In the face of environmental challenges, sovereignty issues, and the rise of artificial intelligence, the laboratory sector is undergoing a profound transformation. The opening conference of Forum Labo Lyon 2026 gives the floor to academic and industrial stakeholders from the region who have successfully turned these changes into real drivers of innovation. It offers insights into the dynamics at work around three key pillars: - reindustrialization and the structuring of decarbonized and depolluted sectors; - AI serving research, analysis, and production; - collaborative models as a driver of innovation. Coming from various sectors and organizations, the speakers will share their vision of the laboratory and the choices that allow them to anticipate the sector's challenges and transform them into opportunities. Introduction of the session by Loïc Thomas, President of CIFL and Forum LABO Round table 1: Structuring sectors to depollute, decarbonize, and reindustrialize With the participation of BENTA LYON (pharmaceutical production SME), Damien Parisien, CEO SYENSQO (Solvay specialty division), Vincent Schanen, Director of the Organic Chemistry Department Round table 2: Adopting AI: an asset for analyzing, manufacturing, and 'derisking' NETRI (Deeptech, organ-on-chip manufacturer), Thibault Honegger, CEO & Co-Founder MEDDENOVO DRUG DESIGN (start-up – molecular modeling platform for drug candidate development), Antoine Marion, CEO GENCOVERY (start-up – sovereign data and AI platform for life sciences), Adama Ouattara, Co-Founder & CEO Round table 3: Networking: the collaborative model, an essential lever for innovation CNRS / WINDEYES Project (energy-environment), Véronique Ribière, Head of Industry of the Future BOBINE - CHEMISTRY (materials recycling start-up), Romain Rivière, CTO Opening conference (or session) moderated by Nathaly Mermet, PhD, Science journalist

This inaugural conference will offer an overview of recent developments in the biotechnology sector and new skill requirements.

This round table will focus on the selection criteria of recruiters in the biotechnology sector, highlighting the most valued skills and the mistakes to avoid for candidates.

During the recruitment process, PhD students and PhD holders are required to showcase their research experience and skills. It is therefore essential for them to take a step back and learn to identify and then effectively communicate their skills. DocPro is an online tool that allows PhD students and PhD holders to create a skills profile. It helps them identify and name the skills derived from their research experience in a language compatible with the socio-economic sector. DocPro guides them in evaluating their skills and illustrating them by sharing real-life experiences.

What are the standards, how to comply with them, what strategies to adopt to plan, execute, and finalize your mappings.

Ventilated laboratory equipment is fundamental for protection against chemical or biological risks. Without being an equipment specialist, how can you find your way? Choosing the right equipment is essential, as it protects users while ensuring the normal conduct of operations. Risk analysis and knowledge of standards are therefore key to making the best choices every day.

Many laboratories choose to internalize pipette calibrations within their metrology unit. This unit is often staffed by a small number of personnel, sometimes even just one person. Under these conditions, how can one ensure the relevance and validity of their results? How can the uncertainty component related to operators be determined or evaluated? These questions are typically at the core of concerns for internal metrology services. We aim to provide some answers on these subjects.

This second round table will explore the diversity of career paths after a PhD in biotechnology. Professionals who have successfully transitioned to management, marketing, or other key roles will share their experiences and career development milestones.

This conference will provide an overview of technological innovations in non-destructive and label-free analysis, highlighting the various existing approaches, their benefits, and their fields of application in the laboratory.

The rise of biopharmaceuticals is profoundly transforming the biotech/pharma industry, impacting the entire value chain, such as quality controls during bioproduction or their formulation. Monoclonal antibodies, ADCs, cell and gene therapies impose new scientific, technical, and organizational requirements, rapidly evolving the skills expected within laboratories. In his introduction, Jean-André Lapart will provide a global overview of the biopharmaceutical sector, its current dynamics, and its structural needs. He will also present MabDesign's involvement in supporting the biotech/pharma ecosystem to address these challenges. Secondly, Clara Esnault will present an overview of current and emerging skill requirements, based on field experience feedback in continuing education. She will address frequently observed gaps, as well as the levers for anticipating these developments in a context of accelerated innovation: targeted upskilling, continuous training, adaptation of career paths, and team support. This session is intended for professionals wishing to gain perspective on skill needs and to sustainably engage in the evolution of the biopharmaceutical sector.

A list of restaurants and bakeries near the convention center will be shared with participants so they can find lunch.

Individual CV review sessions will be offered. 20-minute slots, available upon registration, will allow participants to benefit from personalized advice. Each participant must bring their CV as well as examples of job offers they wish to apply for, in order to optimize the support provided. A few days before the event, you will receive an email inviting you to select your 20-minute slot.

How to simplify compliance while securing your laboratory operations. Structuring quality and documentation in the laboratory requires more than just accumulating tools. Faced with organizational complexity, stressful audits, and scattered data, an integrated approach is essential. By centralizing document management, deviations, CAPA, and audits within a unified and interoperable platform, it becomes possible to simplify compliance, strengthen traceability, and sustainably secure operations.

A molecular biologist by training, science communicator and founder of Cortex, Tatiana works to bridge the gap between research, innovation and society, while advocating for a more accessible and inclusive science. She will be presenting: - Les Noces cellulaires - A collection of poetry exploring the intimacy of the living world - L’Écho des savantes - A graphic narrative following in the footsteps of pioneering women scientists The talk will be followed by a signing session, offering readers a special opportunity to exchange with her and leave with a personalized copy.

Cellular internalization is an essential parameter in the development of targeted therapies and the study of signaling mechanisms. For G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), therapeutic antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), the precise characterization of these processes remains a major challenge. Traditional approaches have proven their worth, but they present certain limitations. During this presentation, we invite you to explore the advantages and disadvantages of these methods, and how new tools are being proposed to address them. Our experts will present the features and benefits of a 96-well plate format approach, wash-free and compatible with all human IgG subtypes, through validated results, demonstrating the versatility and robustness of this alternative solution to conventional imaging methods.

A molecular biologist by training, science communicator, and founder of Cortex, Tatiana works to bring research, innovation, and society closer together, while advocating for more accessible and inclusive science. She will present: - Cellular nuptials - A collection of poems exploring the intimacy of the living world - The echo of women scientists - A graphic narrative following in the footsteps of pioneering women scientists The meeting will be followed by a signing session, offering readers a special opportunity to talk with her and leave with a personalized copy.

Quantification by isotopic dilution in LC-MS/MS: development of an early diagnostic tool for fresh mushroom aroma defects and aromatic compounds in oenological and agri-food matrices, presented by Mr. Lucas Suc, INRAE engineer Analysis of δ13C and δ15N by EA-IRMS in viticulture, presented by Mr. Tommaso Nicolato, technical director of Excell laboratories

The rise of biomolecules (oligos, GLP-1, ADCs, etc.) complicates analytical workflows. Their analysis, whether in development or QC, requires controlling various attributes: identity, purity, structural integrity, etc. The choice of methods (CE, LC, UV, MS, etc.) can be challenging. This session will guide you in selecting appropriate solutions, presenting available approaches, their strengths, limitations, and application examples.

For this new series of conferences organized in partnership with FORUM LABO, the CFM invites you to revisit two fundamental concepts: the definition of metrological needs and the choice of traceability for measurement results. Whatever your strategy for carrying out your metrological operations – in-house, externally, or both – it is essential to master your metrological needs. And to meet them as accurately as possible, in accordance with the applicable standards in your sectors of activity. Our experts will provide you with the keys to defining your metrological specifications and the corresponding conformity decision rules. They will also detail the different possible traceability paths.

Organoids and organ-on-chips (OoCs) embody the new generation of in vitro biological models, capable of reproducing the physiological and pathological complexity of human or animal tissues. These technologies represent a scientific and industrial breakthrough comparable to that of genomics two decades ago. The evolution of the international legislative framework confirms this dynamic. The United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the European Commission have already taken decisive measures: elimination of mandatory animal testing by the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 and 3.0, launch of an organoid standardization center by the NIH, and adoption of national strategies for the replacement of animals in research (Japan, United Kingdom, 2025). These actions endorse the recognition of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and pave the way for their regulatory adoption. The French Organoid and Organ-on-Chip Sector (F3OCI), stemming from the Strategic Sector Contract "Health Industries and Technologies," aims to unite academic, industrial, and institutional forces. After two years of work, it presents in a White Paper an exhaustive reflection on the field of organoids and organ-on-chips (technologies and their pilot uses, an overview of actors and projects in France, an analysis of economic dynamics (expected sector growth, priority therapeutic indications, investment levels, and France's position relative to its EU, US, CHN competitors) and proposes 9 key lines of work aimed at positioning France as a leading player in the field: structuring the sector, identifying and financing concrete use cases in line with regulations to promote the adoption of these technologies, creating a robust regulatory and industrial framework, fostering partnerships, securing resources, and ensuring lasting international influence.

During the pitch, I will explain the difference between measurements taken by routine monitoring probes of devices involved in the sterilization process and independent loggers used for qualification. Then, I will present 3 case studies from laboratories, detailing the risks and challenges associated with the validation of sterilization equipment.

To analyze complex mixtures such as perfumes, essential oils, or polymers, the combination of GC and GC×GC-MS/FID provides reliable identification and quantification. It resolves co-elutions, detects non-targeted compounds (NIAS, authenticity markers), and generates automated semi-quantitative reports, useful for deformulation, quality control, and regulatory compliance.

ODIL is a multi-accredited metrology company, recognized for its field expertise and mastery of normative requirements. Its services guarantee measurement traceability, regulatory compliance, and result reliability, serving public or private laboratories with high demands.

At every stage of your career and regardless of your goal—whether building a new project or advancing internally or externally—networking is an essential tool for expanding opportunities and approaching them with professionalism and relevance. Networking has its own rules and codes that must be mastered to act consistently and ensure the effectiveness of your efforts.

Develop your professional network and personal branding. Networking strategies, LinkedIn profile optimization, and public speaking techniques.

Analysis of industry-specific CV requirements, showcasing skills, CV rewriting exercises, interview preparation, mock interviews, and salary negotiation.

Workshop on the three reasons why a scientist can make a good entrepreneur. Followed by a round table with professionals who have embarked on an entrepreneurial journey within the Lyon ecosystem.

1. To be announced 2. RNA High throughput Screening: Automating Discovery through Digital Transformation 3. Custom integration of microbial kinetics

Discover how NMR secures your innovations through 3 real-life cases: patents, anti-counterfeiting, and recycling. Barriers, best practices, and local resources accessible to SMEs. Interactive conference with field experience feedback.

This year, Forum LABO celebrates those who are shaping the future of science and innovation. The Forum LABO Lyon 2026 Trophies recognize a project, a laboratory, a team, or an individual who has demonstrated scientific or technical excellence, significant innovation, or a strong impact on the region, sector, or scientific community. These distinctions also highlight initiatives that encourage collaboration, diversity, and equal opportunities in scientific professions. Two emblematic awards will be presented this year: 🔹 Regional Strategic Sector Award – “AuRA Excellence” Open to talents from laboratories, companies, and scientific structures in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, this award highlights innovative players in the Industrial, Decarbonized Energies, Agriculture, and Innovation & Research Excellence sectors. 🔹 Woman in Science Award – “Women in Lab” This trophy honors a woman whose career is distinguished by major scientific contributions, strong leadership, or exemplary commitment. The nomination must be supported by a third party: a colleague, laboratory, or organization. Join the ceremony and come celebrate those who are advancing science today!