Thursday 30th April 2026, 4:13pm
The BBSRC Sparking Innovation Conference 2026, held in Leicester on April 21st and 22nd, focused on accelerating the translation of bioscience research into real-world impact.
The event brought together over 200 academics, investors, and industry leaders to accelerate the journey of breakthrough research from "lab to market".
Val Hughes-White, Roslin Innovation Centre Director, was in attendance, representing the innovation ecosystem and thriving bioscience and agri-tech hub on Easter Bush Campus, and actively participated in the conference to foster new collaborations and engage with the broader bioscience community.
“The opening keynote by Will West, CEO of CellCentric, was an inspiration, providing an honest overview of the ups and downs of his business journey and sharing experiences and lessons learned, providing insight and encouragement to the many budding innovators in attendance.”
Val Hughes-White, Roslin Innovation Centre DirectorA standout feature of the conference was the Demo Day, where five high-potential, innovative bioscience start-ups pitched their businesses and ideas to a panel early-stage investors.
Sam Jellard, founder of Mycovolt Technologies, and Roslin Innovation Centre tenant company, was one of those selected to pitch.
The start up is developing an electronic interface that "interprets the electrical language of plants" to optimise growth, and is currently supported by a £149k research grant from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) as part of the "Programmable Plants" opportunity seed.
“It was an excellent couple of days involving valuable pitching practice and making promising connections. It's so important to make time to come away from the lab bench and talk to other founders, academics and sector leaders. It always offers useful and interesting perspectives on the focus of your work.
"Following this experience, we’re now following up three different applications for our technology, all in different sectors. Thank you to the RIC for supporting our attendance!"
Sam Jellard, CEO, Mycovolt Technologies
The Bio-Innovation Showcase featured some exceptional projects from the academic community that have translated and commercialised cutting-edge research.
Tim Wiese, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Roslin Institute, presented a poster and flash talk on an early-stage company idea, demonstrating the ongoing pipeline of innovation moving from the lab to RIC's commercial space.
“It was an absolute pleasure to present the core aspects of our innovations at the BBSRC Sparking Innovation conference, and to connect with so many like-minded innovators. This was the first real opportunity to showcase our team's work in transforming livestock supply chain traceability.
“An unexpected highlight was the opportunity to sit with several venture capitalists from diverse backgrounds and firms, discussing their outlooks on founders and startups. I left that conversation with a wealth of new knowledge and important considerations for when the time comes for our own team to make pitches.
“I also made several new connections, many of which could prove invaluable as we progress on our own spin-out journey. Overall, the entire experience exceeded my expectations. A special thank you to the Roslin Innovation Centre for sponsoring my attendance and for their continued support!”
Tim Wiese, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute, specialising in aquaculture supply chains and technologyEaster Bush Campus is a BBSRC Innovation Campus, and Roslin Innovation Centre has seen significant growth over the last few years, with several tenant companies winning national awards and securing major funding.
“It was a pleasure to be joined at the conference with tenant Sam Jellard, founder of Mycovolt Technologies, one of only five early-stage innovators to pitch at the demo session and gain sage advice.
“Roslin Institute Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Tim Wiese unveiled his early-stage company idea in a poster and presentation, demonstrating the ongoing pipeline of innovation moving from the lab to RIC's commercial space.”
Val-Hughes White, Roslin Innovation Centre Director
The Panel sessions were designed to explore the journey of bioscience innovation from lab to market, covering topics such as commercialisation, building sustainable translation models, and creating thriving innovation ecosystems.
A central theme highlighted by speakers was that effective bioscience innovation thrives through connected "people, platforms, and partnerships" - bridging universities, catapults, and investors, rather than in isolation.
The conference provided practical insights into moving lab discoveries to market, focusing on building sustainable translation models and shared tips for success, such as everything takes longer, and costs more than projected so derisk ie don’t overbuild and present the minimum viable product when securing funding.
Validate assumptions with the right advisers, and working with people you trust is invaluable. It is also important to set palatable milestones, and as these are achieved then raise them again.
“One of the many highlights for me was hearing the experiences and lessons learnt by companies during their entrepreneurial journey.
“And I learnt the meaning of a recurring acronym ‘GTHOTL’ (get the hell out the lab!) so in other words talk to people early, not isolated in the lab, to find out what your customers actually want."
Val-Hughes White, Roslin Innovation Centre DirectorOrganised by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), this flagship conference facilitates knowledge exchange and provides critical pathways for commercialising UK bioscience.
In its fourth consecutive year, the conference continues to serve as a critical forum for connecting the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) ecosystem with commercial partners.
Roslin Innovation Centre
The University of Edinburgh
Easter Bush Campus
Midlothian EH25 9RG
