In late June, more than 400 representatives from the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals – NIIMBL – community joined in Washington, D.C. and virtually for the 2026 National Meeting. The meeting delivered the familiar mix of inspiring plenaries, expert‑led sessions, and member‑driven idea‑sharing that defines our annual event.

The program also highlighted standout contributions from across the community, including the NIIMBL Project Impact Award for “Inline Spiking Method for Validation of Virus Clearance in Continuous Bioprocessing,” represented by Principal Investigator Andrew Zydney of Penn State University and collaborators MilliporeSigma, Genentech, and Merck. We were also pleased to recognize Technology Innovation Tank winner Kathy Yeung of ViQi, Inc. and Workforce Innovation Tank winner Brian Souza of MassBioEd.

Brian Souza, MassBioEd’s Vice President or Workforce Development, represented the team in a “Shark Tank” style competition in which nearly 20 applicants were narrowed down to three finalists to present in front of a panel of judges and a live audience at the national meeting. “What a great recognition of at least 7 years of work to conceive, build, and implement this important program. Huge thanks to Germaine Palmer and Corinne Kelly for their work in leading this program and to the whole MassBioEd team (including those who came before us) for helping to make it a success!” Thanks also to the over two dozen life sciences companies across Massachusetts who have been the backbone of the program, to our educational partners, Northeastern University and WPI, and the essential state and private funders who have helped to support this work!