Three days in the heart of Boston for Instem Interact. Three days of insightful sessions, conversations, and collaboration, and in the words of our CEO Vik Krishnan: “Three days I genuinely believe will push our community forward.”
Built around the themes Ignite. Investigate. Innovate., Interact 2026 brought together leaders, customers, and industry experts from across life sciences to explore one shared goal: smarter, faster, and more connected preclinical R&D. This wasn’t simply about showcasing technology, it was about creating meaningful conversations between the people driving scientific progress every day.
From Data to Decisions
A key focus this year was the shift from data collection to data intelligence. Sessions explored how organisations are turning complex scientific data into actionable insight through integrated platforms, predictive analytics, and streamlined workflows. Topics spanning the full preclinical lifecycle included AI-powered innovation, SEND 4.0 and evolving regulatory expectations, NAMs and the future of animal research, shared control groups, connected preclinical workflows, and practical in silico applications.
During refreshment breaks and lunch, our exhibition space gave attendees the chance to see Instem solutions in action, with live product demonstrations and one-to-one conversations with Instem experts generating some of the most energised discussions of the event.
Highlights from the Agenda
The breadth of expertise on stage across the three days was exceptional. The conference opened on Monday evening with CEO Vik Krishnan setting the vision for Instem and the community ahead, followed by CSO Szczepan Baran’s keynote on NAMs, AI, and the shift to regulatory-ready evidence, framing the scientific and regulatory landscape that shaped much of the discussion to follow.
Beth Hazell, our Chief Product Officer, set the tone for the product agenda, sharing the vision for how Instem’s platforms are evolving to meet the needs of a fast-changing industry, and inviting the community to help shape what comes next. The interactive format of the product sessions meant attendees weren’t just listening, they were contributing directly to the roadmap.
Brenda Finney, Director of Product for In Silico & Data Insights, took a refreshingly different approach with her sessions, ditching the traditional presentation format in favour of interactive, game-based formats that had the room fully engaged. Marc Ellison, Director of Regulatory Solutions at Instem, followed with sessions on the emerging applications of SEND data beyond regulatory submission, and a forward-looking discussion on SEND 4.0 and what organisations need to do to prepare.
Wednesday brought a different energy, with Gina Green, our Chief Operations Officer and the Operations team taking centre stage for “Working Together to Optimise our Partnership”, a session focused on how Instem’s integrated approach to project management, education, consulting, and support helps customers get real value from their solutions at every stage of the journey. The conference concluded with Ian Bacchus, VP Architecture, presenting “Data-centric by Design: Instem’s Vision to Support an AI-enabled Industry”, a fitting close to three days of forward-looking conversation, and a topic that is very much front of mind across the life sciences community right now.
What Our Customers Said
The feedback from the floor captured the spirit of the week better than any agenda could.
Denise Knapp, Director of IT Applications & Support at Charles River Laboratories, arrived ready to connect: “I’m so looking forward to all of the partnership conversations here at Interact, it is going to be an amazing path forward for all of us.” By the end of the event, that optimism had only grown: “We were reinvigorated to see the positivity and excitement that is clear at all levels of the organisation.”
For many attendees, the event was also an opportunity to get an early look at what’s coming next. Todd Acker, IT Business Relationship Manager at Labcorp, put it simply: “I came to Interact to start to understand the new products that Instem is working on, and see how we’ll be able to migrate to that in the future.” And from Tanya Graver, Senior Associate Scientist at Bristol Myers Squibb: “I’m here to enjoy learning about the Provantis upgrade and what’s coming out from Instem this year.”
But perhaps the moment that best captured what Interact is really about came from Thembinkosi Mkandla, Manager of Preclinical Data Systems at Altasciences: “One of the things I enjoyed the most was meeting colleagues from Instem that I’ve been working with for 15 years.”
Events like this are always a great reminder of the value of face-to-face interaction. We’ve loved catching up with colleagues, familiar faces and new connections alike, and having the kind of conversations that simply don’t happen over email or Teams. We were delighted to welcome teams from AbbVie, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Altasciences, AnaPath, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Labcorp, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Vertex, and many more.
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to every speaker, presenter, panellist, and session leader who contributed to Interact 2026, in particular our guest speakers Denise Knapp, Benjamin Sefing, Wenxian Wang, Tanya Graver, Alyssa Valentyn, Albert Sandoval Dominguez, and Adeline Varnet. Your openness and expertise made the conversations genuinely impactful. And to the Instem teams who brought the event to life behind the scenes: this wouldn’t have happened without you.
The Customer Innovation Awards dinner at Del Frisco’s was the perfect conclusion to three outstanding days, celebrating the organisations and individuals driving meaningful impact through scientific excellence and collaboration. Johnson & Johnson received the Strategic Partnership Award 2026, while Charles River Laboratories took home the Process Harmonisation Award and Blueprint Medicines was recognised with the Scientific Impact Award. The Customer Champion Award was presented to AbbVie, while Labcorp received the Scientific Innovation Award. Finally, Eisai was honoured with the Collaboration Award.
Looking Ahead
To everyone who joined us in Boston, thank you. Your feedback, ideas, and energy are what make Interact worth building. We look forward to continuing the conversation throughout the year, and can’t wait to see what the community achieves next.
Until next year!
