In September 2025 Bump worked with EFPIA to host the Life Sciences Week, a four-day policy pop-up at the Bump Policy Experience Space in Brussels, designed to connect the dots between Europe’s innovation ambition and the practical realities of getting medicines to patients.

Rather than treating policy, science, and access as separate conversations, Life Sciences Week explored the full lifecycle: how ideas become medicines, how vaccines are developed, and what it takes to translate breakthroughs into real-world outcomes. We moved from early-stage innovation and development to the questions that determine impact at scale: pricing and reimbursement dynamics, access pathways, and the barriers that can slow the journey from approval to availability, including for cancer medicines.

The week also looked outward, placing health policy in its wider context. Discussions unpacked how geopolitics and trade are reshaping Europe’s life sciences ecosystem, and what this means for competitiveness, investment, and resilience. A central thread throughout was medicines shortages and supply security—examining how the Critical Medicines Act could help strengthen supply chains and better protect patients across Europe.

Alongside these cross-cutting topics, EFPIA created space to go deeper into key disease areas where Europe’s decisions in the coming years will matter most. Sessions explored readiness for the Alzheimer’s paradigm shift, what should sit at the heart of an EU Cardiovascular Health Plan, and how Europe can respond more effectively to obesity with a clearer blueprint for action.

By blending open formats such as a “ask me anything” on access with focused expert conversations, the week turned complex issues into constructive dialogue. The result was a programme that felt less like a conference and more like a working space: a place to test assumptions, share evidence, and build a more connected understanding of how Europe can move faster, from discovery to delivery, while strengthening health resilience along the way.