ILSI Europe Scientific Portfolio 2026
Welcome note by Isabelle Guelinckx, ILSI Europe Executive & Scientific Director
Europe stands at a pivotal moment. Demographic shifts, economic pressures, and societal change are reshaping our future. An ageing population and the growing burden of healthcare costs demand smarter, more sustainable approaches to preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease. Nutrition stands as a cornerstone of disease prevention, while consumers increasingly seek healthier, safer, and more sustainable foods. At the same time, influential reports by Mario Draghi and Manuel Heitor remind us of Europe’s pressing need to reinforce its single market, strengthen competitiveness, and build resilience against future crises.
For four decades, ILSI Europe’s unique model of precompetitive science—built on tripartite collaboration among academia, industry, and public authorities—has delivered trusted, relevant solutions. Today, this model of transparent collaboration, integrity, and shared resources is not only resilient, but more essential than ever.
Celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2026, we look with pride at what the ILSI Europe community has accomplished and turn our gaze towards the future. We will continue scanning the horizon together with our expert community, identifying the precompetitive challenges where ILSI Europe can bring scientific leadership and evidence-based guidance. Our focus on fit-for-purpose deliverables ensures that what we produce is not only rigorous but also practical, impactful, and directed toward safeguarding both public and planetary health.
Our 2026 programme embodies this ambition. A vibrant portfolio of activities across fifteen Task Forces will be complemented by the launch of new Expert Groups exploring future-oriented topics such as postbiotics in early life nutrition, prebiotics in women’s health, or recalibrating risk level of PFAS in food and drinking water. Stronger collaborations with other ILSI entities will further extend our reach, with exciting joint initiatives on artificial intelligence in systematic reviews, postbiotics, and additional new projects already on the horizon.
We also look forward to a rich calendar of events, from the ILSI Europe 2026 Symposium to the final conference of the EU-funded TITAN project, along with timely workshops on topics such as GLP-1 and weight management. These gatherings will serve as catalysts for exchange, innovation, and collective progress.
As ILSI Europe enters its fifth decade, our purpose remains clear: to advance science that empowers healthier people and a healthier planet. By building on forty years of experience while embracing new opportunities, we reaffirm our commitment to delivering solutions that matter—for industry, for regulators, and for society at large. Together, we can shape a future where science drives health, sustainability, and resilience.