ILSI Europe hosts, sponsors, and co-organises a variety of scientific events. These include independent symposia, workshops, webinars, hands-on scientific trainings and sessions held as part of the program of larger scientific conferences or professional meetings.
Explore below our past events for recordings, agendas, copies of presentations, meeting summaries and other reports.
Embarking from the impressive turnout in 2025, Microbiome Times Forum 2026 will see over 50 expert speakers and over 400 delegates descending on 18-19 March in Copenhagen for two full days of discussing, networking and uncovering the latest in microbial product innovation. Organised by Microbiome Times Magazine, the leading industry trade journal. the MT Partnering Forum will explore the industry’s latest trends, scientific advancements, challenges, and opportunities to accelerate the development of novel microbial-based products.
This workshop will convene leading researchers and clinicians to review the current evidence, define research priorities, and explore translational pathways at the intersection of GLP-1 biology, prebiotics, the gut–brain axis, and metabolic and cognitive health. The programme combines expert talks, panel discussions, and interactive group formats (a World Café).
Vitafoods Europe 2026 is one of the world's leading events for the nutraceutical industry, bringing together the entire health and nutrition ecosystem under one roof. Taking place from 5-7 May 2026 in Barcelona, the event connects ingredient suppliers, manufacturers, brands, and industry experts from across the globe.
With a strong focus on innovation, science, and market trends, Vitafoods Europe offers a dynamic platform to discover new products, gain insights through high-level conferences, and build meaningful partnerships. From functional ingredients to finished products, it showcases the latest developments shaping the future of health and wellness.
ILSI Europe's sessions
Panel Discussion | Do all paths lead to the gut? NPD opportunities driven by gut connections - Wednesday, May 6, 2026 1:30 PM to 2:10 PM · 40 min. (Europe/Paris) Conference Theatre, 5A6
We have often heard, "we are what we eat." Emerging science now shows this is not just a saying but a biological reality, with the gut acting as a central communication hub influencing multiple systems in the body. The gut has rapidly become the powerhouse of health, with more research emerging to support its role in influencing mood, cognition, immunity, and metabolic health among others. For the nutraceutical industry, this raises an important question: are gut-mediated pathways where NPD opportunities lie? This panel will explore the latest science linking gut health to broader physiological systems and discuss the rise of microbiome-targeted ingredients. We will examine where the evidence is strongest versus where hype may outpace data. Join experts as they debate whether the gut is truly the industry's ultimate hub.
ILSI Europe's ambassador Bruno Pot (Yakult Europe) will participate in the panel.
Beyond the injection: Microbiome, GLP-1 and the new reality of weight management - Thursday, May 7, 2026 12:05 PM to 12:45 PM · 40 min. (Europe/Paris) Conference Theatre, 5A6
GLP-1 therapies are reshaping weight management but what role does the microbiome play in optimising outcomes? This session explores how probiotics and prebiotics may complement GLP-1-driven pathways in metabolic regulation and appetite control. Moving beyond mechanisms, it brings in the consumer reality: what people actually experience while on GLP-1 medications, and what this means for product development. Industry-relevant insights will highlight opportunities, limitations, and unmet needs, while identifying key knowledge gaps and priority research questions to guide innovation in nutrition solutions aligned with this rapidly evolving landscape.
The session, moderated by our Exective and Scientific Director Isabelle Guelinckx, will feature two presentations delivered by ILSI Europe experts Kelly Dowson (F!S Group) and Keiran Tuohy (Leeds University).
Organised by ILSI Europe within the Horizon Europe TITAN project, this one-day collaborative workshop explores how digital transformation can strengthen transparency, trust, and performance across European agri-food supply chains.
The event brings together policymakers, industry representatives, researchers, and innovators to bridge European policy ambitions with practical business implementation, creating a space for open dialogue between regulation, science, and market realities.
A key focus of the workshop is how agri-food companies can leverage digital tools to respond to evolving organisational, regulatory, and data-driven demands. As the sector moves from the Farm to Fork vision toward emerging policy frameworks such as the Omnibus Package, the workshop aims to ensure that future transparency requirements remain both ambitious and operational.
Through collaborative discussions, the event seeks to inform future EU policy development with approaches grounded in real industry experience, while identifying practical digital solutions and governance strategies that enable SMEs and start-ups to remain competitive and resilient. At the same time, the workshop will foster stronger alignment between regulatory frameworks and business needs, contributing to a more effective transformation of European food systems.
Building on insights generated during the four-year Horizon Europe TITAN project, the workshop draws on real-world evidence collected across the agri-food value chain.
Participants will engage with emerging findings, contribute to refining policy and management recommendations, and help shape a practical roadmap toward a more transparent, integrated, and competitive European agri-food system.
Embarking from the impressive turnout in 2025, Microbiome Times Forum 2026 will see over 50 expert speakers and over 400 delegates descending on 18-19 March in Copenhagen for two full days of discussing, networking and uncovering the latest in microbial product innovation. Organised by Microbiome Times Magazine, the leading industry trade journal. the MT Partnering Forum will explore the industry's latest trends, scientific advancements, challenges, and opportunities to accelerate the development of novel microbial-based products.
Free-to-attend for start-ups, academic innovators, investors and healthcare companies, Microbiome Times Forum provides attendees with the opportunity to meet their next collaborator, partner or customer by scheduling over 30 one-to-one meetings through our tailor-made partnering platform.
ILSI Europe's presentation
Advanced Science, Better Decisions: Unlocking the Microbiome Through Collaboration, Wednesday, March 18 | 9:50-10:05 Isabelle Guelinckx - Executive & Scientific Director, ILSI Europe | Coordinator, TITAN Project
This presentation will highlight how collaborative, cross-sector research can advance microbiome science and help translate emerging discoveries into informed decisions for health and nutrition.
We are pleased to announce an upcoming expert workshop dedicated to the rapidly evolving landscape of gut-based nutrition and GLP-1 therapies. This 1 ½ days event will bring together scientists, clinicians, and industry leaders to examine the complex interplay between GLP-1 receptor agonists, prebiotics, and the gut-brain axis: an intersection shaping the future of metabolic, cognitive, and mental health.
Workshop Aim
This workshop will bring together leading researchers to examine how GLP-1 therapies and prebiotic strategies influence metabolic regulation, appetite control, cognitive function, and mental well-being through gut-brain communication pathways. Through focused presentations, a World Café-style exchange, and an integrative panel discussion, participants will work collectively to identify key knowledge gaps, refine priority research questions, and define areas where precompetitive collaboration can advance the field. The insights and recommendations that emerge will be synthesized into peer-reviewed proceedings, with Dr. Zoe Kolokotroni (Leeds Beckett University, UK) serving as rapporteur.
Session 1 - Gut-Derived Signals in Metabolic Health: From GLP-1 Biology to Prebiotic Modulation
This session examines how prebiotics and gut metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, shape metabolic health through the gut-brain axis. Talks will highlight how prebiotic modulation can influence GLP-1 signaling, satiety, and appetite control, with implications for obesity and diabetes management. Overall, the session will showcase emerging strategies that leverage targeted prebiotic interventions to improve metabolic outcomes.
10:45 - Prof. Gary Frost, Imperial College London - Understanding the relationship between Prebiotics, gastrointestinal environment and GLP-1 release and physiology
11:15 - Prof. Patrice Cani, UCLouvain - Targeting the gut microbiota with prebiotics to modulate endogenous GLP-1: from bench to bedside
11:45 - Dr. Harriet Schellekens, University College Cork - Beyond GLP-1 Agonists: Microbiota-Driven Modulation of Satiety and Metabolic Health Across the Lifespan
12:15 - Lunch
Session 2 - From Gut to Brain: Nutritional Modulation of Cognition, Mood, and Eating Behavior
This session explores how nutrition and gut-brain signaling shape cognition, mood, and eating behavior. It will examine both the lived experience of drug treatment and the emerging cognitive and mental health effects of GLP-1-based therapies, moving beyond weight loss to consider broader psychological outcomes.
13:20 - Dr. Francesca Cirulli, Prof. Suzanne Dickson (ECNP) - ECNP Network presentation
13:30 - Prof. Lora Heisler (University of Aberdeen) -Effect of GLP-1R agonists on consummatory behaviour in mice
14:00 - Prof. Kieran Tuohy (University of Leeds) - GLP-RA and the Gut Microbiome - Keeping a Good Thing Going
14:30 -Prof. Riccardo De Giorgi, (University of Oxford) - Promises & pitfalls of GLP-1RAs in cognitive and mental disorders: evidence and perspectives
15:00 - Coffee Break
15:30 - World Café Discussion: participants rotate between themed tables to discuss emerging topics, key challenges, and the next steps of the future of metabolic health.
17:00 - Wrap-up and Day 1 Reflections
17:15 - Networking Drink
Day 2
9:00 - Welcome to Day2& Recap of Day 1
Session 3 - GLP-1 Innovation in Clinical Reality
This session will spotlight how GLP-1-based therapies are reshaping day-to-day clinical practice. The discussion will revolve around real-world use, including benefits, risks, and practical challenges such as access, adherence, and long-term management. The session will offer an up-to-date view of "what's really happening" with GLP-1 in clinics and with patients.
9:10 - Prof Giles Yeo (Wolfson College) - University of Cambridge - In a world of GLP1 therapies, have we cured obesity?
9:50 - Kelly Dowson (F!S Group) - From Prescription to Reality: What Consumers Really Experience on GLP-1 Medication
10:30 - Coffee break
11:00 - Debrief: Key Points Emerging from the World Café Discussions
12:30 - Closing: Summary and Future Outlook
12:45 - End of the workshop
Participants are invited to stay at ROXI The Urban Residence Brussels, conveniently located just a 6-minute walk from ILSI Europe (Hippokrateslaan 14, 1932 Zaventem).
The residence offers comfortable, modern accommodation at competitive rates ranging from €77 to €149 per night (plus city tax).
The ILSI Europe Healthy Europe Task Force is organising an expert workshop to identify research and translation gaps in nutritional strategies to support healthy ageing. The outcome of this workshop will inform the Task Force's agenda and the direction of future research activities on nutritional interventions to be developped in 2026. These activities could potentially include: Determining factors that impact our immune system and link them to specific ingredients, foods or diets; and: Pinpointing ingredients, foods, and/or diets that support healthy ageing.
Workshop Objectives and Background
The workshop "Nutritional Interventions for Healthy Ageing: Research Gaps and Future Directions" will explore thecurrent state of science in nutritional approaches to support healthy ageing, with the goal of identifying key research and translation gaps. The agenda will focus on critical themes including the gut microbiome, cognition, muscle health, mitochondrial fitness, and sustainable diets, all within the context of age-specific diet efficacy and nutritional strategies across the lifespan. In addition to mapping existing evidence, the workshop will address challenges in defining appropriate clinical endpoints and designing effective interventions tailored to different stages of ageing.
Featuring three keynote presentations and a series of interactive sessions, including panel discussions, the workshop will encourage interdisciplinary dialogue to shape future research priorities, support the development of targeted nutritional interventions, and lay the groundwork for collaborative clinical research in the field of healthy ageing.
This activity will result in peer-reviewed proceedings and actionable insights to guide future research in nutritional interventions in healthy ageing.
10:30 - ILSI Europe Presentation
10:40 - Healthy Ageing Task Force Introduction and Aim of the Workshop
10:50 - Prof. Matteo Cesari (World Health Organisation), Advancing Healthy Ageing Through Nutrition
11:20 - Prof. Anne-Marie Minihane (University of East Anglia) - Early Nutrition Intervention to Promote Healthy Life Expectancy
11:50 - Coffee Break
12:20 - Dr. Miguel Gueimonde (CSIC) - Nutrition for Healthy Ageing Through the Gut Microbiota lens
12:50 - Prof. Piril Hepsomali (University of Reading) - Nutrition and Cognition in Aging: Evidence, Challenges, and Opportunities
13:20 - Lunch
14:30 - Prof. Pol Grootswagers (Wageningen University) - Nutritional Interventions to Slow Muscle Ageing
15:00 - Dr. Asya Dolgikh (EPFL)- Precision Nutrition for Mitochondrial Health: From Accelerated Disease Models to Healthy Aging
15:30 - Coffee Break
15:50 - Evidence and Gaps Wall
16:50 - Closing Day 1 and Setting the Stage for Day 2
19:00 - Dinner
Day 2
9:00 - Welcome Coffee
9:30 - Start of Day 2: Introduction to World Café
9:40 - World Café: Co-Creating Research Directions
11:00 - Coffee Break
11:30 - Dissemination of Discussions Conclusions
12:30 - Workshop Closing: What's Next
13:00 - Lunch
Organising Committee
Miguel Gueimonde, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, ES
Pol Grootswagers, Wageningen University & Research, NL
Piril Hepsomall, University or Reading, UK
Bruno Pot, Yakult Europe, NL
Rachael Patusco, Haleon, US
Maria Tonti, ILSI Europe, BE
Registration
This workshop is upon invitation only. Invited experts can register via the registration form sent by email.
If you're interested in this topic and believe you can bring a valuable contribution to the discussion, please contact mtonti@ilsieurope.be.
Vitafoods Europe 2026 is one of the world's leading events for the nutraceutical industry, bringing together the entire health and nutrition ecosystem under one roof. Taking place from 5-7 May 2026 in Barcelona, the event connects ingredient suppliers, manufacturers, brands, and industry experts from across the globe.
With a strong focus on innovation, science, and market trends, Vitafoods Europe offers a dynamic platform to discover new products, gain insights through high-level conferences, and build meaningful partnerships. From functional ingredients to finished products, it showcases the latest developments shaping the future of health and wellness.
ILSI Europe's sessions
Panel Discussion | Do all paths lead to the gut? NPD opportunities driven by gut connections - Wednesday, May 6, 2026 1:30 PM to 2:10 PM · 40 min. (Europe/Paris) Conference Theatre, 5A6
We have often heard, "we are what we eat." Emerging science now shows this is not just a saying but a biological reality, with the gut acting as a central communication hub influencing multiple systems in the body. The gut has rapidly become the powerhouse of health, with more research emerging to support its role in influencing mood, cognition, immunity, and metabolic health among others. For the nutraceutical industry, this raises an important question: are gut-mediated pathways where NPD opportunities lie? This panel will explore the latest science linking gut health to broader physiological systems and discuss the rise of microbiome-targeted ingredients. We will examine where the evidence is strongest versus where hype may outpace data. Join experts as they debate whether the gut is truly the industry's ultimate hub.
ILSI Europe's ambassador Bruno Pot (Yakult Europe) will participate in the panel.
Beyond the injection: Microbiome, GLP-1 and the new reality of weight management - Thursday, May 7, 2026 12:05 PM to 12:45 PM · 40 min. (Europe/Paris) Conference Theatre, 5A6
GLP-1 therapies are reshaping weight management but what role does the microbiome play in optimising outcomes? This session explores how probiotics and prebiotics may complement GLP-1-driven pathways in metabolic regulation and appetite control. Moving beyond mechanisms, it brings in the consumer reality: what people actually experience while on GLP-1 medications, and what this means for product development. Industry-relevant insights will highlight opportunities, limitations, and unmet needs, while identifying key knowledge gaps and priority research questions to guide innovation in nutrition solutions aligned with this rapidly evolving landscape.
The session, moderated by our Exective and Scientific Director Isabelle Guelinckx, will feature two presentations delivered by ILSI Europe experts Kelly Dowson (F!S Group) and Keiran Tuohy (Leeds University).
This site uses cookies to provide you with a personalized browsing experience. By clicking “I Agree” or continuing to use the site you agree to allow cookies to be placed and accept the terms set out in our [Privacy Notice]. Please read the Privacy Notice for more information on how we handle information collected from users and how you can control the use of such information.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
