selection process and benefited from preparatory coaching and exhibition support.

The table reflects the programme announcement and company list released by the EIC. These firms represent a cross section of European innovation but they differ widely in readiness for large scale commercial deals. For many, trade fair presence is only an initial step toward finding partners, investors and clinical or regulatory pathways in the United States.

EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 and follow up fairs

The EIC announced that its next delegation under OTF Programme 2.0 was preparing to exhibit at IFA 2023 in Berlin from 1 to 5 September 2023. The broader EIC International Trade Fairs activity evolved into an ITF 3.0 programme covering multiple sectors and regions in later years.

Why trade fairs matter and what they do not do alone

Trade fairs and large exhibitions offer concentrated access to potential partners, customers and investors. For SMEs from Europe, they provide visibility, credibility and an opportunity to practise investor and partner pitches in front of a global audience. They also accelerate market intelligence gathering because companies can assess competitors and buyer preferences in person.

However, trade fairs are not a silver bullet. Success requires product readiness, a clear commercial model, regulatory strategy, intellectual property management and follow up resources. Many exhibitors return from shows with promising leads but without the internal capacity to close deals. National trade agencies, accelerator networks and the EIC provide coaching and follow up services but the pathway from a booth to commercial traction remains resource intensive and uncertain.

Support ecosystem and complementary initiatives

The European Night Reception and EIC pavilion were supported by an array of EU and national networks. These networks include the Enterprise Europe Network, national trade promotion agencies such as the Italian Trade Agency and TradeEstonia, and international soft landing initiatives like ENRICH in the USA. Swissnex acted as a cultural and innovation bridge for Swiss participants. Each organisation brings different capabilities ranging from investor introductions to local market briefings and soft landing or incubation services.

EIC International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 and later activity

After Programme 2.0, the EIC organised ITF 3.0 which runs from 2024 to 2026. ITF 3.0 targets four sectors and operates across three regions providing exhibition, coaching and follow up services. The programme is structured to support EIC awardees with internationalisation through a combination of on site visibility and tailored business acceleration services.

ITF 3.0 promises end to end support including market briefings, tailored coaching, matchmaking and follow up mechanisms. The EIC also publishes reports analysing programme impacts and lessons learnt which are useful for policymakers and participating firms.

Policy implications and concluding assessment

The EIC and partner agencies are investing in making trade fairs a launchpad for European deep tech and biotech firms. That investment recognises that global market access matters for scaling and for capturing value from innovation. At the same time trade fair presence alone rarely generates sustainable market entry without parallel investments in regulatory science, clinical or technical validation and commercial partnerships.

Policymakers and programme managers should measure success not only by numbers of booths or receptions but by post event outcomes. Those outcomes include pilot agreements, licensing deals, clinical collaborations and capital raised. The EIC ecosystem is broad and provides relevant services for internationalisation. For the EIC to translate visibility at events like BIO into durable European champions it will need to combine trade fair support with longer term commercialisation financing and regulatory assistance.

This account is based on EIC material and partner announcements. The information is provided for knowledge sharing and should not be read as an official position of the European Commission or any other organisation.