Life Science Innovation Northwest 2026

China’s biopharmaceutical sector has experienced rapid growth over the past decade, driven by significant investment, expanding research capabilities, and a sophisticated network of contract research (CRO) and manufacturing (CDMO) organizations. As Chinese companies evolve from service providers to innovators and global partners, their influence is reshaping the competitive and collaborative landscape of the life sciences industry. This panel will explore what China’s rise means for US life science companies and the broader innovation ecosystem. Panelists will discuss the opportunities and challenges of working with Chinese CROs and CDMOs, strategies for licensing and partnering with Chinese firms, and best practices for protecting intellectual property while engaging in global collaboration. The conversation will also examine how U.S.-based companies can remain competitive and thrive as China continues to expand its role in biopharma development and commercialization.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how life science and biopharma organizations conduct research, develop therapies, and manage clinical trials. The emergence of agentic AI, systems capable of autonomously executing complex, multi step tasks, represents a new frontier in scientific and operational workflows, but translating this technology into reliable, real world tools remains a significant challenge. This panel will examine where agentic AI is delivering value today and where expectations have outpaced results. Panelists will explore applications across key workflows, from drug discovery and data analysis to clinical trial operations, and discuss critical enablers for scaling these systems, including AI data readiness, governance frameworks, portfolio management, and workforce up-skilling.

For early-stage life science companies, raising capital requires more than a strong pitch. Investors are applying greater discipline and higher expectations around data, milestones, capital efficiency, and valuation. In a competitive fundraising environment across biotech, medtech, and digital health, understanding how investment decisions are made is essential. This panel brings together experienced investors to discuss what differentiates companies that secure financing, where founders commonly misstep, and how deal terms, diligence priorities, and syndicate dynamics shape outcomes from seed through Series A and beyond.

AI is reshaping how healthcare is delivered, from clinical decision-making to hospital operations and patient access. In this fireside chat, two of the industry’s leading executives, Dr. Taha Kass-Hout, Global Chief Science and Technology Officer at GE HealthCare, and Richard Fabian, CEO of Fujifilm Sonosite, will discuss how AI is being applied across the healthcare ecosystem to support clinicians, optimize operations, and enable more timely and equitable care. They will also explore the importance of building trustworthy, responsible AI that integrates seamlessly into clinical workflows and examine the reimbursement models needed to incentivize innovation and improve patient outcomes.

Successfully implementing new medical technologies requires a systems-level approach. From integrating devices, diagnostics, and digital tools into hospital workflows to navigating regulatory and reimbursement pathways, bringing innovation to patients requires collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem. This panel will explore how providers, policymakers, and companies work together to move new technologies from development to market, addressing life-changing diseases and expanding access to care for residents across Washington’s 39 counties.

From tariffs to reimbursement policy, federal decisions play a defining role in how medtech innovations reach the market. This session will provide the latest insights on tariffs, FDA policy, federal legislation, and CMS reimbursement. Panelists will cover AI policy, rural health funding, the FDA’s Technology-Enabled Meaningful Patient Outcomes (TEMPO) pilot for accelerating access to digital health devices, and CMS’s Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) pilot. The discussion will also address CMS coverage for FDA-designated Breakthrough Devices and related legislation from Rep. Suzanne DelBene, offering an insider’s perspective on the federal landscape shaping medtech innovation.

With biotech’s winter thawing, and strong clinical data creating paths to BLA submissions and deals, cell therapies may be beginning their swing back into focus for pharmas and investors. Given the progress the modality has made both technologically and via indication expansion, is this the moment cell therapies step off the pendulum and into a more permanent place in the clinical and commercial armamentarium? And is the coming wave of in vivo cell therapies a complimentary alternative, or an existential threat? This panel will discuss where cell therapies are today compared with biotech’s last bull cycle, and what needs to happen for the modality to become a mainstay value driver.

What’s next for life sciences investing, and how can companies position themselves to capture opportunity in a shifting market? Join leading investors as they explore the evolving biotech landscape across the US, with a spotlight on the Pacific Northwest as a growing hub for innovation within broader capital trends. Panelists will discuss how regulatory shifts, market dynamics, and investor priorities are shaping deal-making, funding strategies, and pathways to growth. Gain actionable insights and a forward-looking perspective on what it takes to succeed in today’s increasingly competitive environment.