Member Meeting Sessions

Attend this session for a step-by-step inside look at what it takes to get your product from idea to reality. Speakers will discuss the full value chain, from feedstocks to end applications and everything in between. Learn more about the complexity of bringing a bio-based product to market, including realistic expectations for the timeline starting from product conception. Speakers will share expertise about achieving the offtake agreements necessary to commercialize; understanding the specifications that converters and brands will need; determining how each step in the value chain can be profitable. This session will set your company and product up for success from the beginning.

Attend this session to learn about the importance of techno-economic analysis (TEA) for your business. Hear examples of when a TEA was essential and impactful in de-risking process development; how TEA can impact and improve a business model; the role of TEA in a sustainable business venture; and more. Learn what questions to ask before and during a TEA, the most important TEA metrics to attract investors, and what resources are available to members to aid your TEAs.

Developing a first-of-a-kind facility is a significant milestone – and a challenging process – for many innovative bioindustrial manufacturing companies. In this session, companies will share their experiences with first-of-a-kind facilities, from design and engineering to community engagement and industry partnerships. This session is accompanied by a collection of case studies that will be available as a resource on the BioMADE Member Portal.

As the bioindustry expands, there is an increasing demand for professionals with hands-on experience in upstream and downstream unit operations at scale. This session will explore how various organizations are designing training programs at pilot scale while also navigating the competing priorities of operational efficiency, intellectual property (IP), and safety considerations that come with running a functional pilot plant. Panelists will discuss how to balance the need for real-world learning opportunities with the operational demands of a plant that may also be doing contract work for external clients. This session will be particularly valuable for industry leaders who are grappling with the challenges of workforce development in environments where operational and educational priorities must be carefully balanced. It will also be useful for educators seeking insight into the practical realities of pilot plant training.

This panel discussion will explore successful apprenticeship models from industries across advanced manufacturing, and how these practices can be adapted to bioindustrial manufacturing. Expert speakers will share their experiences in building and scaling apprenticeship programs that combine hands-on training with formal education, overcoming challenges, and achieving measurable success in developing skilled workforces. Ideal for workforce development professionals, HR managers, and industry leaders in the bioindustrial manufacturing space, this session offers actionable strategies for talent development and program scaling. It’s a unique opportunity to learn from proven models in other sectors and apply those lessons to the fast-evolving field of biomanufacturing.  

Changes in the Administration have introduced uncertainty in business and economic conditions. What remains certain, however, is national security and domestic manufacturing being priorities. Attend this session to hear from experts from Holland & Knight LLP law practice about the challenges – and opportunities – industry should consider to adapt to an ever-changing and sometimes unpredictable political and regulatory environment. Get insight into regulatory changes, funding environments, national economic and security priorities, Congress, and more.

This session will help companies at various stages learn best practices for gaining regulatory approval for various food, supplement, and cosmetic products. The panel will feature a food product that’s commercially available, and an agricultural food product that’s currently moving through approvals. Hear from a member who has worked through EPA approval processes, a member who has an FDA compliant Personal Care product, and from a seasoned expert navigating U.S. regulatory agencies to facilitate commercialization. Learn about their process, pitfalls to avoid, and other insights. Members will leave with a better understanding of the path they need to take to gain needed approvals.

Hear from finance and investment experts on keys to success in raising your first funding round to financing your first capital infrastructure. Speakers will share information on industry trends, the current financing climate, and how to best position your company for success. Stages and types of financing discussed will include: Early-stage venture capital (series A & B); Corporate venture capital (CVC investment, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Joint Ventures); and Growth capital and First of a Kind capital infrastructure financing. The audience will benefit from gaining insights into perspectives for the investment and financing community, understanding of industry trends and best practices, and providing government attendees insights into private-sector investor timelines and priorities.

Positive public opinion is important for the long-term success of the bioindustrial manufacturing. This panel will address the current status of public opinion on the industry, the significance of positive narratives to its future, and practices of public engagement in the public and private sectors. Sharing strategies and lessons learned from past and ongoing public and community engagement work can prevent duplicated efforts or damaging incidents of misunderstanding. Attendees will come away from this session with a greater understanding of what the public thinks of biomanufacturing, strategies for informing different constituencies of its potential benefits, and how positive perceptions of industrial biotechnology can benefit the industry as a whole. This session is ideal for members interested in addressing public stewardship and those who are interested in messaging or framing of emerging biotechnologies, conscious marketing approaches, and associated product best practices.    

From reducing capital expenditures to making food from air, attend this session to learn about the latest and greatest advancements in system design. Hear about how members are developing new tools ranging from continuous fermentation to point-of-need production. This session will cover reactors with continuous fermentation, improved mass transfer, and gas fermentation as novel ways to generate bio-based products.   

Waste valorization is slated to be a dominant modality for the future bioeconomy since it cuts down on waste generation and provides cheap feedstocks from agricultural waste, food processing waste, biogas, or wastewater. This year, the field saw substantive technical developments. Attend this session to learn how members – including those from BioMADE waste valorization projects – forecast and envision this strong industrial momentum being trialed in new ways, modified, or adapted for various bioproducts. Get insight from experts into how waste valorization can create a resilient feedstock supply chain and how companies interested in waste valorization can involve regional stakeholders such as farmers, civil engineers, and policy makers into their initiatives.

Featuring BioMADE's leading industry members, this session will highlight the breadth and diversity of bioindustrial manufactured products.

Expanded this year to feature 20+ of BioMADE's start-up and small business members, this session will include lightning talks, samples, demos, and more.

Stay after Tuesday’s sessions to enjoy appetizers, beer and wine with fellow meeting attendees. Visit posters with updates on research, technologies, and products from 20 BioMADE members.