2026/06/16

Bilbao will host the international scientific community on extracellular vesicles at the 8th GEIVEX Symposium 2026

The meeting will bring together researchers, clinicians, biotechnology companies, regulators, and international experts to accelerate the integration of extracellular vesicles into personalized medicine.

The city of Bilbao will host the 8th GEIVEX International Symposium from 6 to 9 October 2026, one of the leading European scientific meetings dedicated to research on extracellular vesicles (EVs), exosomes, and their biomedical applications. Organized by the Spanish Society for Innovation and Research in Extracellular Vesicles (GEIVEX), the event will gather leading global experts in this emerging field of biomedicine at the Bizkaia Aretoa of the University of the Basque Country (EHU).

The symposium is scientifically coordinated by CIC bioGUNE, member of BRTA, through its Exosome Laboratory led by Juan Manuel Falcón-Pérez, with the participation of academic and healthcare institutions from the Basque research ecosystem, including EHU, Biobizkaia, Bioaraba, Biogipuzkoa, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Biofisika y Ikerbasque.

Extracellular vesicles have become established in recent years as one of the most promising areas of biomedical research for the development of new diagnostic tools, biomarkers, and advanced therapies. The meeting will address the latest advances in extracellular vesicle biology, therapeutic applications, oncology, neuroscience, infectious diseases, analytical methodologies, and manufacturing processes for clinical use.

The conference will feature leading international researchers such as Edit I. Buzás (Semmelweis University, Hungary), Susanne Gabrielsson (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden), Jesús Santamaría (University of Zaragoza), Chantal Martin (Capital BioVentures, Canada), Joaquim Vives (Banc de Sang i Teixits), and Javier Sotillo (Carlos III Health Institute), among others.

One of the distinguishing features of this edition will be its close coordination with the European COST Action BTCs4ATMP, a pan-European network working to facilitate rapid and sustainable access to advanced therapy medicinal products in Europe. Several scientific sessions will be co-organized with this initiative, reinforcing the international and translational dimension of the meeting.

This collaboration with the COST Action will connect the extracellular vesicle research community with European networks specializing in advanced therapies, manufacturing, regulation, and clinical translation, fostering new opportunities for scientific and industrial cooperation.

The program includes six dedicated blocks on Industrial Innovation, as well as a pre-symposium hands-on workshop focused on technologies for the isolation, characterization, and analysis of extracellular vesicles. These activities will promote direct interaction between researchers, biotechnology companies, technology providers, and biomedical professionals.

GEIVEX has historically emphasized the importance of public–private collaboration to accelerate innovation in this field, and the symposium will offer dedicated spaces for networking, technological demonstrations, commercial exhibitions, and the development of new strategic partnerships.

Regulatory aspects will also play a key role. Among the invited speakers is Sol Ruiz, Head of the Biologicals, Biotechnology and Advanced Therapies Division at the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) and member of key Advanced Therapies Committees at the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Her participation will provide a strategic perspective on the regulatory challenges facing therapies based on extracellular vesicles and other advanced medicinal products.

The choice of Bilbao as the host city reflects the growing prominence of the Basque Country in biomedical and biotechnology research. The symposium will take place at Bizkaia Aretoa (EHU), an iconic venue located next to the Bilbao estuary and the Guggenheim Museum, offering a privileged setting for scientific exchange and international collaboration.

In addition to the scientific program, the event will include training activities, early-career researcher sessions, poster presentations, networking events, and spaces designed to strengthen relationships between academia, hospitals, companies, and regulatory bodies.

The 8th GEIVEX International Symposium is supported by the European COST Action BTCs4ATMP network, local academic and scientific institutions, as well as biotechnology and technology companies sponsoring and collaborating in the event.

About CIC bioGUNE

The Cooperative Research Centre in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA) and located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organization conducting cutting-edge research at the interface of structural, molecular, and cellular biology, with a special focus on the molecular basis of disease, to support the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About BRTA

BRTA is an alliance composed of 4 cooperative research centers (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE, and CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centers (Azterlan, AZTI, CEIT, CIDETEC, GAIKER, IDEKO, IKERLAN, LEARTIKER, LORTEK, NEIKER, TECNALIA, TEKNIKER, and VICOMTECH). Its objective is to develop advanced technological solutions for the Basque business ecosystem.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group, and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to foster collaboration among its members, strengthen the conditions for generating and transferring knowledge to companies, enhance their competitiveness, and project Basque scientific and technological capabilities internationally.

BRTA has a workforce of 3,500 professionals, accounts for 22% of Euskadi’s R&D investment, records annual revenues exceeding €300 million, and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

Spanish version