Our structured networking process is designed to connect our members along and across value chains, sectors, and disciplines. We provide a fruitful, constructive setting in which to exchange ideas and to initiate new research and business projects. All this following our claim networking biotechnology – creating sustainability.
We have developed a series of event formats that span the range from conferences to bilateral talks. Through this process, we help individual members to find the right partners, build trust, and share information that can lead to new ideas, opportunities, and projects.
Our CLIB International Conference CIC showcases emerging trends and connects them to markets. Especially relevant topics are taken up and presented in greater detail during forum events, which usually are attended by 40 to 60 people and are also seen as scouting opportunities for larger companies. They also involve non-members as input-givers. Roundtable meetings are held with a smaller group of about 10 to 15 invited experts; these meetings cover specific topics and build consortia, proceed to bilateral talks or result in new and promising project ideas. These can be supported in many ways by the CLIB team, finally leading to promising project proposals.
Since 2020, the CLIB team has been facing a challenge to its usual networking due to the global Corona pandemic response. We needed to develop networking formats which would work online: we quickly switched to online videoconferencing tools to offer web-seminars, scouted for online collaborative tools to facilitate creativity in the virtual space, and adapted our event formats to the digital space. Although we miss being able to network in person, we managed to make the best out of this difficult situation and deliver value for our members. One positive effect is the closer interaction with partners wide and far. This also meant having our international members and partners connect more easily to the CLIB network.