Biofilm Alliance Forum 2025

The Biofilm Alliance Forum, held at Manchester Metropolitan University (1–2 July 2025), brought together representatives from academia, industry, regulators, and standards organisations to address current practices, challenges and opportunities in biofilm management across UK sectors.

The event featured presentations from industry experts and open discussions around four key questions:

1. What biofilm methodologies are industries currently using to meet regulatory requirements?
2. What are the main challenges and needs in addressing biofilms in industry?
3. What solutions could be proposed to overcome these challenges?
4. How can cross-sector collaboration drive progress?

The Forum underscored the significant yet often underestimated impact of biofilms across water systems, industrial operations, and the built environment. Biofilms threaten safety, efficiency, and infrastructure resilience, while many organisations still lack effective tools and expertise for detection and control. Current monitoring and treatment practices remain inconsistent and frequently ineffective under real-world conditions. Routine cleaning and disinfection often fail once biofilms are established, and the lack of clear, sector-specific standards leads to uneven implementation and regulatory ambiguity.

In the UK, biofilm-related risks are not systematically addressed within water quality, industrial hygiene, or building regulations. However, the evolving post-Brexit UK regulatory landscape creates opportunities for more targeted guidance. Forum participants expressed strong interest in cross-sector collaboration to improve understanding, bridge research and practice, and integrate biofilm management into daily operations.

The Forum concluded that addressing biofilm challenges requires coordinated national action, improved communication, and sustained investment. The Biofilm Alliance is well placed to lead this effort by uniting stakeholders, informing policy, and fostering innovation across critical sectors.

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

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