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The BIO International Convention brings together leaders from biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, venture capital, academia, government and healthcare to discuss emerging opportunities across the life sciences ecosystem. At BIO 2026, members of the Cleveland Clinic Innovations Ventures, Business Development & Licensing and Engagement teams participated in approximately 200 meetings and discussions with industry stakeholders. While conversations spanned a range of topics, several themes emerged consistently: artificial intelligence, real-world evidence and strategic partnerships. Collectively, these discussions offered insight into where healthcare innovation is heading and what organizations will need to successfully bring new discoveries closer to patients.
One of the most prominent themes at BIO 2026 was the evolution of artificial intelligence. Conversations reflected a noticeable shift from discussing future possibilities to examining real-world implementation and impact.
"AI is being put into practice now and we are seeing some real products coming out of AI which are turning into solutions that are being used to benefit patients," said Saqib Sachani, PhD, MBA.
Examples discussed throughout the conference included AI-enabled products, AI-guided drug discovery and AI-designed molecules entering clinical trials. According to Sachani, the difference from previous years was clear.
"The last time we heard about AI as hype, this time we saw AI being enabled. We were seeing drug molecules, AI-designed, that have gone into clinical trials," he said.
The discussions highlighted an important shift across the industry. The question is no longer whether AI can be useful, but how organizations can leverage it effectively to advance innovation.
Another recurring theme at BIO 2026 was the growing demand for clinical validation. As healthcare innovations move closer to implementation, organizations are increasingly seeking access to clinical expertise, real-world insights and the infrastructure needed to evaluate technologies in care settings.
"There's a lot of interest in real-world evidence and how we can use that data to stratify patients to help improve outcomes in clinical trials," Sachani said.
The conversations reflected a broader shift across the industry. Organizations are looking for more than promising science. They want opportunities to generate evidence, assess clinical utility, and better understand how innovations perform in real-world settings.
For Joe Barone, Director of Business Development & Licensing, the combination of science, data and clinical expertise was particularly compelling.
"The intersection of basic research with the clinical aspects and the ability to leverage data is certainly something that's been appealing, and it's been a recurring theme," Barone said.
The discussions reinforced a key takeaway from BIO: industry partners increasingly value ecosystems that can help bridge discovery and patient care through clinical validation, real-world evidence generation and translational expertise. Those capabilities are becoming increasingly important as organizations work to reduce risk and accelerate development.
BIO 2026 also reinforced the growing importance of partnerships. Across the healthcare innovation ecosystem, organizations are increasingly seeking strategic collaborations, co-development partnerships, access to data and shared resources.
"We cannot do everything on our own. We have to build strategic partnerships," Sachani said.
Discussions ranged from recurring strategic relationships with large pharmaceutical and platform companies to asset-based co-development opportunities, pilot data collaborations and cross-licensing discussions involving delivery, platform and methodology technologies.
Together, these conversations reflected a common theme: innovation increasingly depends on collaboration. As innovation becomes more complex, collaboration across academia, healthcare systems, industry and investors is becoming essential to advancing new technologies and bringing them closer to patients.
Conversations at BIO also reflected the realities of today's investment environment. While investors continue to support innovation, many are increasingly focused on more mature opportunities.
"We're seeing investors gravitate toward clinical-stage opportunities, which underscores the importance of strong translational pathways from early research to the clinic," said Linda Li, MSc, CFA.
This shift makes early collaboration more valuable than ever — spanning new company formation, industry alliances, and strategic co-development — as organizations work to sharpen clinical relevance and chart clear paths to commercialization.
The themes that emerged from BIO 2026 point to a future in which AI is accelerating discovery, data, and real-world evidence are becoming increasingly valuable and partnerships are becoming essential to advancing innovation. Together, these trends are reshaping how organizations approach innovation.
The most valuable asset in healthcare innovation is no longer technology alone. Success increasingly depends on combining novel science, clinical expertise, real-world evidence and strategic partnerships. The conversations that began at BIO continue through ongoing licensing, co-development, research and venture discussions, pointing toward a future where connecting those capabilities will be critical to improving patient care. Cleveland Clinic Innovations sits at the intersection of those efforts, helping bring innovators, expertise and opportunities together to advance healthcare innovation.
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