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Forum Format

The BioInnovation Greece (BiG) Forum is designed to maximize interaction, insight, and collaboration across the biotechnology ecosystem. Rather than relying primarily on traditional scientific presentations, the Forum combines multiple session formats that connect breakthrough science with entrepreneurship, investment, industry, and policy.

Multiple Formats, One Goal

Innovation emerges when ideas, people, capital, and institutions come together. To facilitate these interactions, the BiG Forum combines a diverse set of session formats, each designed to serve a distinct purpose within the innovation ecosystem. From visionary keynote talks and leadership conversations to interactive panel discussions, practical workshops, startup pitches, entrepreneurship competitions, and innovation showcases, every format is designed to foster engagement, encourage cross-disciplinary dialogue, and accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into real-world impact.

Together, these complementary formats create a dynamic environment where researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, policymakers, and students can learn from one another, build new partnerships, and help shape the future of biotechnology and innovation.

Explore the session formats below and discover how you can participate in the BiG Forum 2026.

Keynote Talks (25 mins)

Keynote Talks feature internationally recognized leaders who provide a strategic perspective on emerging scientific, technological, and societal developments shaping the future of biotechnology, health, and innovation. Delivered in a concise, highly engaging format inspired by TED-style presentations, these talks are designed to be accessible to the Forum's diverse audience of scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, policymakers, and students. Rather than focusing on technical detail, keynote speakers are encouraged to communicate a compelling vision, share transformative ideas, and highlight the broader significance of their work. The goal is to inspire, challenge conventional thinking, and stimulate cross-disciplinary dialogue across the biotechnology ecosystem.

Fireside Chats (25 mins)

Fireside Chats are informal, interview-style conversations with distinguished leaders from academia, industry, investment, government, and philanthropy. Moderated by experienced hosts, these sessions explore personal journeys, leadership lessons, strategic insights, and the broader implications of innovation for society, policy, and economic development.

Panel Discussions (35 mins)

Panel Discussions bring together diverse perspectives from science, industry, entrepreneurship, investment, and government to address some of the most important opportunities and challenges facing biotechnology and innovation. These highly interactive conversations are designed to stimulate dialogue, debate, and audience engagement while exploring practical pathways from discovery to impact.

Industry & Innovation Workshops (30-45 mins)

A series of focused, interactive sessions running in parallel with the main Forum program, designed to provide deeper insight into emerging technologies, translational science, entrepreneurship, funding opportunities, regulatory pathways, and industry best practices. Led by experts from academia, industry, investment, and government, these workshops offer participants practical knowledge, direct interaction with leaders in the field, and opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Startup & Scaleup Pitching

The BiG Forum Startup & Scaleup Pitching Session provides a platform for emerging biotechnology, medtech, digital health, and life science companies to present their ventures to an audience of venture capital investors, angel investors, industry executives, and strategic partners. Selected companies will showcase their technologies, business models, and growth strategies while receiving valuable feedback from experienced investors and industry leaders. The session aims to accelerate the development of high-impact ventures by facilitating connections between entrepreneurs, investors, and potential collaborators.

2026 BioSTART Competition

The BioSTART Competition is BiG's flagship biotechnology entrepreneurship competition, designed to identify, and promote promising biotech innovations emerging from academia and research institutions. The competition provides students, and aspiring entrepreneurs with an opportunity to transform scientific discoveries into commercially viable ventures. Through mentorship, evaluation by experienced entrepreneurs and investors, and exposure to the broader innovation ecosystem, BioSTART helps bridge the gap between research excellence and entrepreneurial success.

Poster Pitch

The Poster Pitch is eaaentially an Innovation Showcase Session. It reimagines the traditional scientific poster format by emphasizing innovation, translational potential, and real-world impact. Participants present their ideas, technologies, research projects, startups, or emerging ventures in a concise and engaging format that resembles a startup pitch more than a conventional scientific presentation. The session is designed to stimulate discussion, attract collaborators, and help participants communicate the broader significance and potential applications of their work to a multidisciplinary audience of scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, and policymakers.

A Forum Designed for Interaction

The BiG Forum is intentionally structured to foster meaningful dialogue rather than one-way communication. By combining keynote talks, fireside conversations, panel discussions, workshops, startup showcases, entrepreneurship competitions, poster pitches, and networking events, the Forum creates a unique environment where researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, policymakers, and students can engage directly with one another.

This multidisciplinary approach reflects the reality that innovation rarely happens within a single discipline or sector. Breakthroughs emerge when science, technology, capital, entrepreneurship, and policy come together to address society's most pressing challenges and transform scientific discoveries into real-world impact.

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