This activity of COST Action CA20121 (BenBedPhar) reports on the first Industry Showcase, held on 8–9 February 2024 in Athens, Greece, under the theme “Transcription Factor NRF2: New Opportunities for Pharmaceutical Innovations in Chronic Diseases.”
Hosted by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, this event marked a milestone for Working Group 4 (Exploitation and Industrial
Translation) by providing a dedicated platform to connect BenBedPhar researchers with SMEs, biotech companies, pharmaceutical firms, and consulting partners active in oxidative stress, redox biology, and NRF2-based therapeutic innovation.
The scientific program (https://benbedphar.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Program-Athens-2024-Building-bridges-between-
academy-and-industry-around-NRF2-based-therapeutics.pdf) combined plenary lectures, company presentations, and interactive networking sessions.
Highlights included keynote talks on electrophilic NRF2 activators, translational pharmacology in chronic diseases, and strategies for industrial exploitation of redox-modulating compounds. A poster session and early-career showcase allowed young scientists to present novel NRF2-related findings and discuss collaboration prospects.
Attending organizations included SMEs specializing in chemical synthesis and screening technologies, contract research laboratories providing redox and oxidative stress assays, and biopharmaceutical companies exploring NRF2-targeted drug candidates. The meeting concluded with an Industry Partnering Café, enabling face-to-face discussions between BenBedPhar scientists and industry representatives regarding joint R&D initiatives, service contracts, and co-funded research projects.
This event successfully demonstrated BenBedPhar’s commitment to bridging academia and industry, creating a sustainable environment for collaboration and technology transfer. It strengthened the Action’s industrial visibility and established a blueprint for future showcase meetings in Europe.
