8th Annual Bioprocessing Summit Europe 2025
Joaquim Vives, contributing editor
Banc de Sang i Teixits
Barcelona, Spain
The 8th annual Bioprocessing Summit Europe convened in Barcelona (also offering online participation) from March 18th to March 20th, 2025, bringing together over 750 professionals from industry and academia to share and discuss new advances in manufacturing, quality and control of next generation vaccines, biologicals, and cell and gene-based therapies (CGT). This series of meetings is organised by Cambridge Healthtech Institute and consist of a 3-day, multitrack meeting format under the motto “Solving today’s challenges, leading to tomorrow advances”. The programme was relevant to CGT developers including new trends in the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted tools in bioprocessing. The agenda encompassed several conference tracks, reflecting the latest innovations in bioprocess research and development and providing practical solutions to enhance efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness in biomanufacturing, as listed next:
- Upstream Processing: Focused on cell culture and cell line development.
- Downstream Processing: Addressed recovery and purification strategies.
- Gene Therapy: Covered Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC), analytics, and manufacturing aspects.
- Cell Therapy: Discussed CMC and manufacturing challenges.
- Intensified and Continuous Processing: Explored advancements in process intensification.
- Analytical and Quality: Delved into analytical development and next-generation methods.
- Modeling and Digitalization: Introduced new streams on process modeling, digitalization, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
The summit featured two plenary keynote sessions: i) Dr. Christian Hunzinger, senior director and head of CMC development of proteins, Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) and chemical entities, at BioNTech, who discussed the challenges and opportunities in developing complex multimodal entities, emphasizing the need for adaptable CMC strategies; and ii) Dr. Oliver Kaltenbrunner, scientific director of process development at Amgen Inc., who explored the balance between maximizing yields and optimizing downstream processing. Dr. Kaltenbrunner highlighted the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as Process Analytical Technology (PAT), advanced modeling, and AI to enhance process efficiency.
It was an intense 3-day meeting with lively discussions with delegates and vendors at the exhibitor’s hall, where major players in Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) development and manufacturing presented their solutions for bioprocess scale up (e.g., bioreactors, automation), quality control, and compliance with current regulations at all stages of product development and commercialization. This was also an opportunity to meet collaborators and friends, also from the ISCT community, including Dr. Paula Alves (iBET) and Alejandro Barquero (Almirall).
ISCT members Alejandro Barquero (Almirall) and Joaquim Vives (Banc de Sang i Teixits) in the 8th Bioprocessing Summit Europe.
I was invited to chair a session to showcase "Problems and Solutions" in bioprocess development, with a focus on engineered cell lines and scalable bioreactor technologies. Dr. Bjørn Voldborg (DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark) presented the development of genome-scale engineered CHO cell lines optimized for next-generation biologics production. These cell lines demonstrated prolonged fed-batch performance, enhanced glycosylation, and the elimination of lactate secretion, enabling lactate-free bioprocesses with improved recombinant protein quality. Then, it was my turn to present our most recent publications on preservation of the critical quality attributes of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) expanded in single-use stirred-tank bioreactors in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) (1-3). Our findings confirmed that 3D-culture methods using microcarriers yield comparable results to traditional planar culture systems while supporting scalable, clinical-grade MSC production for allogeneic therapies. Next, Dr. Hafsa Boulenouar (Mohammed V University of Rabat) presented a high-yield CHO cell line for trastuzumab production, employing a transposon-based vector and fluorescence-based selection. The optimized workflow achieved an expression level of 4.24 g/L in 7 days, providing a cost-effective and scalable platform for monoclonal antibody production, particularly relevant for research and development settings in resource-limited environments. This session highlighted the integration of advanced cell line engineering, scalable bioprocessing strategies, and novel selection methodologies to enhance biomanufacturing efficiency and therapeutic accessibility.
In brief, the Bioprocessing Summit Europe 2025 in Barcelona successfully provided a platform for professionals to exchange knowledge, explore innovative solutions, and collaborate on advancing bioprocessing technologies.
Hope to meet you there next year!
References
1. Lopez-Fernandez A, Garcia-Gragera V, Lecina M, Vives J. Identification of critical process parameters for expansion of clinical grade human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in stirred-tank bioreactors. Biotechnol J. 2024 Feb;19(2):e2300381. PubMed PMID: 38403461.
2. Lopez-Fernandez A, Codinach M, Coca MI, Prat-Vidal C, Castano J, Torrents S, et al. Comparability exercise of critical quality attributes of clinical-grade human mesenchymal stromal cells from the Wharton's jelly: single-use stirred tank bioreactors versus planar culture systems. Cytotherapy. 2024 May;26(5):418-26. PubMed PMID: 37715777.
3. García-Fernández C, López-Fernández A, Borrós S, Lecina M, Vives J. Strategies for large-scale expansion of clinical-grade human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. Biochemical Engineering Journal. 2020 2020/07/15/;159:107601.