Business of Biology & Society
at SynBioBeta 2026
Where Policy, Markets, Design, and Consumer Innovation Shape the Future of Programmable Biology
Using Biology to Build Sustainable, Safe, and Thriving Civilizations
Biology is becoming a foundational technology for society; reshaping the products we buy, the materials we wear, the foods we eat, the cities we design, and the policies that govern emerging biotechnologies. As synthetic biology matures into a global economic force, its influence increasingly extends beyond laboratories into retail shelves, supply chains, capital markets, and legislative chambers.
Business & Society at SynBioBeta 2026 explores how programmable biology is reinventing consumer products, enabling regenerative biodesign, informing resilient economic policy, strengthening biosecurity, and transforming how capital flows into the bioeconomy. This track brings together the leaders shaping how biology moves responsibly and sustainably into everyday life.
Programmable biology is not only advancing therapeutics. It is driving a new generation of materials, foods, consumer goods, and economic systems designed to support healthy, thriving civilizations.
Why Business & Society Matters
Biology is reshaping consumer products, materials, and design, but policy, ethics, and markets must evolve just as quickly. The decisions we make now will determine how responsibly and effectively biology transforms society in the decades ahead.
Environmental pressure is rising. Consumer goods remain major contributors to ecological impact, demanding new biological alternatives that reduce waste and carbon intensity.
Design needs to evolve. Biodesign unlocks self-healing materials, adaptive architecture, and nature-inspired solutions for cities, healthcare, and manufacturing.
Governance is lagging behind. Regulations for food, materials, and engineered biology are shifting quickly — and society needs robust, science-aligned policy.
Security and ethics are essential. As we rewrite living systems, we must manage risks, prevent misuse, and engage in informed ethical dialogue.
Capital markets shape the future. Bio-based enterprises rely on investment environments that reward differentiation, scale, and responsible innovation.
The decisions made today across policy, markets, and design will dictate how biology shapes society for decades.
Who you'll meet
Business & Society brings together the full ecosystem steering the global bioeconomy:
Consumer product innovators developing sustainable foods, materials, textiles, cosmetics, and packaging.
Designers, architects, and builders applying biological principles to reimagine materials, cities, and user experiences.
Regulators, policymakers, and economists defining standards, governance frameworks, and strategies for scaling the bioeconomy.
Biosecurity and bioethics leaders safeguarding responsible innovation.
Investors, venture firms, and capital-market experts financing the next generation of bio-driven companies.
Startups and corporate strategists navigating commercialization, regulation, and public adoption of bio-based products.
This is where the business of biology meets the systems that bring innovation into the world.
What to expect
Business & Society is more than talks; it’s a community searching alignment between science, markets, design, and public policy.
A community of world-class investors identifying the founders, markets, and technologies poised to define the next decade of the bioeconomy.
Insights into how biology is reshaping consumer goods, supply chains, fashion, food systems, architecture, infrastructure, and public governance.
Frameworks for navigating regulatory landscapes, biosecurity guidelines, and ethical considerations for engineered biology.
Partnerships between brands, startups, investors, and policymakers accelerating sustainable and secure adoption of biological technologies.
A community working to build a thriving and responsible bioeconomy grounded in transparency, resilience, and societal benefit.
The future of society is programmable; built with biology, guided by policy, financed by informed markets, and designed for healthy and sustainable living.
Confirmed Speakers
Sessions will include:
1
As the bioeconomy expands into materials, energy, consumer goods, and therapeutics, capital markets are recalibrating. This panel explores public-market signals, project finance, infrastructure capital, M&A appetite, and how global macro trends are shaping biological scale-up and deployment.
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2
Biology is becoming the new R&D engine for food — from precision fermentation ingredients to resilient supply chains and sustainable proteins. This session examines how Fortune 500 food companies can build a defensible biostrategy, integrate biological manufacturing, and future-proof portfolios against regulatory, consumer, and climate pressures.
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3
From precision-designed peptides to entirely new classes of bio-active molecules, biology is transforming the future of beauty. Advances in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing are enabling high-performance ingredients with targeted functionality, improved stability, and lower environmental impact. This session helps cosmetics and personal-care leaders define their biostrategy: where to partner, how to build differentiated pipelines of next-generation actives, and how to align innovation with consumer trust, scientific validation, and sustainable sourcing.
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4
Synthetic biology is reinventing ag inputs, crop protection, soil health, and on-farm data. Leaders from agriculture, climate tech, and biotech explore how multinationals can transition from chemical to biological paradigms, integrate AI-driven strain development, and build regenerative, resilient agriculture systems at global scale.
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5
As the bioeconomy accelerates, China and the West are shaping two distinct innovation ecosystems — each with unique regulatory frameworks, investment models, IP philosophies, and national strategies. This session compares policies, incentives, and geopolitical priorities across regions, offering a clear view into where biological innovation is advancing fastest, where barriers remain, and how global companies should navigate this dual-track landscape.
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6
Foundation models and multimodal GPTs are accelerating biological design — but they are also reducing traditional safeguards by removing tacit knowledge barriers once required for complex wet-lab work. This session examines the emergence of dual-use capabilities, the erosion of implicit expertise, and the urgent need for new governance models, safety layers, and responsible innovation frameworks that match the velocity of AI-enabled biology.
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