Advanced Fermentation Technology 2026
New frontiers in Industrial Biotechnology
30 June – 1st July 2026
1.5 day Scientific Congress
Bridging Fundamental Research and Industrial Innovation
University of Lille – Scientific Campus
At Polytech-Lille Av. Paul Langevin, 59655 Villeneuve-d’Ascq
Context and objectives
Context : This congress is supported by the ADEBIOTECH think tank and the VALOREEMA industrial chair of the University of Lille (Valorization by Extration, Enzyme and Microorganism of Agroressources)
The scientific objectives of such a congress are :
- To advance fundamental understanding of microbial and metabolic mechanisms underpinning fermentation technology
- To explore innovative biotechnological and engineering approaches for optimizing production
- To foster meaningful dialogue between academic researchers and industry leaders to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into scalable applications
- To initiate new collaboration between academic and industrial researcher
The program is currently being developed around the following themes:
Session 1 – Selecting and Engineering Robust Strains for efficient fermentation
Focus: This session will explore strategies to select, design, and optimize microbial hosts or chassis with enhanced productivity, stress tolerance, substrate adaptability, and genetic stability under real industrial operating conditions. A key emphasis will be placed on how downstream purification requirements, impurity loads, and flow recycling constraints affect strain physiology, product quality, and overall process reliability at scale. Presentations will also highlight how techno-economic assessments and model-guided frameworks (MGM) — combining metabolic modelling, bioprocess simulations, and cost-structure analysis — can guide strain and process development from the earliest design stages. The objective is to link strain engineering with industrial decision-making by using predictive models to evaluate scalability, energy consumption, raw-material usage, and cost competitiveness early in development. Key questions include how to predict strain performance under large-scale bioreactor constraints, how to align strain selection with purification and regulatory requirements, and how AI-enhanced hybrid modelling approaches can integrate, during the strain designing process, mass- and energy-balance constraints with market and raw material price volatility to support robust product-cost projections.
Session 2 – Advanced Fermentation Systems
Focus: This session will focus on recent advances in the design and optimization of fermentation systems that bridge laboratory performance and industrial scalability (from HTS to larger scale bioprocess). Presentations will cover innovations in bioreactor engineering (gaz fermentation, air-lift bioreactor, disposable systems, …), process intensification, probes and
automation for improved performance. A special emphasis will be placed on scale-up methodologies, from pilot to demo plant and industrial scale, and on integrating technoeconomic assessments to guide engineering decisions early in process development. The objective is to identify how advanced process design and quantitative evaluation tools can jointly improve productivity, reproducibility, and cost efficiency. Key questions include how to anticipate scale-dependent parameters, evaluate economic feasibility in parallel with technical optimization, and design flexible platforms adaptable to various fermentation products.
Session 3 – Control Strategies, Machine Learning and Digital Twins for Bioprocess Design
Focus: This session will explore recent development in sensor technologies and process analytical tools that enable high resolution data acquisition required for real-time monitoring and model training. We will examine how data-driven methodologies, advanced control strategies, and digital twins can transform the design and optimization of fermentation processes. Presentations will focus on model-based and AI-assisted control approaches that improve process robustness, reproducibility, and yield. The integration of real-time sensing, big data analytics, and hybrid models (combining mechanistic and statistical approaches) will be discussed as key enablers for predictive process management. Particular emphasis will be given to how digital twins can simulate biological variability, anticipate scale-up challenges, and support decision-making across the entire process lifecycle. The session will also address techno-economic implications of implementing such digital frameworks, including the cost benefit balance of automation, data infrastructure, and model validation. Key scientific questions include how to ensure model interpretability and reliability, how to merge multi-scale data (from molecular to process level), and how to validate AI-driven control systems under industrial constraints.
Session 4 – Autonomous Bioprocessing for Industrial Scalability
Focus: This session will explore the transition from batch to fully autonomous bioprocessing, emphasizing the integration of upstream and downstream operations to achieve consistent quality and economic viability. Presentations will address the design and control of fermentation systems, as well as the coupling of production with continuous purification and recovery of biomolecules. Particular attention will be given to process integration strategies that improve productivity and reduce energy and material consumption. The session will also highlight the role of techno-economic evaluation in guiding process design and decision making from pilot to full-scale operation. Key questions include how to ensure process robustness and product quality in autonomous mode, optimize real-time purification efficiency, and assess overall system performance from both technical and economic perspectives.
Session 5 – Translational Bioprocessing: From laboratory scale to Industry
Focus: This session will focus on strategies to translate research at laboratory scale into industrially viable bioprocesses by bridging innovation, scalability, compliance and economic constraints. Presentations will address collaborative models, pilot-scale and demo plant infrastructures, and case studies illustrating successful technology transfer. Particular attention will be given to the diverse technical and regulatory constraints that differ across sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, green chemistry and bio-based materials, and how these impact process design and validation. The objective is to identify key enablers and bottlenecks in bringing laboratory innovations to industrial application while ensuring safety, reproducibility, and market readiness. Key questions include how to adapt bioprocesses to sector-specific standards, manage regulatory uncertainty for novel bio-products, and strengthen cooperation between academic, industrial, and regulatory stakeholders.
RouMurielnd table Discussion
Theme: This roundtable will explore how the convergence of systems biology, data science, artificial intelligence, equipment and bioprocess engineering can redefine the future of fermentation and bioproduction. Key questions include how to effectively merge experimental and computational data, ensure reproducibility in AI-driven approaches and build collaborative frameworks uniting academic and industrial expertise.
SPONSORS
