Liverpool played host to the sold-out Bionow Pharma Manufacturing Conference this year, bringing together over 200 delegates, exhibitors and speakers. The event fostered open discussion between industry leaders, academics and regulatory experts and across a programme of talks, panels, exhibition and networking, the focus remained firmly on the challenges to address and the opportunities ahead for the sector.
The agenda reflected the breadth of activity across the sector, opening with a “set the scene” panel exploring how pharma manufacturing has evolved over the past 15 years. Throughout the day, sessions focused on emerging technologies and advanced therapies, alongside the growing role of automation, digitalisation and AI in manufacturing environments. Discussions also looked ahead to the future workforce, with a dedicated panel on skills, talent development and career pathways, highlighting the importance of building a resilient and adaptable talent pipeline for the sector.
Presenting at the conference were two keynote speakers: Senior Vice President and Head of UK Sites at FUJIFILM Biotechnologies UK, Jonathan Haigh and Stephen Byard, Principal Research Fellow at Arcinova.
Read the full event summary here
Pharma Manufacturing 2026 was kindly supported by Equans Sci-Tech, Invest Liverpool City Region, Arcinova, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, CSL Seqirus, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, GSK and Pharmaron Biologics.
Agenda highlights:
Keynote Speakers
- Jonathan Haigh, Senior Vice President and Head of UK Sites at FUJIFILM Biotechnologies UK
- Stephen Byard, Principal Research Fellow at Arcinova
Set the Scene Panel - A Decade and a Half of Change: How Pharma Manufacturing Has Evolved
Chair: Catherine Bacon, CEO and Founder, FIngerPost
Speakers
- Steven Marles, Sales & Business Development Director, Equans Sci-Tech
- Linda Randall, Associate Vice President, Pharmaron
- Matt Biagetti, Cluster Lead - Health and Life Sciences, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
- Stephen Byard, Principal Research Fellow, Arcinova - A Quotient Sciences Company
- Jonathan Haigh, Senior Vice President and Head of UK Sites, Fujifilm Biotechnologies UK
Emerging Technologies Panel & Presentations
Chair: Stephen Byard, Principal Research Fellow, Arcinova - A Quotient Sciences Company
Speakers
- Roman Lagoutte, Senior Principal Scientist, Lonza
- Holly Garlick, Head of GMP, Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre, University of Sheffield
- Christina McClure, Associate Sales Director - Europe, UK and The Nordics, VectorBuilder
- Sam Whitmarsh, Director of Analytical Science & Digital Transformation, CatSci
- Róisín O’Connell, Research Fellow, The Chamberlain Research Group - University of Leeds
Automation and Digitisation Panel
Chair: Dr Keith W Roberts, Senior Validation Engineer, ITS
Speakers
- Ahsan Zafar, Head of Process Engineering, Equans Sci-Tech
- Safwan Akram, Professor of Innovation in Healthcare / Biosciences, Teesside University
- Chris Parlane, Senior Manager Automation Engineering, CSL Seqirus
John Ward, Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Liverpool
AI Implementation Panel & Presentations
Chair: Simon Harwood, Enterprise Head of Stability, CSL Seqirus
Speakers
- John Murray Pryce, Managing Director, Pangea Life Sciences
- Kirk Malone, Founder and CEO of BRIDGE CMC, and CEO of Britest Limited
- Tom Wescombe, Quality Manager and Trainee QP, CSL Seqirus
- Gabriella Pizzuto, Lecturer in Robotics and Chemistry Automation, University of Liverpool
Future Pharma Manufacturing Workforce & Skills
Chair: Charlotte Blant, Founder & CEO, Tiro
Speakers
- Joe Thomas, Analytical Scientist, Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Lewis Rimmer, Operations Global Graduate in Site Strategy and PMO, AstraZeneca
- Sarah McKay, Campaign Execution Specialist, CSL Seqirus
- Blake Wells/Lutfullah Rowaichi, Student Science Manufacturing Technician, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
