Connecting the Food and Drink Sector to the Health and Life Science Sector

Following the successful workshop held on 11th March at the University of the West of England, which brought together the food and drink sector with health and life sciences to explore innovation in sustainable materials and packaging, we are pleased to invite you to the follow‑up opportunity building and collaboration meeting on 3rd June.

The March event highlighted the rapid advances being made in sustainable packaging — from biopolymers and bio‑nanocomposites to plastic‑free materials such as seaweed‑based packaging — and the strong potential for cross‑sector technology transfer. Discussions demonstrated clear alignment between the challenges facing food producers and those within healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and medical devices, particularly around sterility, stability, regulation, waste reduction, and circular economy models.

The 3rd June meeting will build on this momentum. It will include short, focused presentations from leading stakeholders, including those who spoke in March, and will act as Innovation Catalysts, followed by facilitated face‑to‑face sessions designed to help participants meet potential partners, explore ideas or joint projects, and form new collaborations around the development and adoption of sustainable packaging using new materials.

This session is aimed at organisations from food and drink, life sciences, healthcare, academia, and the innovation ecosystem who are interested in accelerating sustainable solutions, accessing new markets, and working collaboratively across sectors. For academics and researchers there will be to opportunity to seek advice and get feedback on your research from industry and identify potential collaborators. For industry there will be an opportunity to identify potential partners and learn about new materials being developed.

We hope you will be able to join us to continue the conversation and turn shared challenges into practical collaboration opportunities.

What to Expect

• Brief, insight‑led presentations on emerging materials and innovation challenges
• Opportunities to meet potential partners across sectors
• Conversations focused on real‑world applications, technology transfer, and scale‑up
• A collaborative environment designed to support new ideas and joint projects

Who Should Attend

• Food & drink manufacturers and packaging specialists
• Life science, pharmaceutical, diagnostics and med‑tech organisations
• Materials innovators and sustainability leads
• Academic researchers and technology transfer teams
• Circular‑economy, compliance, and ESG professionals

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

University of the West of England, North Entrance, Bristol, United Kingdom

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