*Each session explicitly addresses one or more Open Science themes through exchange of practices, dialogue, matchmaking, or community building.

9:30 - 10:00:  Registration and welcome coffee

• Attendees arrive, check in, and network over coffee

• Early networking to stimulate connections across academia, industry, policy, and student communities

• * We strive to keep participation in the symposium free of charge to maximise accessibility for students, early-career researchers, policymakers, industry representatives, and interested societal stakeholders. External funding is essential to maintain this open and inclusive format

10:00 - 10:10: Opening of the event  

• Host: SynBioNL chair - Charlotte Koster (WUR)

• Introduction to SynBioNL and the objectives of the event, with emphasis on how open science can support a more accessible, collaborative, and societally responsive synthetic biology ecosystem

10:10 - 11:00: Plenary session 1: Making innovation accessible for all: Non-commercial CRISPR variants

• Chair: SynBioNL board member – Margarita Bernal Cabas (RUG)

• Two expert talks exploring:

  • Open licensing models for CRISPR tools

  • Barriers created by patents and IP restrictions

  • FAIR sharing of protocols and biological parts

  • How non-commercial tool development can widen access for academia and SMEs

• Speakers: Wen Y. Wu (RUG), and Lena Maas (Hudson River Biotechnology)

• Short moderated discussion on balancing innovation incentives with openness

• Open Science themes: Open scientific knowledge, Open dialogue

11:00 - 12:00: Plenary session 2: You are what you eat: SynBio in food applications

• Chair: SynBioNL board member – Filipe Cruz (Leiden Univ.)

• Two expert talks exploring:

  • Reproducibility and transparency in biotechnology workflows

  • Open methods for sustainable food innovation

  • Public trust and communication around emerging food technologies

  • Social inclusion in future food systems

• Speakers: Josh Flack (TU Delft), and Mariana Hase Ueta (WUR)

• Short moderated discussion on societal needs and responsible innovation

• Open Science themes: Open scientific knowledge, Open engagement

12:00 - 13:00: Networking lunch: Community Tables

• Informal networking over lunch

• Facilitated thematic tables on:

  • Open data in synthetic biology

  • Careers beyond academia

  • Sustainability and societal impact

  • Patents vs. openness

  • Building national shared infrastructures and collaborative communities

• Possibly organised by “sister” associations (e.g., GASB, EUSynBioS)

• Designed to stimulate matchmaking across academia, industry, students, and policymakers

• Open Science themes: Open engagement, Open dialogue

13:00 - 14:15: Plenary session 3: Valorising SynBio: From idea to invention

• Chair: SynBioNL board member – Enrique Asin-Garcia (WUR)

• Two expert talks exploring:

  • Pathways from academic discovery to application

  • Industry-academia collaboration under open principles

  • Shared infrastructures that accelerate innovation

  • Balancing commercialisation with societal benefit

• Speakers: Maureen de Haan (Biotech Booster), Christos Batianis (Shikimax/Zaz Ventures), and Jules Beekwilder (Isobionics/BASF)

• Short audience Q&A on responsible valorisation models

• Open Science themes: Open science infrastructure, Open dialogue

14:15 - 14:45: Flash talks by young scientists and Open Practices

• Short 3-minute presentations from early-career researchers, SynBio startups, and students

• Contributions encouraged on:

  • Open-source synthetic biology tools

  • Shared protocols

  • Reproducible workflows

  • Preprints and open dissemination

  • Community-driven synthetic biology projects

• Designed to showcase emerging open practices in Dutch synthetic biology

• Open Science themes: Open scientific knowledge

14:45 - 15:30: Coffee break

• Informal networking activity to connect participants across sectors and career stages

15:30 - 17:15: Plenary session 4/Interactive panel: Opening up SynBio: recent progress in regulation

• Chair: SynBioNL board member – Mart Bartelds (RIVM), and Alice Di Girolamo (TU Delft)

• Policy keynote exploring:

  • European biotechnology legislation

  • New Genomic Techniques regulation

  • Transparency in evidence-based policymaking

• Speaker: Terrens Saaki, Representative from Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management

• Interactive panel discussion: how does science shape governance, and vice versa?

  • Public trust in synthetic biology and biotechnology

  • Stakeholder participation

  • Open science for better regulation

  • Responsible governance of emerging technologies

• Audience participation and moderated exchange

• Public summary and takeaways after the meeting

• Open Science themes: Open engagement, Open dialogue

17:15 - 17:30: Closing and takeaways

• Chair: SynBioNL board member – Leonard Bäcker (RUG)

• Summary of practical insights and next steps

• Opportunities for future collaboration through SynBioNL

17:30 - 19:00: Borrel, networking, and community building

• Group picture, drinks, informal networking, and community building across institutions and sectors