Demeter Awards & Innovation Showcase 2025
Join us for the only set of awards designed specifically to celebrate, support and promote excellence in the UK bio-based sector
Date and time
Location
Royal Society of Chemistry
Piccadilly London W1J 0BA United KingdomGood to know
Highlights
- 8 hours
- In person
Refund Policy
About this event
📅 Date: Monday, November 17, 2025
📍 Location: Royal Society of Chemistry, London
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM GMT
About the Event
Join us for the Demeter Awards & Innovation Showcase 2025, the premier event celebrating innovation and excellence in the bio-based sector. Hosted by the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA), this event brings together industry leaders, investors, policymakers, and innovators shaping the future of sustainable materials.
What to Expect:
✨ Demeter Awards Ceremony – Recognising outstanding achievements in bio-based innovation, featuring:
- Product Innovation Award
- Start-up-of-the-Year Award
- Collaboration Award
- Bioeconomy Champion Award
🔬 Innovation Showcase – Discover cutting-edge sustainable materials and technologies revolutionising industries.
🤝 Networking Opportunities – Connect with key players from government, industry, and academia to explore collaborations and investment opportunities.
🎤 Expert Panels & Keynotes – Gain insights from thought leaders on the latest trends and policies in sustainability.
Who Should Attend?
- Entrepreneurs & Startups in Bio-based Industries
- Investors & Venture Capitalists
- Sustainability & Circular Economy Advocates
- Corporate Leaders & Manufacturers
- Government & Policy Officials
- Researchers & Academics
Tickets & Registration
Secure your spot now and be part of the future of sustainable innovation!
🎟️ Register today!
For more details, visit: Demeter Awards 2025 - BBIA
Agenda:
10.00 Registration and refreshments
10.30 Keynote: ‘The BioRevolution is here’
10.45 Start-up of the Year Award shortlisted applicants’ pitches
11:30 Panel Discussion: How to Create the UK’s first Trillion-Dollar Biotechnology Company?
The UK aims to be a top-three global tech hub by 2035, with its first trillion-dollar tech company as a key milestone. Engineering Biology—crucial to the £30 trillion global bioeconomy—is central to this vision. This panel explores what it will take to build and scale a biotech giant in the UK, and the actions needed now to make it happen.
Chair: Dr Paul Mines, Chair, BBIA
Speakers: Dr Izzy Webb, Deputy Director for Technology Strategy and Security, DSIT, Science Creates (Invited), Oliver Sexton, Future Planet Capital (Invited), Steve Foots, Croda (Invited).
12:15 Product Innovation Award shortlisted applicants’ pitches
13:00 Lunch, Exhibition and Networking
14:00 Panel Discussion: Bio-Based Ingredients in Consumer Goods, Driving Brand Value
This session explores how consumer-facing companies are integrating bio-based ingredients into products and packaging — not just as a sustainability measure, but as a way to build brand equity, consumer trust, and market differentiation. It also tackles the trade-offs between performance, cost, and environmental value.
Chair: Dr Jen Vanderhoven, COO, BBIA
Speakers: Sarah Hoskings, Unilever, Kristal Goodman, THG Labs, Russ Tucker, Twig , Professor Joanna Gavins, University of Sheffield, Clare Walker, Holiferm.
14:45 Collaboration Award shortlisted applicants’ pitches
15:30 Break and Exhibition
16:00 Panel Discussion: Circular by Nature: Rethinking the Lifecycle of Bio-Based Products
As the demand for sustainable alternatives to fossil-based products grows, the conversation is shifting beyond bio-based origins to focus on their full lifecycle — including what happens after use. This panel explores how companies, researchers, and policymakers are working to ensure that bio-based products are not only renewable, but also designed for circularity from the ground up.
Chair: Andy Sweetman, Vice-Chair, BBIA
Speakers: Professor Anju Massey-Brooker, Royal Society Chemistry, Jonathan Edmunds, Woodly, Eilidh O'Connor, Vegware, Robbie Staniforth, Ecosurety, James Dancy, Defra (Invited)
16:45 Awards Presentation – Presented by Lord Deben
Bioeconomy Champion, Product Innovation, Collaboration, Start-up-of-the-Year
17.15 Celebration Drinks and Networking
18.30 Close
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