Innovation in Life Science
Join Life Science Talks on 30 September 2026 and gain insight into how innovation in life science moves from scientific discovery to development, scale-up, and real-world application.
What is the conference about?
Innovation has for long been a strategic priority across life science – but what does real innovation actually look like in practice?
This edition of Life Science Talks brings together leading Danish and international profiles to explore how scientific ideas move from discovery into development, scale-up, and practical application.
At this autumn’s Life Science Talks, keynote speakers including Jens Nielsen, Jeffrey Hubbell, and David Dreyer Lassen will set the scene, while selected company cases from Freya Biosciences and Evodia Bio will illustrate how innovation journeys unfold in very different parts of the life science landscape – from women’s health and the vaginal microbiome to bioscience, fermentation, and commercial scale-up.
What will you gain from attending?
You will gain insight into why innovation remains critical in life science, how it actually happens across the value chain, and what it takes to turn scientific promise into real-world impact.
Through keynote presentations and concrete company cases, the program will explore how biology, engineering, platform development, entrepreneurship, and commercialization come together in practice. The event will also highlight how different innovation models can create value across the sector – from clinical development and women’s health to industrial bioscience and product launch.
The program is designed for life science specialists who want fresh perspectives on what drives meaningful innovation and how new approaches, technologies, and translational models may inspire their own work.
Practical information
The event takes place on 30 September 2026 from 4.00–7.30 pm at Pharmadanmark, Codanhuset in Copenhagen.
The event will be held in English.
You can join us on-site or online.
On-site participation is free of charge but exclusive to members of Pharmadanmark. Food, snacks, and drinks will be provided.
Everyone can participate online.
Program
16:00 Registration, networking & snacks
16:30 Welcome by Pharmadanmark and brief introduction to innovation by moderator Kristian Strømgaard
16:40 Opening key note by CEO Jens Nielsen, Bio Innovation Institute, Copenhagen
Why innovation matters, how it happens, and what makes it real17:05 Key note presentation by Vice President Jeffrey Hubbell, New York University
Platform innovation: How engineering and biology create new therapeutics17:30 Innovation case by CEO & Co-founder Colleen Acosta, Freya Biosciences
How a differentiated biological insight becomes a platform, a company, and a clinical program17:50 Questions from the audience
18:05 Break with refreshments
Innovation displays in the break: Innovation District Copenhagen, Technical University Hospital of Greater Copenhagen (TUH) among others18:35 Fireside chat with Rector David Dreyer Lassen
How does Denmark become better at turning basic science into innovation?18:50 Innovation case by CEO Camilla Kloss Fenneberg, Evodia Bio
How university science becomes a company, an industrial platform, a launched product, and an international commercial pathway19:10 Panel discussion among the whole faculty taking questions from the audience
19:25 Wrap-up and closing remarks
19:30 See you at the next Life Science Talks
Speakers
Jens Nielsen
CEO of the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen
Jens Nielsen is Chief Executive Officer of the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen and one of the leading profiles in European life science innovation. He is also Professor of Systems Biology at Chalmers University of Technology, with an academic background in chemical and biochemical engineering from DTU.
Over the course of his career, he has built an internationally recognized research profile within systems biology, metabolism, and metabolic engineering. In addition to his scientific work, he has played a major role in strengthening research translation and entrepreneurship in the Danish life science ecosystem. He combines deep academic credibility with hands-on leadership in innovation, venture building, and commercialization.
Jeffrey Hubbell
Vice President Life Sciences and Engineering at New York University
Jeffrey Hubbell is Vice President of Life Sciences and Engineering at New York University and Lead of NYU’s Initiative to Advance Engineering and Health. He holds professorships in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Biology, and the Grossman School of Medicine, reflecting a career built across engineering, life science, and medicine.
He is internationally recognized for his work in biomaterials, bioengineering, and immune-related therapeutic innovation. Over many years, he has contributed to the translation of fundamental scientific insights into biotechnology and new therapeutic approaches. His profile combines scientific excellence with rare experience at the interface of research, medicine, and innovation leadership.
David Dreyer Lassen
Rector of the University of Copenhagen
David Dreyer Lassen is Rector of the University of Copenhagen and a prominent voice in Danish research and innovation leadership. He is a Professor of Economics and previously served as Prorector for Research and Innovation at the University of Copenhagen.
His academic and leadership career has been closely linked to how universities create societal impact through research, collaboration, and innovation. He has also held a number of key national positions, including as Chair of Independent Research Fund Denmark & Chair of Innovation District Copenhagen, and has been central to the development of data-driven interdisciplinary research environments. He brings a strong strategic perspective on the role of universities in shaping the future of Danish life science and innovation.
Colleen Acosta
CEO and Co-Founder of Freya Biosciences
Colleen Acosta, PhD, MPH, is CEO and Co-founder of Freya Biosciences, a Danish biotech company focused on immune-mediated diseases affecting women. She has a scientific background and experience spanning epidemiology, global health, and biotechnology, including previous work as an epidemiologist with the World Health Organization.
As a co-founder of Freya, she has helped build a company at the intersection of women’s health, microbiome science, and translational therapeutics. Her profile reflects both scientific depth and entrepreneurial leadership in a field that has historically been underrepresented in biotech. She represents a new generation of life science leaders working to translate advanced biology into clinically meaningful solutions.
Camilla Kloss Fenneberg
CEO of EvodiaBio
Camilla Kloss Fenneberg is CEO of EvodiaBio and brings a strong commercial and strategic background to the Danish bioscience sector. Before joining EvodiaBio, she held leadership roles including CEO of Go2Green Energy and senior commercial positions at Coloplast. Her expertise spans product launches, go-to-market strategy, commercial excellence, partnerships, and scale-up.
At EvodiaBio, she has played a central role in turning a research-based technology platform into a product-oriented company with growing market relevance. Her profile adds a valuable commercial and translational dimension to the programme and highlights the importance of leadership in moving innovation from science to market.
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