EIC Pavilion at BIO 2025: what happened and why it matters

From 16 to 19 June 2025 the European Innovation Council convened a delegation of 14 European life science start ups and scale ups at the BIO International Convention in Boston. The EIC Pavilion combined an exhibition space with a programme of five thematic panels, reverse pitches from large buyers and manufacturers, one to one matchmaking and evening networking. The objective was to accelerate commercialisation, attract investors and deepen transatlantic partnerships at a show that remains the largest global gathering for biotech professionals.

The Pavilion's presence in Boston is strategically significant. Boston is a dense research and investor ecosystem for biotech and health innovation. For many European innovators the difficulty is moving from EU-based research and early funding to clinical pipelines, manufacturing scale up and US market access. The EIC positioned the Pavilion as a bridge for those steps. The event also coincided with preparatory activity around the EU Biotech Act. Representatives from the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency were present to explain policy priorities and funding instruments.

Opening, participants and public officials

The Pavilion was opened with a ribbon cutting on BIO's first day. Presenters included Denisa Perrin, Head of Unit for the EIC Accelerator, Hilary Stiss from BIO's international affairs team, and officials from several Commission Directorate Generals and the EIC representation in the United States. The presence of DG RTD, DG GROW, DG SANTE and the EIC underlined official interest in aligning innovation policy, industrial strategy and health regulation for the sector.

Panels and thematic agenda

The EIC stage hosted five thematic panels that brought together entrepreneurs, industry leaders and policy makers. Topics ranged from international collaboration along the clinical pipeline to applied AI, oncology, emerging platforms and integrated care technologies. Sessions blended high level policy discussion with technical and commercial perspectives.

Panel titles and focus areas included United in 2025: How Does Collaboration Work in Today’s Biotech Pipeline? Ghosts in the Molecule Machine: AI’s Role in Biotech Innovation Tackling Key Challenges in Cancer: Reshaping Oncology Where Will the Next Breakthrough Innovation Come From? Digital, Wireless, Smart: Integrated Care in the Clinic

The programme also included reverse pitches from buyers and contract manufacturers. Organisations such as MVM Partners, the Defense Health Agency, SK pharmteco and Novartis Contract Manufacturing outlined their collaboration priorities. These sessions are intended to clarify procurement needs and reduce mismatch between supplier offerings and buyer requirements.

Academic, public and corporate engagement

Panels featured representatives from US research institutions and public health agencies. Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Penn State College of Medicine, George Mason University, Temple University, Northeastern University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center took part in a session on deepening transatlantic partnerships. Additional stakeholders included BARDA, Johnson and Johnson Innovation, Labcorp New Ventures, Bayer New Platforms and members of the Japanese innovation ecosystem.

Networking and public diplomacy moments

The EIC Pavilion hosted a European Night co organised with Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland. The evening combined public remarks, a panel with national biotech association leaders and a networking reception. European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi participated in a fireside chat that addressed research enabling, rare disease policy, supply chain resilience and the EU's strategic ambitions in biotechnology.

These moments serve a dual purpose. They promote European innovation and create soft diplomatic links. They also allow policymakers to headline priorities ahead of legislative initiatives like the Biotech Act. Policymaker presence sends a positive signal but does not in itself resolve persistent commercial and regulatory bottlenecks faced by innovative firms.

The 14 EIC backed companies at BIO 2025

A pre departure workshop on 6 May prepared the selected companies with market briefings and guidance on onsite matchmaking. The companies received coaching and took part in reverse pitches and one to one meetings with investors and partners while onsite.

What the EIC highlighted about services and impact

The EIC promoted its International Trade Fairs Programme 3.0 and Business Acceleration Services as mechanisms that help European SMEs internationalise. The ITF 3.0 runs from 2024 to 2026 and supports participation in strategic trade fairs globally. The EIC also used the Pavilion to explain other support offers including coaching, pre departure market briefings and matchmaking.

The EIC also described the ITF 3.0 benefits including onsite visibility, lead generation, mentoring and a package of business services. The programme publishes open calls on the EIC Community Platform and targets EIC awardees for selection by external experts.

Analysis and caveats

The EIC Pavilion at BIO 2025 reflected a pragmatic approach by EU innovation bodies seeking to help companies cross the Atlantic. The combination of policy visibility, buyer engagement and investor access is useful for scaling innovators. At the same time trade fairs are an entry point rather than a guarantee of market entry. Converting meetings into funded pilots, clinical programmes or procurement contracts requires sustained technical validation, regulatory alignment and commercial negotiation after the event.

Policy attention during the event matters because the EU Biotech Act has potential to change regulatory pathways and industrial policy for biological technologies. The Commission and EMA presence indicated a desire to signal support. Developers should monitor legislative detail and timelines because high level commitments can take months to translate into practical regulatory reform or funding mechanisms.

Implications for European biotech founders and investors

For founders the Pavilion offered visibility, potential piloting partners and investor contacts. Founders should plan realistic conversion pathways from conversations to validated pilots and term sheets. For investors and corporates the Pavilion is a screening venue where due diligence still needs to be applied especially for claims about clinical readiness or manufacturing scalability.

Where to follow up and find programme information

Companies interested in EIC support or future trade fair participation should consult the EIC Community Platform and subscribe to the EIC Business Acceleration Services newsletter. The EIC publishes open calls for the International Trade Fairs Programme and other BAS services there. For specific queries the EIC Community helpdesk accepts requests under the EIC International Trade Fairs Programme category.

This article is based on materials published by the European Innovation Council and related EIC pages. The figures cited are those presented by the EIC and are useful to assess outreach scale. Readers should consider the difference between outreach metrics and long term commercial or clinical outcomes when evaluating impact.