Bionow's first BioInsight Conference brought together delegates from across Scotland and the wider UK at the Health Innovation Hub in Glasgow to explore the ideas, technologies and collaborations shaping the future of life sciences. The event welcomed 100 researchers, industry leaders, innovators, investors and support organisations for a day of discussion, networking and knowledge sharing focused on translating innovation into impact.
BioInsight created opportunities for attendees to exchange ideas, build new connections and examine the trends influencing the future of innovation and commercialisation. While the conference highlighted the strengths and opportunities within Scotland's thriving life sciences community, discussions also reflected the increasingly connected nature of the Northern UK ecosystem and the importance of collaboration across regions.
The agenda featured keynote presentations, panel discussions and contributions from organisations spanning industry, academia, healthcare and the wider innovation landscape. Throughout the day, speakers explored topics including technology development, investment, commercialisation and the partnerships required to bring new innovations to market and deliver meaningful impact.
Read the full event summary here
The 2026 BioInsight conference was sponsored by Kadans Science Partner and Equans Sci-Tech.
Agenda highlights:
Keynote Speakers
- Richard Lochhead, Former Scottish Government Minister for Business
- Poonam Malik, Founder & CEO- PM InnoVatures Ltd
Set the Scene Panel
Chair: Ruth McLaughlin, Programme Director, Living Laboratory College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow
Speakers
- Katie Nelson, Head of Leasing UK&I, Kadans Science Partner
- Nicola McMillan, Team Leader High Growth Company Services, Scottish Enterprise
- Michael Murray, Executive Chair, Glox Therapeutics
- Mark Cook, Co-Chair, LSS ILG & Chair, NHS Dumfries & Galloway
- Karen Davies, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Equans Sci-Tech
Technology Showcase Presentations
Chair: Barbara Blaney, Head of Enterprise - Venture Creation, Edinburgh Innovations
Speakers
- Chris Walsh, CEO & Co-Founder, TileBio
- Lindsay Fraser, Chief Scientific Officer, Cytomos
- Fiona Rudkin, CEO & Founder, MycoBiologics
Funding & Investment Panel
Chair: Owain Walsh, Membership Manager, Bionow
Speakers
- Viney Chauhan, Managing Director, Inventya
- Elizabeth Parker, Accelerator Community Manager (Innovation Economy), NatWest Group
- Samantha Barnett, Head of Invest Glasgow, Glasgow City Council
- Robert Higginson, Partner, PXN Group
Precision Medicine Specialty Panel
Chair: Christina McClure, Associate Sales Director, VectorBuilder
Speakers
- Sima Hirani, Senior Scientist, Catalent
- Graeme Macluskie, Director of Precision Medicine, Reprocell
- Professor Sandosh Padmanabhan, Pontecorvo Chair of Pharmacogenomics, University of Glasgow
Looking Ahead Panel
Chair: Vicky Young, Business Development Executive, University of Edinburgh
Speakers
- David Brennan, CEO and Co-Founder, Aurum Biosciences
- Henry Thompson, Associate Solicitor, Irwin Mitchell
- Sarah Hunt, Group Manager – Skills, Glasgow City Region
- Andrew Tighe, Project Manager, Equans Sci-Tech
- Laragh Jeanroy, Co-Lead Life Sciences, RSM
