Merry Christmas from the Bionow team!

Bionow News
16 Dec 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, we want to take a moment to thank our members for being at the heart of everything we do. Your innovation, passion for life sciences and engagement continue to inspire us every day, and it’s a privilege to support the incredible work happening across the North and beyond.

Let’s look at the numbers from 2025:

  • A thriving base of more than 320 members with 70 newbies joining in 2025 – our highest number of new members in five years!

  • A bumper 36 in-person and virtual events, including our headline conferences, Biotech & Beers, virtual coffee mornings, networking sessions, investment showcase webinars and TWO BRAND NEW EVENTS for 2025: our inaugural BioAI Summit and BioIgnite conference. We’re bringing you more chances to network, contribute and learn than ever.

  • Nine event partnerships with organisations including Seda PDS, ApconiX, the University of Sheffield, Sci-Tech Daresbury, the University of Bradford, Discovery Life Sciences, iiCON, ReNewVax, Ward Hadaway and Waters Corporation, with many more planned for 2026.

  • 2,515 registered attendees at our events – an increase of 175 on last year, including 335 non-member delegates.

  • Annual savings of an estimated £614,000 with just one of our preferred suppliers through the purchasing scheme, based on a typical 40% discount!

  • 400 new signups taking us to 3,800 subscribers to our monthly email newsletter, showcasing the latest Bionow, member and sector news and events.

  • Closing in on 10,000 LinkedIn followers (an increase of 3,000 on last year) and more than 4,000 LinkedIn newsletter subscribers, up from fewer than 3,000 in 2024!

  • A successful Future Medicines Pre-Accelerator programme delivered to a cohort of 32 companies in partnership with Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst and LYVA Labs.

  • The official launch of the York and North Yorkshire Health and Life Sciences Cluster Mobilisation Project, which will continue throughout 2026 so watch this space!

The Bionow community continues to prosper, with a strong and diverse membership of around 320 organisations from across the North and further afield. Members remain at the heart of everything we do, and this year we have strengthened the support on offer through new events, targeted networking, fresh routes to funding and investment, and practical business and marketing guidance.

The last year has brought its share of challenges, yet members are telling us that the Bionow purchasing scheme has been a real help. Savings on laboratory consumables, financial services, commercial insurance and support with R&D relief continue to make a meaningful difference in a tight economic landscape.

As we look ahead to 2026, we remain committed to strengthening our services and championing the sector. We will keep building opportunities for collaboration, growth and connection, ensuring our members are supported and equipped for the year to come.

Bionow 2026 Events

Ease into 2026 and join us on 13th January for the Bionow New Year Coffee Break! Grab a beverage of your choice and share your goals for the year ahead with industry colleagues. Register here

PLUS we host regular Biotech & Beers events, Pitching & Pizza and Business Pitching sessions, Investment Showcases and virtual coffee mornings to maximise your networking opportunities! All our upcoming events can be found here.

Bionow 2025 Events Roundup

The event calendar began in February with BioInfect returning to The Spine in Liverpool for the second year in a row, with over 175 delegates, 14 exhibitors and 15 poster abstracts focusing on the issues surrounding the increasing threat of AMR and how it can be addressed. Read more

In March, the Annual Bionow Awards dinner marked an exceptional evening of recognition and celebration, as 342 distinguished guests gathered at the Concorde Conference Centre to honour those who have demonstrated outstanding ingenuity and dedication. Read more

Kicking off April, the Empowering Women in Biotech event series returned for 2025 at Waters Corporation’s Wilmslow office, where 116 attendees met for a day of sharing stories, discussion and networking. Read more

In partnership with the University of Bradford, Yorkshire Bio-Partnering saw 85 delegates come together to hear about the benefits of industry-academic collaboration, exciting spinout companies and technological innovations originating in Yorkshire. Read more

In May, Pharma Manufacturing was a buzzy and packed event, hosting 180 delegates, exhibitors, and speakers. Industry leaders, academics, and regulatory experts exchanged insights, shared expertise, and engaged in meaningful collaboration. Read more

The first of our BRAND-NEW events for 2025, the BioAI Summit, also took place in May, which attracted more than 100 attendees, speakers and exhibitors for a day of insights and conversation around the theme of “Bridging Life Sciences and Artificial Intelligence”. Read more

BioFocus in June hosted 135 delegates, speakers and panellists, with an agenda covering how the labs of the future can be flexible, sustainable, and scalable for innovation and production; funding opportunities in the sector; showcasing the latest technologies; and exploring therapies of the future. Read more

July saw the return of the Neuroscience conference, with more than 110 delegates coming together to highlight the strengths in the discovery, development and commercialisation of neuroscience treatments and technologies across the north of England and beyond. Read more

The autumn conference season opened as usual with BioCap in September, with a packed agenda including insights from two life sciences investment outlook panel sessions, company journeys, investor insights, what makes a company scalable, reverse pitching, grants and mixed funding, and of course, the announcement of the three pitching competition finalists and the overall winner. Read more

Another NEW entry for 2025, the BioIgnite conference hosted by Sci-Tech Daresbury welcomed more than 90 delegates, speakers and exhibitors, with a focus on the achievements of the life sciences industry in the Northwest and uniting industry and academia. Read more

Making a second appearance in 2025, the next Empowering Women in Biotech event was hosted at Ward Hadaway’s Newcastle office with more than 70 delegates and speakers in attendance. Read more

Rounding off the year was the Oncology conference, with around 100 delegates, speakers and exhibitors taking a deep dive into the latest advancements and challenges in cancer research, fostering collaboration and innovation across the healthcare sector. Read more

2026 will see Bionow build on this momentum with a varied programme of events, including the key conferences noted below. Many more activities will be added as the year unfolds, so we encourage you to sign up to the Bionow newsletter to stay connected with the latest updates, opportunities and member support.

The Bionow team would like to thank you again for your continued support and we look forward to maximising your membership in 2026.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Bionow Team