Last week, I joined 2,000+ delegates for Day 3 of the ABIM 2025 Conference in Basel, Switzerland. It was an awesome 72 hours.
The conference provided me with an in-depth understanding of the landscape for European biocontrol. Whilst the regulatory environment is challenging, the depth of innovation I viewed is staggering. Over 170 exhibitors provided a vast array of biological solutions based on significant science and research input. Evidence that the sector is maturing rapidly.
ABIM also provided me with the opportunity to present Platform10 to conference delegates. I’m still processing the feedback.
I had the pleasure of sharing the Platform10 opportunity with key stakeholders in the European biocontrol market. The challenges that growers face here are similar in nature to many that I experience across the world.
Viewing ‘Europe’ as a single entity might be appropriate in a political context, but not one that applies across agriculture. The opportunities and challenges facing growers in Finland are very different to those facing growers in Spain or Greece. Recognizing those differences has been a key part of my learning.
So, what are the next steps? In the US, Platform10 signed a significant partnership agreement in June with the Biological Products Industry Alliance. As North America’s leading biological industry group, this agreement provides Platform10 with significant technical and logistical support as we build on the first set of field trials in California. In Europe, we have identified a similar partnership opportunity which will bring significant support as we scope out our first European field trials in 2026. I’ll be sharing more details about this over the coming weeks.
Thanks to the team at ABIM and IBMA who made me so welcome in Basel. The week provided a significant platform from which to build. We look forward to making it happen!