When: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Where: The European Committee of the Regions, Brussels

The jointly organised Advancing Europe’s leadership in life science is a one-day event by InFLAMES and the Marseille Immunology Biocluster. Its purpose is to bridge scientific excellence and policy action to advance life science, foster breakthrough immunology-driven innovations, and enhance EU competitiveness in research, biotechnology, and novel medicine development. It will be held on Thursday, 12 June 2025, at the European Committee of the Regions, Brussels.

Registration is open and free of charge but mandatory. Please register by 4 June 2025 via the link below. For additional information, please contact InFLAMES Research Managers Jarkko Koivunen (jarkko.koivunen@utu.fi) and Joe Hettinger (joe.hettinger@utu.fi).
Register here.

The conference will start at 9:30 until 15:00, followed by a cocktail event, affording plenty of opportunities for networking and discussion. The event will bring together leaders from InFLAMES and the Marseille Immunology Biocluster, as well as stakeholders across the quadruple helix.

DOWNLOAD WORKBOOK: Advancing Europe s leadership in tackling diseases Brussels

Agenda:

9:30 Opening

Denis BERTIN, Vice-President of the A*Midex
Foundation, in charge of MIB

9:45 Immunology: latest scientific breakthroughs &
challenges ahead

> Sirpa JALKANEN, Professor in Immunology, InFLAMES,
Finland (15 min)
The rise of immunology in society

> Daniel OLIVE, Professor in Immunology, Marseille
Immunology Biocluster (MIB), France (15 min)
Translating immune regulations into patient
treatments for tackling human diseases

> 10 min for Q&A

10:25 Coffee break

10:50 1st Panel – Innovative ecosystems as a
driver to advance R&I in health

> Lidia AGUILERA MARTÍNEZ, Director of Innovation of
Center CaixaResearch Institute, Spain
> Rita CARSETTI, Vice-President of The International Union
of Immunological Societies (IUIS), France
> Carole MASURIER, CEO of Marseille Immunology
Biocluster (MIB), France
> Cristina NICULESCU, Senior Specialist, Life Sciences and
Health Division, European Investment Bank, Luxembourg
> Raivo UIBO, Professor of Immunology, University of
Tartu, Representative of the ImmunoHUB initiative,
Estonia

Moderator: > Joe HETTINGER, Research Manager,
InFLAMES, Finland

11:50 Introduction

Powering Immunology Innovation: Euro-BioImaging
Accelerates Discovery and Translation
> John ERIKSSON, Director General, Euro-BioImaging,
Finland

12:00 Networking Lunch

13:00 Strengthening Europe’s sovereignty & competitiveness
through health and life science research

Forward-looking video keynote on European health and R&I
policies and upcoming channels of action
> Sandra GALLINA, Director-General of Directorate General for
Health and Food Safety, European Commission, Belgium

13:30 2nd Panel – Enhancing Europe’s leadership & sovereignty in
health innovation

> Introductory video speech by Ville NIINISTÖ, Member of the
European Parliament, Finland
> Dr Caroline AURICHE-BENICHOU, European Medicines Agency
(EMA), Chair of Rheumatology and Immunology Working Party,
Iceland
> Carmen LAPLAZA SANTOS, Head of Unit for Health Innovations,
Directorate General for Research and Innovation (RTD), European
Commission, Belgium
> Hugh LAVERTY, Chief Scientific Officer, Innovative Health
Initiative (IHI) Joint Undertaking, Belgium
> Anca TOMA, Executive Director of European Patient Forum EPF,
Belgium

Moderator: > Céline DAMON, amU, Head of Mission Europe for
Research (amU, CNRS, Inserm, IRD), France

14:40 Conclusion

> Timo VEROMAA, Professor of Practice, InFLAMES, Finland
> Denis BERTIN, Vice-President of the A*Midex Foundation,
in charge of MIB

15:00 Cocktail Event

17:00 End of the conference