Join researchers, businesses and regional partners from Poland, Portugal and Estonia to explore how research and technology can support new products and partnerships.
At the Bio-based Innovation Forum, you can:
Meet the people behind the expertise and explore opportunities to work together.
Save the date:
21 October 2026 · 09:00 – 15:00
Meet us in Olsztyn:
Omega Hotel, ul. Sielska 4A, Poland.
Connect with:
Researchers, businesses and regional partners from Poland, Portugal and Estonia.
Reserve your place:
Participation is free. Advance registration is required.
Language:
The event will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation into Polish.
Free Participation – Register in Advance
Bio-based Innovation Forum brings together companies, researchers and support organisations that want to develop new products, find the right partners and make better use of research and technology. The Forum starts from the agri-food sector and the challenge of giving side streams and underused resources a higher-value use, while the partners’ expertise can also support innovation in fields such as cosmetics, biotechnology and health-related products.
The event is organized by the CROSSPATHS project consortium: InLife Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Wageningen Research, and Innotrope.
Partners will share their expertise, experience and examples of science–business collaboration. But the Forum is not only about technology. It is also about people and about how different perspectives and more inclusive ways of working can improve teams, partnerships and decision-making. We also want to look at what needs to happen for promising ideas and research results to move beyond the lab and make their way into companies and onto the market. That is why the the Forum brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, business support organisations and people who help create the right conditions for collaboration and innovation.
Over the past few years, CROSSPATHS has built strong relationships and a joint offer across three countries. Now we want to open these pathways to more companies and organisations looking for expertise, technology, partners or inspiration for their own innovations.
Agenda
bio-based innovation Forum – Connecting science, business, people and regions
09:00 – 09:10 | Opening & Welcome
Welcome address by the Director of InLife PAS.
09:10 – 09:20 | CROSSPATHS – From Connections to Partnerships
Speaker: Mariusz K. Piskuła (PAS Member, Poland)
A short introduction to the project, its main idea and key achievements.
09:20 – 09:30 | Joint Research & Innovation Support Services
Speaker: Ana Paulo (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal)
Presentation of the joint CROSSPATHS research and innovation services, including the platform designed to connect external partners with the expertise and infrastructure available across the consortium.
09:30 – 10:30 | SCIENCE – Knowledge & Capabilities
What can we do together?
Moderator: Ana Paulo (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal)
Three institutions, three complementary areas of expertise and three research infrastructures – together creating a broader offer for companies, researchers and future partners.
- 09:30 – Reelika Rätsep (Estonian University of Life Sciences, Estonia)
- 09:50 – Manuela Pintado (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal)
- 10:10 – Bartosz Fotschki (InLife PAS, Poland)
10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee Break & Networking
11:00 – 12:00 | BUSINESS – Turning Knowledge into Market Solutions
From an idea or research result to a market-ready product
Moderator: Eduardo Costa (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal)
How do you turn an idea, a technology or an underused resource into a viable product and business opportunity? Companies from Poland, Estonia and Portugal will briefly introduce their stories and then take part in a moderated discussion about what really helps – and what gets in the way – when bringing innovation to market.
Discussion themes: science–business collaboration, product development, commercialisation, regional barriers, scaling up and market entry.
- Annemari Polikarpus (CEO at Viinamärdi Talu OÜ, Estonia)
- Raquel Madureira (General Manager at Biorbis, Portugal)
12:00 – 13:00 | INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP – Different Perspectives, Better Partnerships
Why diversity matters in science, business and collaboration
12:00 – 12:10 | Opening Talk: Aleksandra Niżyńska (D&I and Communications Expert, Poland)
An introduction to inclusive leadership, equal opportunities and the value of different perspectives in building stronger teams, organisations and partnerships.
12:10 – 13:00 | Panel Discussion:
A conversation about leadership, barriers and women’s experiences in science and business – and about how to create environments in which different voices have a real influence on decisions and organisational development.
Moderator: Aleksandra Niżyńska (D&I and Communications Expert, Poland)
- Débora Campos (CEO, AgroGrIN Tech, Portugal)
- Monika M. Kaczmarek (Director General, InLife PAS, Poland)
- Iwona Kieda (WeLead Food, Poland)
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch & Networking
14:00 – 15:00 | POLICY – Creating the Conditions for Collaboration
What conditions help partnerships grow?
How can European networks, regions, public institutions and business support organizations create better conditions for collaboration, innovation and international partnerships?
- 14:00 – 14:15 | From Contacts to Competitive Partnerships: What Makes European Collaboration Work?
Peter Jongebloed (Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands)
What turns a promising contact into a strong, competitive and lasting partnership? Drawing on Wageningen’s experience in European research and innovation programmes, Peter will share practical insights into the role of complementary expertise, trust, international networks, institutional support and long-term thinking. - 14:15 – 14:30 | Regional Technology Transfer and Competence Centres
Piia Pääso (Estonian University of Life Sciences, Estonia)
How regional structures can connect research expertise, infrastructure and companies – and help turn knowledge into practical collaboration. - 14:30 – 14:45 | How Can Regional Authorities Support Business and Innovation?
Marcin Szczepkowski (Marshal’s Office of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland)
A regional perspective on supporting companies, innovation and cooperation between business, research organisations and public institutions.
Closing Summary
About CROSSPATHS Project
CROSSPATHS is a Horizon Europe-funded project aimed at creating a cross-border network of food technology, health and bioeconomy R&I institutions. The project focuses on developing a joint internationalisation strategy, enhancing staff competences, and enabling more effective use of regioanally-funded research infrastructures towards Framework Programme opportunities.
