So what makes HPLC2025 so special?

‘I think it’s our greater focus on industry. The symposium has always had many contributions from industry, but this time we have also organised special activities. For example, we have two ’industry stories’ sessions, with ten lectures by R&D professionals who have worked on industrial problems. You don’t typically encounter that at a conference: people from industry telling their peers how they have solved, or failed to solve, or only partially solved, problems. People learn a lot from failures.

This edition will also focus more on related disciplines, such as gas chromatography, field flow fractionation, and preparative chromatography. Topics like these, which are not usually covered at an HPLC conference, will now receive extra attention as a service to people in industry. We will also cover everything related to data analysis, artificial intelligence and lab automation, looking beyond the instrument itself. This new approach is something that I personally wanted to bring to the table.’

What about the ‘Bring your boss’ initiative?

‘This is a special programme for lab managers and decision-makers in analytics. We have scheduled two half-days for people from Big Pharma, the user industry, and instrument manufacturers to network, brainstorm, and discuss. This gives them the opportunity to find out from each other what’s going on, what options are available, and what the needs are in the field.’

Chromatography’s Got Talent will also be held for the first time. How did that come about, and what is your goal with it?

‘Since 2019, there have been two competitions focusing on soft skills: the Science Slam and the HPLC Tube. The Science Slam is a real ‘slam’, with dancing, singing, rapping and fascinating storytelling, all about chromatography. HPLC Tube is more of a pitch competition using entertaining videos. Previously, these were judged by a jury of experts, but now we have combined them and added a public pub quiz called “Who Wants to Be a Chromatography Millionaire?”. This allows the audience to really get involved and choose the competition winners.

The aim of this social programme is to create good memories and bring people together. You get to know each other in a completely different way, which encourages networking.’

What are you personally looking forward to?

‘Mainly the opening lectures. They focus on the characterisation of mRNA medicines and lab automation, and will really kick off the conference with a bang. I’m also curious about the forty short oral presentations. These are short pitches given by forty young scientists who didn’t quite make it to the normal oral presentation stage. We want to give them their first chance to present at a conference. There’s a nice prize for the best pitch too.’

What would you say to people who are still unsure whether to come?

‘Don’t hesitate! All the top speakers will be there, and there will be new initiatives to make the conference very lively. We will also showcase Belgian hospitality as much as possible. Networking is at least as important as the lectures themselves. You can read papers to learn about science, but it’s the opportunity to meet people that makes a conference worthwhile, and that goes hand in hand with enjoying a drink and a snack.’