.png?width=400&height=100&name=Cell%20Hackathon%20logo%20(light).png)
2 hours - One challenge · four teams · judged outputs
Put your brand inside the room where CGT’s hardest problem gets solved.
The Cell 2026 Hackathon is a curated, cross-functional working session. Sponsoring it places your organisation at the centre of a live problem-solving sprint with the senior people who buy what you sell.
Can point-of-care autologous manufacturing become viable?
Your sponsorship helps the room answer it.
Built for senior problem-solving, not passive visibility.
Contribute to solving the hardest question in cell & gene therapy.
The hackathon converts your presence into access, credibility and better commercial conversations, all in a single afternoon.
Access
Credibility
Commercial context
Thought leadership
A challenge-led sprint with a scoreboard.
Four curated teams of ~10 build a practical near-patient manufacturing model, then defend it to a senior judging panel.
Sponsors are woven through every stage.

Challenge briefing
The chair frames the point-of-care autologous manufacturing challenge and the output each team must deliver.

Group sprint
Four teams work against real-world regulatory, clinical, CMC, commercial and access constraints.

Presentations
Each team presents its model; the operational changes, regulatory evidence and patient benefit.

Judging & award
A senior panel scores on feasibility, CMC quality, regulatory realism and patient impact, then the prize is given.
The people your strategy already targets.
The hackathon draws from Cell 2026’s senior, cross-functional audience, the decision-makers and technical leads across the autologous value chain.
These are the conversations a booth rarely reaches.
Functions in the room
• Manufacturing
• Automation
• CMC
• Regulatory Affairs
• Clinical Development
• Quality & Release
Functions in the room
• Large Pharma
• Biopharma
• Biotech
• Technology & Platform
• Hospitals & Research Institutes
• SMEs & Start-ups
800
senior pharma, biotech, regulatory & academic delegates at Cell 2026400
pre-arranged 1-2-1 meetings across the wider event
4
curated teams of ~10 working the challenge live
2
days at Novotel London West,12–13 November
Key Event Highlights
An unmissable journey awaits you: from award winning speakers and insightful workshops to an exclusive gala dinner. Discover the moments that will transform your Cell experience.
Key Event Highlights
An unmissable journey awaits you: from celebrated keynote speakers and insightful fireside chats, to an exclusive gala dinner at London's Science Museum. Discover the moments that will transform your NextGen Biomed experience.
Explore dynamic panels, engaging roundtables, and hands-on workshops designed to drive innovation and foster collaboration, including:
Panel Discussion: What Is The Next Game Changer In Antibody Engineering?
Moderator: Karen Silence, Head Preclinical Product Development, ArgenX
Panellists include Berit Olsen Krogh, Senior Research Fellow; and Lundbeck Andrew Buchanan, Principal Scientist, AstraZeneca
Roundtable: Regulatory Insights On Bringing A Peptide To Human Trials
Moderator: Paul Reid, Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, Celtic Bio
Workshop: Development Of Targeted Delivery Systems
Two Presentations, followed by a Panel Discussion on 'The Next Chapter Of Oligonucleotide Delivery'
Moderator: Steve Hood, Senior Director, Oligonucleotide ADME Strategy, GSK
Panel Discussion: Navigating The Paradigm Shift Towards Greener Approaches
Moderator: Walter Cabri, Full Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Bologna
Panellists include Daniel Sejer Pedersen, Chemical Development Specialist CMC API Development, Novo Nordisk;
Anna Maria Papini, Full Professor & Group Leader, University of Florence;
Louis Diorazio, Senior Principal Scientist, New Modalities, AstraZeneca;
Alessandra Tolomelli, Associate Professor, University of Bologna
Presentation: How The RNA Technologies Could Help To Prevent Infectious Diseases And Could Be Applied To Various Chronic Disease Immunotherapies?
Presented by: Daniel Larocque, Innovation Lead, Innovation and Emerging Science, Sanofi
Speakers of NextGen Biomed 2025 Included:
Explore dynamic panels, engaging roundtables, and hands-on workshops designed to drive innovation and foster collaboration, including:
Panel Discussion: What Is The Next Game Changer In Antibody Engineering?
Moderator: Karen Silence, Head Preclinical Product Development, ArgenX
Panellists include Berit Olsen Krogh, Senior Research Fellow; and Lundbeck Andrew Buchanan, Principal Scientist, AstraZeneca
Roundtable: Regulatory Insights On Bringing A Peptide To Human Trials
Moderator: Paul Reid, Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, Celtic Bio
Workshop: Development Of Targeted Delivery Systems
Two Presentations, followed by a Panel Discussion on 'The Next Chapter Of Oligonucleotide Delivery'
Moderator: Steve Hood, Senior Director, Oligonucleotide ADME Strategy, GSK
Panel Discussion: Navigating The Paradigm Shift Towards Greener Approaches
Moderator: Walter Cabri, Full Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Bologna
Panellists include Daniel Sejer Pedersen, Chemical Development Specialist CMC API Development, Novo Nordisk;
Anna Maria Papini, Full Professor & Group Leader, University of Florence;
Louis Diorazio, Senior Principal Scientist, New Modalities, AstraZeneca;
Alessandra Tolomelli, Associate Professor, University of Bologna
Presentation: How The RNA Technologies Could Help To Prevent Infectious Diseases And Could Be Applied To Various Chronic Disease Immunotherapies?
Presented by: Daniel Larocque, Innovation Lead, Innovation and Emerging Science, Sanofi
Who is Speaking at NextGen Biomed 2025?
Interested in Sponsoring NextGen Biomed?
Become a driving force in accelerating the next generation of biologics and immunotherapy medicines to patients. NextGen Biomed offers a unique platform to enhance your brand visibility and connect with thousands of pharma, biotech, and R&D experts. Our branded event opportunities, immersive experiences, and content services enable you to engage, educate, and collaborate with the community shaping the future of biomedicine today.
Interested in Sponsoring NextGen Biomed?
Become a driving force in accelerating the next generation of biologics and immunotherapy medicines to patients. NextGen Biomed offers a unique platform to enhance your brand visibility and connect with thousands of pharma, biotech, and R&D experts. Our branded event opportunities, immersive experiences, and content services enable you to engage, educate, and collaborate with the community shaping the future of biomedicine today.
Our Esteemed Sponsors for NextGen Biomed 2025
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Network & Programme Sponsors
Start-Ups
The 1-2-1s are the best thing about Oxford Global events, well organised and good number of relevant contacts. Good high level contacts from big companies.
Advanced Therapies Specialist Team Leader,
Genscript
Biologics 2024 has been one of the best events I have attended so far in my career.
Territorial Sales Manager UK,
ACROBiosystems Co., Ltd.
Impressed by the effort to bring people together.
Business Development Director,
Bioassay
Nice set-up, with good support for exhibitors
Director of Client Relations,
ImmunoPrecise
The start-up zone provides a unique opportunity for you to exhibit, network, and pitch to our global audience of pharma, biotech, and investment professionals.
It's designed for start-ups from across the biologics space, working on cutting-edge therapies, innovative platform technologies, products, and solutions and is an ideal platform to share your business plans and promote your science.
There are two options, based on the type of your organisation with prices starting from £1,500 (+VAT) for companies with own therapeutic research pipeline and registration from £3,500 (+VAT) available for companies offering solutions, services or platform technologies.
For further information and to get started submit the application form below.
Criteria:
To qualify your company must be:
- Therapeutic Start-Up, Emerging Technology OR Service Start-Up
- Operating No More Than 5 Years
- 0 – 30 employees
- Pre-Series A Funding
Successful applications receive:
- 1 Full Conference Pass
- 10-Minute Presentation Opportunity
- 1x1m Space in Start-Up Zone
- Logo Featured on Event Website & App as a Participating Start-Up
- Ability to Arrange Peer to Peer Meetings via the Congress App
The NextGen Biomed Best Poster Presentation Competition & Award includes the best poster presentation award and is intended to honour an outstanding individual performance for a scientific work by either an early career or established scientist, including PhD student and PostDocs.
Please submit your poster presentation by no later than 13th January 2025 in the below category:
- Protein/Antibody Engineering
- Bioanalysis & Characterisation
- Next Generation Biotherapeutics
- Peptides Chemistry & Therapeutics
- Oligonucleotides Chemistry & Therapeutics
- Sustainable Chemistry & Manufacturing
-
- Open to all scientists, including students (PhD), PostDocs, and established researchers representing pharma & biotech companies and/or academic institutions
- Applicants must be the first AND presenting author of the submitted paper and register for the meeting by 13th January 2025
- ONLY ONE submission per person will be accepted. If authors submit multiple abstracts for consideration for the competition, only one abstract will be taken into consideration
Applicants must follow the procedure as follows:
- Register and submit an abstract by 13th January 2025 using the registration link to the right on this page. Please ensure you add the poster display option on the registration page to secure your admission into the Best Poster Competition & Award
- Once registered you will be provided with the online abstract submission form
- Prepare the poster or platform and present it (The poster presenter should be at the poster during all breaks.)
- The winner with the highest scores will be announced at the Morning Networking Break on Day 3 of the event
The poster presentations will be evaluated by everyone attending the event on the basis of originality of the approach and quality of the work (e.g. appropriate methodology, interpretation of results, conclusiveness). Attendees will be allowed to cast one vote by selecting their favourite work in the poster area. All votes will be counted at the end of Day 2 at 5pm and results will be announced during the morning networking break on Day 3. .
The winner receiving the highest scores will be announced on Day 3 and will be given a trophy as well as £600 contribution towards travel & accommodation costs to attend the 2026 NextGen Biomed event. Oxford Global will also provide winners with PLUS Pass – 12 months access to our digital content platform providing access to on-demand presentations, exclusive reports and highlights.
Five positions. One afternoon.
A seat at the hardest conversation in CGT.
Tell us which package fits your commercial goals and our partnerships team will design the detail around them. Positions are limited and allocated in order of enquiry.


