SLAS to Host Innovation AveNEW for Start-ups at ELRIG UK Drug Discovery 2021 Event

• ELRIG Drug Discovery 2021, ACC Liverpool, UK, 19–20 October
• Face-to-face event aims to re-connect, re-invent, and re-imagine drug discovery
• SLAS’s Innovation AveNEW promotes start-ups by awarding free-of-charge exhibition space and access to a network of potential business partners

Oak Brook, IL and York, UK (August 20, 2021) – The European Laboratory Research & Innovation Group (ELRIG) UK announced the programme details for Drug Discovery 2021, which will take place at the Exhibition Centre ACC in Liverpool, UK, from 19–20 October. The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS), a global organisation dedicated to advancing life sciences discovery, technology and collaboration, will host its popular Innovation AveNEW to showcase emerging innovations and companies. The free-to-attend, in-person event, aims to provide a platform to re-connect, re-invent, and re-imagine drug discovery with experts from industry, academia and global pharmaceutical organisations.

ELRIG UK’s Drug Discovery returns as a face-to-face meeting place with a mission to engage quality discussions on key issues and future directions in preclinical drug discovery. The event expects to attract over 1000 delegates, with exhibitions from 100 vendors, and will implement actions to ensure a COVID-safe environment for attendees, such as COVID passports and a coloured lanyard system to show preferred levels of social distancing.

This year will celebrate the continuing success of the scientific community and provide several networking opportunities over the two-day event, to drive collaborations between academic and biopharma industry thought-leaders, as well as early career professionals. The programme includes insightful sessions on new approaches in infection biology diseases, advances in biomarkers and diagnostics, approaches to drugging RNA, innovative screening and strategies to enhance drug discovery, disruptive technologies, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias as well as leading research from the British Pharmacological Society.

This year’s event is also host to SLAS’s Innovation AveNEW, which is designed to promote start-ups and emerging companies by awarding free-of-charge exhibition space, travel and hotel accommodations and access to a network of potential business partners, life science researchers, and purchasing decision-makers. To further elevate the new product, service, or company, selected companies have the opportunity to record an episode of the SLAS New Matter podcast and receive on-demand access to an SLAS entrepreneurial workshop. The top ranked applicant will receive an additional opportunity to participate in the SLAS Conference & Exhibition in Boston (5–9 February 2022) or in Dublin (24–27 May 2022).

Sanj Kumar, General Manager of ELRIG UK, said: “This last year has seen unprecedented scientific progress, and ELRIG UK is committed to ensuring that our events provide highly relevant networking opportunities and content to support this continued success. ELRIG Drug Discovery is widely recognised as Europe’s largest meeting place on the application of drug discovery, and we are proud to partner with SLAS, an organisation at the industry forefront, to promote the most exciting emerging products, services and companies in Europe.”

Vicki Loise, CEO of SLAS, said: “The companies selected for our Innovation AveNEW are given the opportunity to raise awareness of their new company, product or service to a global audience. At SLAS, we are very pleased to partner with ELRIG UK, and we are confident that the inclusion of our Innovation AveNEW in this year’s Drug Discovery programme will complement its mission to provide freely accessibly scientific content, promotion and networking opportunities.”

To apply for SLAS’s Innovation AveNEW, please visit: https://www.slas.org/education/slas-ignite/

For a full listing of speakers and sessions, to register or book an exhibition stand, please visit: www.elrig.org/portfolio/drug-discovery-2021/.

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About ELRIG UK
ELRIG UK is a not-for-profit organisation, based in the UK. We are leaders in the provision of scientific meetings and conferences; bringing together academic and biopharma industry experts and thought leaders to exchange ideas and information. Our primary objective is to provide outstanding, leading-edge knowledge to the life sciences community on an open access basis.

With more than 7,000 life science professionals across the UK and Europe, our members include scientists, researchers, engineers, developers and business-people within academia, industry, government organisations and private institutes.

About SLAS
SLAS is a global professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers coupled with the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. SLAS advances scientific innovation by providing education, collaboration and professional development that unites scientists across disciplines and transforms research. SLAS publishes two scientific journals -- SLAS Discovery: Advancing the Science of Drug Discovery and SLAS Technology: Translating Life Sciences Innovation (open access as of January 2022). SLAS supports start-up and emerging technology companies through its Ignite and Innovation AveNEW initiatives and supports early-career professionals and students through grants, academic awards, mentoring and research presentation opportunities.

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