BIOTech Futures · Annual Event

Symposium

2026

The culminating event of the BIOTech Futures Challenge — where students, mentors, educators, academics, and industry partners come together to celebrate innovation, research, and problem-solving. Modelled on real-world academic and industry conferences, the Symposium gives students an authentic experience of presenting, discussing, and showcasing their work.

The Symposium

A conference built for young innovators

The BIOTech Futures Symposium is the culminating event of the Challenge, bringing together students, mentors, educators, academics, and industry partners to celebrate innovation, research, and problem-solving. Each chapter is expected to host a local Symposium, delivered either in person or in a hybrid format, depending on regional context and capacity.

The Symposium is designed to reflect real-world academic and industry conferences, providing students with an authentic experience of presenting, discussing, and showcasing their work.

Attendance & Participation

Open to all, presented by finalists

All students who participate in the BIOTech Futures Challenge within a chapter should be invited to attend the Symposium, along with mentors, teachers, parents, and partners.

While attendance is open to all participants, only finalist teams are invited to present as part of the formal presentation program. Finalists are selected based on submission outcomes using the globally standardised marking rubrics.

Finalist Presentations

The core of the Symposium

Finalist presentations follow a 3-Minute Thesis (3MT)–style format, where students concisely communicate the essence of their project to a broad audience.

The format tests clarity of thinking, communication skills, and the ability to engage a broad audience. It is consistent across chapters to support global alignment and comparability.

  1. 01 The problem they addressed
  2. 02 Their innovative solution
  3. 03 Why their work matters
Additional Elements

Enriching the experience

In addition to finalist presentations, chapters are strongly encouraged to include complementary elements to enrich the Symposium experience where resources allow.

Mentor Stalls

A chance for mentors and partners to showcase their work and engage directly with students, helping them explore pathways into further study and STEM careers. Often run by:

  • PhD students and research groups
  • University student societies
  • Industry representatives

Guest Speakers

Speakers from academia, industry, or related sectors deliver short talks on their work, career pathways, or emerging trends — contextualising student projects within the broader STEM landscape.

Science Fair

All participating teams, including non-finalists, display their posters and discuss their work with peers, mentors, and visitors — ensuring every student can showcase their efforts and join the scientific discussion.

Hands-On Activity

Each year the global team designs a hands-on activity or workshop for the Symposium. Resources, guidance, and materials are provided to chapters by September to support consistent delivery across regions.

Judges & Assessment

Consistent, fair, globally aligned

Chapters are responsible for sourcing and coordinating judges for finalist presentations and any assessed Symposium components. Judging is conducted using the globally provided rubrics to ensure consistency and fairness across chapters. Judges typically include:

Academic staff Researchers Industry professionals

Symposium 2025

Explore the highlights, key insights, and memorable moments from the 2025 symposium. Relive the conversations that continue to drive innovation forward.

Explore 2025

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