2026 IBSC Speaker RFP

Request for Presentations | 2026 Iowa Biotech Showcase & Conference 

  • Theme: Navigating Rapid Change: Biotechnology Innovation and Adaptation
  • Date and location: March 3-4, 2026 — FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa
  • Request opens: September 15, 2025
  • Request closes: October 17, 2025

About Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio)

The Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio) has focused on supporting and growing the state’s biotech industry as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit, for nearly three decades. IowaBio represents over 100 members across the state of Iowa and speaks with one voice for our diverse membership, seeking to influence policies on both the state and federal level that will enable more efficient growth for Iowa and the United States. Our Association is focused on fostering a stronger business and research climate and working with leaders across the state to attract and retain bioscience talent, companies, and funding.

About the 2026 Iowa Biotech Showcase & Conference 

The Iowa Biotech Showcase & Conference (IBSC) is an annual conference hosted by IowaBio bringing together innovators, biotech leaders, investors, and support vendors from across Iowa for industry-specific programming and networking opportunities. Conference activities span March 3-4, with these presentations taking place on Wednesday March 4. 

Highlights of the IBSC include:

  • Biotech showcase pitch competition ($10,000 prize = separate application opens Sept. 8)
  • Educational industry presentations
  • Industry-focused legislative update
  • Plenary keynote
  • Political keynote
  • Biotech Leader of the Year award presentation
  • Networking receptions
  • VIP dinner

Additional benefits of participation include:

  • Showcasing your work to a diverse audience of fellow biotech enthusiasts and experts
  • Connecting with potential collaborators, partners, and mentors
  • Contributing to the celebration of Iowa's role in shaping the biotech landscape
  • Elevating your profile within the biotech community

The 2026 IBSC Background

Theme: Navigating Rapid Change: Biotechnology Innovation and Adaptation

Focus: Biotech companies are fundamentally known for their forward-thinking innovations, changing lives, making the world healthier and safer—being on the cutting edge of new technologies. But biotech companies are navigating rapid change in government regulation, international policies, and the rapid development of AI, pushing even the fastest paced change-makers to keep up. How can companies best navigate this rapidly changing landscape? What should they be paying attention to/anticipating? How can they not just keep up, but excel in these circumstances? How can Iowa innovators uniquely participate and thrive in this environment?

Request for Presentations

IowaBio invites you to submit a proposal to present/speak during the educational industry presentations at the 2026 IBSC conference on March 4, 2026, as we bring together professionals from industry, government, and academia to navigate Iowa’s biotechnology sector.

This event draws a diverse audience and will aim to provide high-caliber content geared toward highlighting adaptation to change across Iowa’s biotech industries. We see opportunities for information sharing and thought-provoking dialogue. We encourage you to “show off” your best practices or dig deep into an example of company/organizational success in overcoming challenges and adapting to change.

When crafting proposals, we encourage applicants to create an opportunity for dialogue and interaction with the audience—panels or multi-speaker formats are encouraged. These presentations will take place during the exciting IBSC 2026 program and may potentially run concurrently with other presentations.

We invite researchers, professionals, entrepreneurs, and experts from all corners of the biotech field to submit their presentations for this conference. Your insights, experiences, and success stories will contribute to the mosaic of ideas that will be showcased during the event. We welcome topics that highlight and explain adaptation to change and sharing how your company or organization is preparing and adapting to rapid change including but not limited to topics like:

  • The role of AI in your company now and in the future
  • How are you integrating AI with employees? How will it change the type of employees your company needs? How are you training employees on AI?
  • What type of impact will AI have/can you foresee on your R&D? How will it help drive your innovation? Will it accelerate your innovation and how?
  • How is your company currently approaching rapidly changing regulatory/governmental environment? For example, have you increased government relations efforts or legal/regulatory engagement with agencies? Has this been effective?
  • Does your company have have demonstrated strategies, philosophies, values, or examples that have worked for your company to enable and encourage rapid adaptation? How are your leaders preparing for the future?
  • Have tariffs impacted your customers/company? How are you navigating this international uncertainty for your supply chains using examples?
  • How are changing consumer demands driving company change?
  • Highlight challenges, or conversely new opportunities presented, by change in the current governmental/regulatory environment.
  • How have NIH/federal funding cuts, federal funding freezes, DEI scrutiny, and appropriations challenges affected your research/work/partnerships? How have you navigated it?
  • What are the biggest barriers to company change currently? What types of challenges has your company run into, and how has it impeded progress? How did these “speedbumps” cause your company to adapt?

Questions or comments? Please submit questions regarding the Request for Presentations or the IBSC pitch competition to Andy Bates at abates@fin-strategies.com.

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Contact Information

Company Information

20MB max

Conference Theme Topics

1. AI Integration & Workforce Transformation

Focus: How companies are using AI to innovate and shift workforce needs.

  • How is your company currently leveraging AI across departments (e.g., R&D, operations, HR)?
  • What new roles have emerged as a result of AI integration?
  • How are you reskilling or upskilling your workforce to effectively collaborate with AI tools?
  • What training models have worked best for helping your team adopt AI technology?


2. AI in R&D: Driving Biotech Innovation

Focus: Using AI to speed up and enhance research and product development.

  • How has AI changed your research pipeline or shortened development timelines?
  • Are there specific case studies where AI uncovered new paths to innovation?
  • What barriers did you face when adopting AI for R&D, and how did you overcome them?
  • How do you manage data quality and ethical considerations in AI-enabled R&D?


3. Navigating Regulatory and Governmental Change

Focus: Strategies to adapt to shifting policies and compliance landscapes.

  • What changes in regulation have had the biggest impact on your business in the past year?
  • How has your company increased engagement with federal or state agencies?
  • Do you have internal roles or teams focused on regulatory agility?
  • How do you stay ahead of emerging regulatory trends?


4. Global Supply Chain Resilience & Tariff Navigation

Focus: Real-world responses to global disruptions, tariffs, and international instability.

  • How has your supply chain strategy evolved to respond to international uncertainty?
  • Have tariffs or trade barriers reshaped your sourcing decisions?
  • What contingency plans or strategic pivots have proven successful?


5. Adapting to Shifting Federal Funding & DEI Scrutiny

Focus: Funding challenges, diversity mandates, and staying mission-focused under pressure.

  • How has your organization adapted to cuts or freezes in NIH or federal funding?
  • Have DEI-related shifts affected hiring, research partnerships, or compliance efforts?
  • What proactive strategies are you using to navigate this funding and cultural environment?


6. Leading Through Change: Culture, Strategy & Leadership

Focus: The human side of adaptation—building cultures that thrive in flux.

  • How are your leaders cultivating a mindset of adaptability and innovation?
  • What cultural philosophies or frameworks support rapid change in your company?
  • How do you balance long-term vision with near-term disruption?


7. Iowa’s Innovation Edge: Homegrown Strategies

Focus: What makes Iowa’s biotech sector unique and resilient.

  • How is Iowa’s biotech ecosystem uniquely positioned to adapt and lead in this era of change?
  • What regional partnerships or initiatives are helping Iowa companies scale?
  • Are there state-level policies or supports that other regions could learn from?
  • How can Iowa become a model for sustainable biotech innovation?


8. Consumer-Driven Innovation

Focus: How shifting public expectations are reshaping biotech strategy.

  • What new consumer demands (e.g., sustainability, transparency, health focus) are driving product or process changes?
  • How are you adapting your communications, product design, or go-to-market strategy?
  • How do you gather and respond to consumer feedback in real time?


9. Case Studies of Rapid Adaptation

Focus: Deep dives into transformation stories from within your organization.

  • What major change (regulatory, market-driven, technological) forced your company to pivot?
  • What steps did you take to overcome that challenge?
  • What lessons can other companies learn from your experience?


10. Barriers to Change and Organizational Adaptability

Focus: How biotech organizations confront barriers to change, adapt to disruptions, and evolve their strategies to remain resilient and innovative.

  • What internal or external factors have posed the greatest resistance to organizational change in the past year?
  • Can you describe a recent challenge that significantly impacted your operations or strategic direction?
  • How did your organization initially respond to unexpected barriers or disruptions in your change initiatives?
  • What specific adaptations or innovations emerged as a result of overcoming these obstacles?
  • How has your company’s approach to managing change evolved in response to past difficulties or setbacks?


SELECT ALL THAT APPLY: 

AI Integration & Workforce Transformation
AI in R&D: Driving Biotech Innovation
Navigating Regulatory and Governmental Change
Global Supply Chain Resilience & Tariff Navigation
Adapting to Shifting Federal Funding & DEI Scrutiny
Leading Through Change: Culture, Strategy & Leadership
Iowa’s Innovation Edge: Homegrown Strategies
Consumer-Driven Innovation
Case Studies of Rapid Adaptation
Barriers to Change and Organizational Adaptability
Presentation Information

Solo Presentation
Panel Presentation
Either

Additional Information

20MB max

20MB max