First Congress on Biotechnology and Law

March 3, 2026. CNB-CSIC (Madrid)

Biotechnology is no longer just a field of research: it is a force transforming health, agriculture, industry, and ultimately, our way of life. We are advancing at an unprecedented speed, with tools capable of editing genes, analyzing data on a massive scale, and opening doors that just a few years ago seemed like science fiction. But the more powerful innovation becomes, the more essential a question becomes: How do we ensure that this progress is built responsibly, safely, and with respect for rights?

At that point, the law ceases to be a companion and becomes a pillar. Because all biotechnology—from research to its real-life application—is subject to the law: to the frameworks that determine what can be done, how it should be done, who is responsible, how data is protected, how ethics are ensured, and what guarantees society needs to have confidence. Far from hindering science, the law It organizes it, makes it viable, and protects it., turning technological advancement into legitimate and sustainable progress.

With this conviction, the First Congress on Biotechnology and Law, organized by ALPHABIOTECLEGAL, which we celebrated in Madrid, on March 3, 2026: a space where science and the legal world meet to talk rigorously about the challenges that are already here, and those that are coming with force.

Throughout this day we will bring together key voices from the scientific, institutional, business and legal fields to address crucial issues: geopolitics applied to biotechnology, intellectual property as a driver—and also as a battleground—of innovation, the importance of law in the sector's growth, the criminal dimension in impact cases, the situation of patents linked to CRISPR, data protection, neurorights, labor challenges, arbitration and the legal needs of those who undertake ventures in this ecosystem.

This congress does not aim to offer simple answers to complex questions. It aims for something more valuable: to create a space for rigorous conversation, where laboratory and society, discovery and guarantees, innovation and responsibility can look each other in the eye, understand each other, and collaborate. Because the future of biotechnology is not decided solely by talent and funding, but also by trust, clear rules, and a shared vision of the common good.

Round table: "The evolution of the amendment to the directive that should allow the use of CRISPR in crop plants in Europe"«

Within the framework of the 1st Congress on Biotechnology and Law, BIOVEGEN will participate in the round table «"The evolution of the amendment to the directive that should allow the use of CRISPR in crop plants in Europe"» which will take place from 12:30-13:00 hours, with the following participants:

Moderator: Lluis Montoliu. Scientific Researcher at the CSIC in the CNB-CSIC

Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna. Manager at BIOVEGEN (Plant Biotechnology Technology Platform).
Ana Judith Martín. Area Coordinator and Secretary of the Interministerial Council on GMOs. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.