The Biofilm Alliance Conference 2025 was held on 21 October at Conference Aston, Birmingham. It brought together leading voices from academia, industry, and regulatory bodies to explore the intersection of cutting-edge biofilm research, technological innovation, and regulatory science. The event provided a platform to showcase recent advances in biofilm management and regulation, while promoting cross-sector collaboration. Participants shared insights, aligned strategies, and explored how to accelerate the translation of research into practical, market-ready solutions - developing a shared vision for the future of biofilm management and regulation.

The programme featured a comprehensive overview of contemporary biofilm research and its practical applications, through lectures, discussions, and networking sessions that enabled exchange of knowledge, debate, and the identification of collaborative opportunities.

The conference was structured around four thematic sessions, addressing distinct but interconnected aspects of biofilm research and management:

• Biofilms Affecting Industry
• Tackling Biofilm Challenges
• Solutions and Cooperative Initiatives
• Regulatory Landscape and Funding
  
  

A key highlight was the open discussion session “Creating a Unified Framework – Cross-Sector Collaboration for Smarter Biofilm Regulation and Innovation”. The discussion underscored that effective collaboration between academia, industry, and regulators is essential to develop cohesive, evidence-based biofilm standards that foster innovation while mitigating risks.

Overall, the Biofilm Alliance Conference 2025, by fostering knowledge exchange and highlighting regulatory and technological developments, reinforced the value of aligning research, policy, and industrial practices to effectively address biofilm-related challenges, advancing the understanding and management of biofilms across multiple industries in the UK and internationally.

We extend our sincere thanks to all participants for their valuable contributions to this event. The Biofilm Alliance team will prepare a comprehensive report capturing the key highlights and outcomes from the conference. We look forward to meeting again at a future Biofilm Alliance conference to reflect on how the community continues to work together to address biofilm-related challenges.

A full report summarising the discussions and key outcomes from the Biofilm Alliance Conference will be published soon.