Clust-ER Health at the CEBR Annual Meeting 2026 in Sweden

On 20 and 21 May 2026, Clust-ER Health had the pleasure of participating in the Annual General Assembly of the Council of European BioRegions (CEBR), held between Uppsala and Stockholm and co-organised by STUNS Life Science and Stockholm Science City. The meeting brought together life science clusters and innovation ecosystems from across Europe for two days of strategic dialogue, institutional exchange and collaborative activities.

The event at a glance

The CEBR Annual Meeting is the network’s central institutional gathering, combining governance with substantive thematic debate and rich networking opportunities. This year’s edition addressed some of the most pressing developments shaping the European life sciences landscape, from regulatory frameworks to competitiveness strategies and the future direction of the network itself. Clust-ER Health was represented by Clémence Foltz and Enrica Lombardo, who returned with new ideas, new connections and renewed energy for future collaborations.

Day 1 – Uppsala: Governance, regulation and the Swedish ecosystem

The first day gathered participants at Uppsala University and opened with the institutional session of the General Assembly, covering CEBR’s 2025 activity and financial reports, as well as the election of the new Board for 2026–2027.

The Activity Report, delivered by outgoing President Montse Daban Marín, presented the evolution of CEBR over the last six years. The network has moved with intent into the European policy space, contributing to consultations on the EHDS and the Biotech Act and taking active seats in the European Clusters Alliance and European Commission expert groups. Strategic alliances with EIT Health, EFPIA and EuropaBIO deepened the network’s influence, while project collaboration evolved from matchmaking into genuine cross-regional consortia focused on skills development and ecosystem capacity building. CEBR’s public profile grew in parallel, with a growing presence not only at cluster-focused events but also at major industry gatherings such as CPhI, HEALTHEurope, BIO USA and BIO Europe, forums where Clust-ER Health is itself an active participant. The picture that emerged was of a network that had grown from the leading EU life sciences cluster association into one of Europe’s most visible policy-and-ecosystem intermediaries.

Roundtable discussions then took centre stage, tackling themes of direct relevance to the European cluster community. They examined how evolving European regulation such as the Biotech Act is affecting ecosystems, clusters and their members, and explored the European Competitiveness Fund and its implications for clusters.

The afternoon offered a welcome change of pace, with a guided walk to the BioMedical Centre (BMC) at Uppsala University: a compelling showcase of what a deeply integrated research and innovation environment looks like in practice. An Escape Room activity with a pharmacy theme initiated the afternoon in a more informal and convivial spirit. The programme continued with a presentation by Olle Bergdahl, Head of Digitalisation at Akademiska Hospital, on the digital transformation of healthcare, and a session by Professor Ulf Landegren on the collaborative model behind the development of leading companies within the Swedish ecosystem.

New Board elections

The General Assembly marked an important institutional milestone with the election of the CEBR Board for the 2026–2027 mandate. Hickmah Tagaully (Medicen Paris Region) was appointed President, and Kristina Eskenazi (Health and Life Sciences Cluster Bulgaria) as Vice President. Petra Kinzlova (Prague.bio) also joined the Board as a new member.

The Assembly was equally an occasion to celebrate and acknowledge. After six years of dedicated and visionary leadership, Montse Daban Marín concluded her mandate as President, leaving behind a network significantly stronger and more visible than when she took the helm. The entire CEBR community expressed sincere gratitude for her commitment and the mark she has left on European life sciences collaboration.

Our own Sauro Vicini, Cluster Manager of Clust-ER Health and CEBR Board Member for the past three years, also stepped down at this Assembly, having chosen not to stand for re-election. We are proud of the contribution he has made to the network and look forward to continuing to engage with CEBR in the years ahead.

Day 2 – Stockholm: Collaboration, matchmaking and good practices

The second day relocated to Hagastaden, one of Europe’s most dynamic life science innovation districts, where Stockholm Science City welcomed the group at the impressive Forskaren building. The day opened with an inspiring presentation by Ylva Williams, CEO of the Stockholm Science City innovation ecosystem, followed by a guided walking tour through Hagastaden: weaving past the Nobel Forum, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet and a vibrant surrounding innovation environment that offered a powerful illustration of research, healthcare and industry working in close proximity and genuine collaboration.

The afternoon featured a forward-looking workshop collecting members’ expectations to identify CEBR’s opportunities and challenges for the period ahead, followed by a structured B2B matchmaking group session that proved valuable for describing members’ hot topics and themes to help identifying concrete synergies and potential partners for upcoming European project calls.

The day closed with a Cluster Good Practices session, in which members shared replicable regional experiences and lessons learned. Clust-ER Health contributed actively, presenting regional initiatives in workforce development and skilling, including experiences in reshaping the MaBioMed master’s programme from University of Bologna, with the identification of future highly specialised skills needs in the health sector through regional Skills Foresight Focus Groups, as well as the development and promotion of the advanced multidisciplinary traning programme DIGItal Technology and Telemedicine for healthCARE (DIGICARE). The session also provided the room to share the tangible impact that the InnoMedCatalyst project has generated within our ecosystem, notably through the support it has provided to startups and SMEs operating in the digital health and life sciences sector.

The 2026 CEBR Annual Meeting was a reminder of what makes this network genuinely special: the quality of the exchanges, the shared ambition and, above all, the people. Clust-ER Health remains committed to its active role within CEBR, bringing the regional perspective of Emilia-Romagna to the European table and continuing to build the partnerships that will drive health innovation forward.