The Industry Engagement Day, integrated into the 3rd Microbiome PT Summit and organised within the framework of BioData.pt | ELIXIR Portugal, brought together researchers, clinicians, biotechnology companies, start-ups, and innovation stakeholders to accelerate collaboration across the microbiome and human health ecosystem.
The event gathered 152 participants from 14 nationalities, including representatives from academia, SMEs, healthcare institutions, and large enterprises, alongside 32 industry participants from companies operating in microbiome therapeutics, diagnostics, sequencing technologies, and biotech innovation. Among the participating companies were Freya Biosciences, MRM Health, Bac3Gel, Unseen Bio, SwipeBiome, Biocodex, Invitek Diagnostics, STAB VIDA and Hospital da Luz.
Two high-level panel discussions addressed the full microbiome innovation pipeline. "From Bench to Bedside to Boardroom" focused on translating microbiome research into real-world applications, highlighting regulatory pathways, clinical validation, and persistent barriers such as lack of standardisation and translational bottlenecks. "Advances in Microbiome Testing & Diagnostics" showcased emerging technologies in multi-omics, functional microbiome readouts, and biomarker discovery, reinforcing the importance of integrating next-generation diagnostics into healthcare systems.
The event also created new networking opportunities between Portuguese and international stakeholders, fostering connections for future collaborative projects and joint European funding applications, while reinforcing BioData.pt | ELIXIR Portugal's strategic role in supporting translational research and Portugal's growing microbiome innovation ecosystem.