8:30-17:00 Registration

9:30-10:30 ESBB internal meetings (Parallel meetings)

9:30-11:30 Pre-congress visits

10:30-11:00 Break

11:00-12:30 BBMRI internal meetings (Parallel meetings)

12:30-13:00 Break

13:00-15:00 Workshops 1 to 4

15:00-15:30 Refreshments

15:30-17:30 Workshops 1 to 4

8:00-18:30 Registration

9:00-10:45 Opening ceremony

10:45-11:30 Break

11:30-12:30 Plenary keynote 1: Prof. Joacim Rocklöv, Head of Heidelberg Planetary Health Hub and Alexander von Humboldt Professor, Heidelberg University

12:30-12:45 Group picture

12:45-14:00 Lunch break

12:45-13:30 Corporate workshop

13:00-14:00 Vendor tour

14:00-15:30 3A: Preserving biodiversity: Challenges and opportunities in non-human biobanking

Chairs: Steven Smit, Jonas Astrin

Non-human biobanks – encompassing amongst others animal, plant, and microbial specimens – are essential for life science research and biodiversity conservation. They face challenges like ethical dilemmas, data standardisation and resource limitations not unlike human biobanks. Yet, they offer opportunities for basic research, ecological restoration, agricultural resilience and scientific innovation through advanced preservation, genomics and global collaboration. This session highlights their unique role in advancing integrated health for humans, animals, and ecosystems.

• Highlight Presentation: GGBN, the Global Genome Biodiversity Network and its new secretariat at LIB Biobank
  • Jonas Astrin
• From captive chickens to wild African mammals: turning research collections into biobanks
  • Barbora Rolečková/ Michal Vinkler
• OrganoZoo, CRB-Anim’s new platform dedicated to organoids for domestic animals
  • Bertrand Pain
• Marine cryopreservation across scales: from microbial communities to multicellular organisms
  • Michele Grego
• MIRRI.IT – A national gateway to microbial biodiversity, scientific excellence and sustainable innovation
  • Rosario Musumeci

14:00-15:30 3B: The EHDS unveiled: Latest developments and national perspectives

Chairs: Stephanie Villar, Ricard Martinez Martinez

This session explores the evolving landscape of EU regulations shaping the future of biobanking, focusing on their ethical, legal and societal implications. Participants will examine the latest developments toward a European Health Data Space (EHDS) and gain comparative insights into how member states interpret and implement these emerging frameworks.

• EHDS and secondary use of data from biobanks – Czech perspective (output)
  • Radek Halouzka I Jan Kuráň
• Dutch law on (human) biological material
  • Peggy Manders
• The CANDLE project – the “what” and “how” in developing the EHDS-compliant UNCAN.eu network of national cancer data nodes in Member States across Europe
  • Lifang Liu
• Preparing a national infrastructure for EHDS implementation: the Dutch approach
  • Lucie Kulhánková

14:00-15:30 3C: Biobank advanced technologies: Challenges, opportunities and solutions

Chairs: Radoslaw Zagożdżon, Loes Linsen

This session will present the next generation of biobanking technologies, from automation and digital tracking to integrated data systems and innovative technologies, along with the complex realities of implementing them. Through expert insights and practical case studies, it will show how biobanks are navigating technical obstacles, regulatory demands and evolving standards, while unlocking new opportunities to enhance sample quality, accessibility and long-term value.

• Implementing e‑Consent to Digitise Biobank Recruitment Across a Multi‑Hospital Consortium
  • Wayne Ng
• Enhancing Pre-analytical Standardization and Biobanking Efficiency through Automation: The BioCor Biobank Experience
  • Laura Valentina Renna
• Designing a Future Proof Automated Storage Facility: Implementation Pathways, Technical Challenges and Optimization Strategies
  • Nadine Volk
• Automation in rehabilitation biobanking: Enhancing longitudinal sample quality through integrated liquid handling and digital traceability
  • Carlotta Gamberini, Ivana Marventano and Assunta Ingannato
• Transforming biobank operations through integrated digital systems and efficient researcher – biobank interfaces
  • Corrie Wortel
• Lyophilization: a Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Extracellular Vesicles Freezing
  • José Antonio López-Guerrero

14:00-15:30 3D: Returning biobank data to participants: Closing the loop

Chairs: Matteo Gentili, Johanna Blom

This session jointly organised with EP PerMed aims at being a moment of discussion between stakeholders in the process of returning to people data coming from genetic/genomic studies. Some examples of successful strategies to address this topic are already in place in countries all over the world, even though alignment and exchange of experiences is lacking and very much needed to address the ethical, legal, societal, infrastructural aspects underlying it. Return of data to patients and citizens can become a good practice of research and a powerful tool for people engagement, increasing genetic literacy, willingness to share health data and public trust in science and healthcare systems.

• Advancing precision medicine through return of biobank results
  • Minja Pehrsson
• DwarnaBio – the Maltese population biobank and insights from the Genomes of Malta
  • Nikolai Paul Pace
• Biobank participants’ choices regarding unsolicited findings and feedback
  • Peggy Manders
• Regulatory and legal challenges of returning data to patients
  • Irene Schlünder
• Returning Individual Participant Data in Clinical Trials “by Design”: Setting a new standard for research & patients’ rights
  • Daniela Quaggia

15:30-16:00 Break

16:00-17:00 Poster session 1

17:00-17:30 Pitch your innovative idea: Pitch your innovative idea in three minutes. This opportunity is open to all stakeholders: biobankers, vendors, researchers, patients and beyond. Whether it’s an innovative product, a novel solution, or a fresh concept, this is your chance to showcase ideas that can transform sample management, empower biobankers and researchers and improve patient outcomes for a healthier future. Step up and make your vision heard!

17:30-19:00 5A: Building excellence: Developing skills for future biobanking

Chairs: Marialuisa Lavitrano, Daniel Brucker

Ensuring high-quality biobanks demands expertly trained personnel. This session highlights tailored education and training opportunities for the biobank community, covering all roles – from project managers to technical staff handling samples and data. Gain insights into upskilling pathways that enhance competence and drive excellence across biobank operations.

• From Gaps to Growth: Ensuring the Future of Biobank Training in Europe
  • Molina-Roldán E.
• From Community Training to a European Learning Platform: The Evolution of the BBMRI-ERIC Academy
  • Andrea Wutte
• From Sample Storage to the Motor of AI: The SUSA Living Lab Model for Future Skills
  • Yulyana Kalesnik
• Bridging the Gap: Transforming a Hospital Biobank into a Multidisciplinary Hub for the Clinical Research Spectrum
  • Edith Rubin
• Improvement of biobank biospecimen packing and shipping by specific training efforts
  • Sara Nussbeck

17:30-19:00 5B: AI-enhanced biobank research: Integrating, analysing and advancing biomedical discovery

Chairs: Georg Goebel, Roland Leiminger

This session focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for integrating and analysing complex datasets. Experts will discuss challenges such as managing diverse data sources and optimising machine learning algorithms for biobank data integration and large-scale analysis. The session will highlight barriers, pioneering approaches and real-world applications showcasing AI’s transformative impact on biomedical research and patient care.

• Highlight Speaker TBD
• From Fragmentation to Findability: A Federated Service Finder for Research in Switzerland
  • Khalil Roy
• A Paradigm Shift in Disease Understanding: Leveraging Multi-Omics and Biobank Network Japan for Personalized Prevention
  • Soichi Ogishima

17:30-19:00 5C: Tools and processes for quality implementation and use cases

Chairs: Fatima Qafoud, Pasquale De Blasio

This session focuses on practical tools, methodologies and processes that strengthen quality management systems aligned with international standards such as ISO 20387. Experts will demonstrate how interlaboratory comparisons, proficiency testing and validation strategies strengthen reproducibility and data confidence. Attendees will gain hands-on insights into overcoming pitfalls, implementing quality controls and ensuring sample and data integrity across the biobanking lifecycle.

• Flow Cytometry–Based Quality Assessment of Serum and Plasma for Biobanking
  • Lavinia Curini
• Closing the Gap: Proficiency Tests Identify Cryotube Sealing Deficits Across Biobanks
  • Sven Heiling
• HarmoNICo – Omics Interlaboratory Testing for the BBMRI.it-NICo Network
  • Adami Valentina
• BBMRI.nl initiative to measure temperature variation within ULT freezers in Dutch biobanks
  • Chiel de Theije
• Paving the way for accreditation: the BBMRI-ERIC audit programme
  • Maike Tauchert

19:00-21:00 Welcome reception

8:00-18:30 Registration

8:00-9:00 ESBB General Assembly

9:00-10:30 6A: Biobanks as local hubs: Interfaces and facilitators

Chairs: Giedrė Kvedaravičienė, Rocío Aguilar-Quesada

This session explores the evolving role of biobanks as dynamic local hubs in biomedical research. Learn how biobanks serve as interfaces between researchers, healthcare providers and communities, facilitating data sharing, sample access and collaboration. Discover strategies to enhance their impact on translational research and innovation ecosystems.

• Biobank as a platform for preventive healthcare and innovation
  • Eero Punkka
• Empowering Biobanks as Local Hubs in a National Cancer Research Infrastructure
  • Cäcilia Engels
• The BBMRI-ERIC Negotiator: A Generic Platform for Federated Data, Sample and Service Access Management
  • Konrad Lang
• The architecture of the BBMRI.at National Node Biobank Data Communication Platform
  • Volodymyr Shekhovtsov
• Biobanks as Local Hubs: Interfaces and Facilitators – The Role of BBMRI.CZ in the Czech Republic
  • Juditat Kinkorova

9:00-10:30 6B: Secure, fair and smart: Best practices for biobank data integration

Chairs: Urban Bren, Błażej Marciniak

This session explores strategies to protect donor privacy while enabling cross-border data exchange through robust governance, clear agreements and legal compliance. Experts will address GDPR, data residency and practical models for Data Transfer and Processing Agreements, highlighting how federated biobanking networks connect with healthcare data ecosystems to accelerate discovery and innovation.

• Negotiating Trust
  • Michaela Th. Mayrhofer
• Building a National Genomic Data Repository: Ethics and Governance by Design
  • Vera Frankova
• A Cryptographic Framework for Secure Biobank Data Collaboration
  • Philipp Ortner
• From Local Management to Federated Networks: Resource Optimization and ETL Automation Using “a-small-fire”, BBMRI-ERIC Federated Platform and eBiobank
  • Joanna Ćwik I Kacper Bednarek
• From Data Discovery to Federated Analysis: Supporting the Research Journey
  • Bella Anna Binoy

9:00-10:30 6C: Ensuring excellence: Elevating data quality in biobanking

Chairs: Teresa Escámez Martinez, Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz

This session explores advanced methods for assessing and improving the quality of biobank data. Participants will learn about frameworks for data capture, quality metrics and metadata that ensure scientific reliability. Through examples and new tools, attendees will gain practical insights to prevent errors, enhance reproducibility and drive impactful data-driven medical research.

• Highlight Speaker: Building an Interoperable Brain Metastasis Data Infrastructure: The RENACER Network Experience
  • Carmen Ortega-Sabater
• A Reproducible Framework for Creating Validated Health Indicators from Middle Eastern Biobank Data
  • Aisha Al-Khinji
• From Samples to Data: A Proficiency Test Concept for Data Quality in Biobanking Networks
  • Julian Dörenberg

9:00-10:30 6D: Patient-centric biobanking: Strategies for engagement and participation

Chairs: Eric Vermeulen, Elke Smits

This session spotlights patients as experts-by-experience driving innovative research and establishing biobanks that address emerging health needs. It explores best practices for making biobank-based research accessible and impactful, empowering diverse communities and fostering meaningful, sustained citizen engagement to advance inclusive and patient-centered health innovation.

• Biobanking for long covid
  • Eric Vermeulen
• Stakeholder engagement in European cancer research biobanking: preliminary insights from a scoping review
  • Arthur Haerinck
• Patient-Engaged Surgical Oncology Biobanking as a Platform for Translational Precision Oncology
  • Yue Zhao
• Inclusive Consent Strategies Across Donor Life Stages in Biobanking
  • Alexia Morato-Japson
• Empowering Patients and Aggregating Data in Regional Digital Medicine Centers: Building a Comprehensive Data Infrastructure based on Integration and Biobanking
  • Emilia Spyrka

10:30-11:15 Break

11:15-12:15 Plenary keynote 2: Aneta Tyszkiewicz, Director, Science and Regulatory at the EFPIA – European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations

12:15-13:45 Lunch & exhibition

12:15-13:30 Corporate workshop

12:45-13:45 Vendor tour

13:45-15:15 8A: Unlocking health insights from donated human tissues

Chairs: Gregor Gorkiewicz, Ayat Salman

This session examines the ethical, technical and logistical challenges of collecting and managing human tissue donations, both post-mortem and from living donors. Experts will discuss consent, data integration and governance frameworks ensuring responsible use, sharing methodologies and case studies that demonstrate how tissue biobanks advance research and deepen understanding of health and disease.

• Building Humangenom Austria: The Interplay of Ethical, Data, and Governance Dimensions
  • Michaela Th Mayrhofer
• The Netherlands Brain Bank: An open-access platform for brain tissue and integrated health data
  • Jörg Hamann
• The “FMT in UC” microbe and host biorepository
  • Gregor Gorkiewicz
• Tissue Biobanking: Interface Requirements for High-Quality Support for Biomedical Research
  • Cecilia Engels
• From Pathology to Precision Oncology: Patient-Derived Tumour and Normal Tissue Models as a Translational Interface
  • Beate Rinner

13:45-15:15 8B: Balancing ethics and innovation: ELSI in biobanking

Chairs: Tom Southerington, Ronny Baber

This session will bring complex ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) that shape biobanking practices and influence public trust. It will show how integrating ethics directly into biobanking processes as a core component can drive responsible innovation. Participants will gain insight into strategies for navigating regulatory landscapes, addressing social concerns, and fostering collaborative environments that enhance both scientific discovery and ethical integrity.

• The Seattle Principles_ Promoting a Harmonized Ethical Framework for Banking and Secondary Research Use of Human Biospecimens and Associated Data
  • Mark Barnes
• An Ethical Engagement Model for Biobanking in Low-Resource, Culturally Diverse Settings_ Lessons from Pakistan
  • Nida Jawaid
• BBMRI Consent to Biobanking Governance Over time and in the real world through a Standard-Based Digital Approach
  • Sara Casati I Francesca Frexia
• Beyond the Algorithm_ Trustworthy AI and the Role of Biobanking Infrastructures in Pathology and Imaging
  • Claire Lewis
• Limits of Commercialisation in Biobanking and the European Health Data Space_ Towards Harmonised Participant Protection
  • Dorota Krekora-Zając

13:45-15:15 8C: Mastering pre-analytics: Key to reliable biobanking and biomedical research

Chairs: Radka Kaneva, Olga Kofanova

This session highlights the pre-analytical phase of biobanking, where collection, handling and storage determine downstream success. Experts will discuss common challenges and show how precise control enhances the value of biospecimens and cellular models. Attendees will learn how optimising pre-analytics improves test performance, reproducibility and the integrity of biological data.

• The effect of 11 years of storage on selected biomarkers in human blood
  • Ronny Baber
• From Cytokines to Metabolites: Decoding Pre-Analytical History Using an NMR-Based Quality Score for Biobanks
  • Olga Kofanova
• Targeted Red Blood Cell lysis enhanced PBMC isolation does not impact cell viability, distribution or functionality
  • Alanna Maguire
• Optimizing Cryopreservation Methods for Biobanking 3D Bioprinted Models
  • Madè Alisia
• Optimization of Schirmer Strip Preservation and Extraction for Robust Tear Proteomics in Eye Biobanking
  • Haozhe Yu

13:45-15:15 8D: Synergising resources: Public–private collaboration in biobanking infrastructure and research

Chairs: Sara Nussbeck, Eleni Fthenou

This session highlights how public–private collaborations in biobanking drive innovation by combining strategic vision with practical implementation. Participants will explore how shared resources, expertise and technology – together with effective contracting models, fair valuation and compliance-by-design – can build sustainable research platforms and create lasting value for health research across Europe.

• Highlight Speaker: NURTuRE: biobanking as community infrastructure
  • Gaia Cantelli
• Public-Private Collaboration in Action: Building a Sustainable National Biobank Platform in Germany
  • Sara Nussbeck
• Public-private collaboration in Finnish Biobanks
  • Johanna Mäkelä
• “It’s very complicated to trust companies when you feel like: I don’t have the right information!” How can research infrastructures facilitate research by companies in ways that align with citizens’ expectations?
  • Miriam Beusink

15:15-15:45 Break

15:45-16:45 Poster session 2

16:45-17:45 9A: Disease domain-specific biobanks – Rare disease insights

Chairs: Anne-Marie Vangsted, Elne Conradie

This session explores domain-specific biobanks for rare diseases, emphasising the importance of cross-border collaboration and networks like the EuroBioBank (EBB). Discover innovative strategies for extensive sample collection, data integration and (inter)national partnerships that drive research breakthroughs, improve diagnostics and accelerate targeted therapy development for patients with rare conditions.

• The key role of tissue biobanking in diagnostics of fungal diseases in organ transplants by tissue-based approaches
  • Katharina Hofmann
• Harmonization of Common Data Elements for Rare Disease Biobanks and Registries Using the CARE-SM Semantic Model
  • Kristina Vodorezova
• Practical application of FISMA in the Duchenne/Becker Biobank at LUMC: Curated registration at the source yields RWD for many purposes
  • Roger Snijder
• Integration of Neurosciences Biobank of Bologna in Clinical-Care Pathway: A Strategic Model for Rare Disease Research in Hereditary Optic Atrophy
  • Sara Mechregui

16:45-17:45 9B: Disease domain-specific biobanks – Oncology insights

Chairs: Stefan Holdenrieder, Qing Meng

This session, organised with the International Society of Oncology and Biomarkers (ISOBM), highlights oncology biobanks and cross-disciplinary collaboration across oncology, pathology, radiology and molecular medicine. It showcases innovative approaches to biobank management and biomarker discovery that advance precision medicine, accelerate cancer research and drive breakthroughs in diagnosis, treatment and personalised therapies.

• BBMRI-ERIC and ISOBM: Partnering to Advance High-Quality Biomarkers for Patient Care
  • Stefan Holdenrieder
• Tumor Marker Testing: Navigating Pre-Analytical, Analytical, and Post-Analytical Complexities
  • Qing Meng
• Biomarkers in Precision Medicine Trials: Clinical and Preanalytical Requirements
  • Radek Kucera
• Disease Domain–Specific Biobanks in Oncology: Insights from the ISOBM Perspective
  • Judita Kinkorova

16:45-17:45 9C: Disease domain-specific biobanks – Neuroscience insights

Chairs: Maria Judit Molnar, Mieke De Wilde

This session highlights biobanks advancing research on neurological and psychiatric disorders. Explore innovative methods for collecting, managing, and sharing samples and data across diagnostics and research. Learn how these biobanks drive molecular insights into diseases with often unclear underpinnings and limited diagnostic markers.

• From Federated Pilot to National Node: Advancing Neurodegenerative Biobanks through Data Quality and Phenotype Clustering
  • Viktor Molnár
• The role of biobank in introduction of a new biomarker – NfL (neurofilament light chain) to clinical practice – from research to diagnostics thanks to biobank
  • Marta Kalousova
• The Role of the CRESM Biobank and Its Sample Sharing in Advancing Multiple Sclerosis Research
  • Paola Valentino
• Banking the Brain
  • Pieter Moons

19:00-23:00 Networking dinner (ticket only, purchase with congress pass)

8:00-14:00 Registration

9:00-10:30 Ethics Cafe

10:30-12:00 Brunch, exhibition and posters

12:00-13:30 11A: Inside the biobank: Organisational structures, strategies and success stories

Chairs: Linda Fröderberg Roth, Marie Karlikova

Dive into the inner workings of biobanks and discover how organisational models and strategic planning shape their success. This session showcases diverse approaches to governance, sustainability and stakeholder engagement, illustrated through real-world examples that highlight innovation, resilience and impact in biomedical research and healthcare innovation.

• Biobanking as a Catalyst for Precision Oncology and Health Equity in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Lina Winter
• Biobanking to complement the HANSE study for holistic lung cancer screening in northern Germany
  • Karoline I. Gaede
• Flexibility in Biobanking: Balancing Collections on Demand and Retrospective Use
  • Monika Valjan
• Accredited, but Resilient? Leading an ISO 20387 Biobank through ISO 22301 Integration in Uncertain Times
  • Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz
• Time to First Use of Biobank Samples: A Retrospective Analysis of Collection Types and Sample Materials in a Hospital-Based Biobank
  • Helmuth Haslacher

12:00-13:30 11B: Paediatric biobanking

Chairs: Vita Rovite, Roland Jahns

This session explores the unique challenges of paediatric biobanking, including ethical considerations, consent complexities and age-specific biological factors. Experts will share best practices for safeguarding young donors while ensuring sample quality. Attendees will learn how paediatric biobanks drive research in childhood diseases, developmental biology and personalised medicine to improve future health outcomes.

• Novel Strategy in Broad Consent-based Paediatric Biobanking: Re-Information instead of Re-Consent when Minors attain Majority.
  • Roland Jahns
• The Swedish Childhood Tumor Biobank – A national omics and tissue research resource for pediatric cancers
  • Johanna Sandgren
• Communication and Ethical Challenges in Pediatric Cohort-Based Biobanking: Lessons from the Birth and Three-Generation Cohort in Japan
  • Fuji Nagami
• VIVO Biobank – Supporting Translational Research in Paediatric Cancers Linked to Innovative Clinical Trials
  • Eszter Tuboly
• Broad consent in paediatric biobanking – A review of current practise in 10 European countries
  • Gesine Richter

12:00-13:30 11C: Samples ready for multi-omics research

Chairs: Roman Hrstka, Michael Kiehntopf

This session explores how biobanks are adapting collection, processing and storage protocols to meet the demands of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics research. Experts will address operational challenges in integrating multi-omics workflows while ensuring IVDR compliance, offering practical insights into preparing high-quality biospecimens for comprehensive, reproducible multi-omics analyses.

• Biobanking a comprehensive longitudinal sample and data collection from healthy blood donors
  • Niklas Ahlblad
• Biobanking For a National Multi-Omics Cancer Project
  • Anjum Riaz
• Integrated multiomics classification of triple negative breast cancer
  • Petr Lapčík
• Multiomics and tumor banking: comprehensive platforms integrating cancer diversity, biomarker discovery, and personalized cancer care
  • Abhishek Mohanty
• Multiomics analyses of osteogenically induced adipose-derived stem cells as a tool for biomed research
  • Stefan Rudziński

12:00-13:30 11D: Eco-friendly green biobanking: Innovations and solutions

Chairs: Carlo Largiadèr, Erik Steinfelder

This session explores eco-friendly biobanking innovations and circular economy approaches addressing sustainability beyond financial viability. Amid rising energy costs and the climate crisis, we’ll showcase impact assessments and solutions that reduce environmental footprints, promoting greener, more resilient biobanks for the future of research and public health.

• Embedding Environmental Responsibility in Biobank Governance: The CEPH-Biobank Experience
  • Hélène Blanché
• Learnings from the Green Biobanking Survey of BBMRI.at Biobanks
  • Sabrina Kral
• Towards Sustainable Biobanking: The Impact of Ultra-Low Storage Temperature on Sample Quality and Energy Consumption
  • Hannah van der Stok
• Greener Biobanking Beyond Temperature Adjustment
  • Hilde Laeremans
• Sustainable Cold Storage Transformation: Achieving Over 500,000 kWh Annual Savings Through Strategic Choices at Amsterdam UMC
  • Aram de Haas

13:30-14:00 Awards and closing ceremony