BBIA 3rd Annual Demeter Awards 2026

Join us for a day filled with celebration and inspiration as we celebrate the bio-based solutions champions of the UK.

12:00 ARRIVAL AND LIGHT REFRESHMENTS

12:30 WELCOME

Jen Vanderhoven, CEO, BBIA and Paul Mines, Chair, BBIA

12:40 GOVERNMENT ADDRESS

Rodney Berkeley, CBE, Director for Sustainability and Infrastructure, Department for Business & Trade

Rodney Berkeley CBE is Director for Infrastructure and Technology at the Department for Business and Trade, overseeing growth in energy (renewables, nuclear, transition), construction and infrastructure (built environment, water, airports, logistics), and strategic technology (engineering biology, telecoms, AI, semiconductors, quantum). Formerly Director for Energy and Infrastructure and later for Construction, Infrastructure and Energy, he was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee Honours for services to International Trade and Diversity and Inclusion, recognising over 35 years’ service to Her Majesty’s Government.

12:50 KEYNOTE: THE BIOECONOMY AS A KEY DRIVER FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, NATIONAL RESILIENCE AND DEFOSSILISATION

Professor Paul Monks CB, FRMetS, FRSC, FInstP

Professor Monks served as Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero from 2023 to 2025, following the same role at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. A Professor at the University of Leicester, he is a leading atmospheric scientist with extensive experience advising government and international organisations on science, energy, and environmental policy. He was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2025 King’s New Year Honours for services to science in government.

13:20 BBIA Breakthrough Innovation Award Pitches

14:50 Panel - Bio35: Creating the Conditions for UK Bioeconomy Leadership

Chaired by Jen Vanderhoven, CEO, BBIA

Steve Bagshaw, Chair, HVMC

Charles Dimmler, CEO, Holiferm

Andy Cureton, Head of Engineering Biology, Innovate UK

TBC

14:20 BREAK

14:55 BBIA COMMERCIAL SUCCESS AWARD PITCHES

15:25 PANEL - THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: WHERE CAN BIOLOGY TAKE US?

Chaired by Sarah Davidson, Croda

Lord Markham CBE

Lord Markham served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care from 2022 to 2024. With extensive experience across government, business and the voluntary sector, he has held senior roles including Lead Non-Executive Director at the Department for Work and Pensions, Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council, Strategy Director at ITV, and CEO of Top Up TV. He is also founder of the homelessness charity Safe Haven and has chaired London & Continental Railways, leading major regeneration and housing projects around key transport hubs.

Professor Stephen Wallace, University of Edinburgh

Sara Holland, Potter Clarkson

15:55 BBIA CLIMATE IMPACT AWARD PITCHES

16:30 BREAK

17:00 AWARD CEREMONY

17:15 LORD DEBEN LECTURE AND LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTATION

The Rt Hon. Lord Deben is Founder and Chairman of Sancroft International, advising businesses and investors on sustainability and ESG. He chaired the UK’s independent Climate Change Committee from 2012 to 2023 and was the UK’s longest-serving Secretary of State for the Environment (1993–1997). With over 16 years of ministerial experience, including roles in agriculture, employment, Treasury and London government, he has been a longstanding advocate for aligning environmental sustainability with economic and business success.

17:55 EVENT CLOSING SPEECH

18:00 ‘BOWLED OVER BY BIO' BOWLING AND KARAOKE AT ALL STAR LANES

23:00 CLOSE