?ScienceBEAT was more than I expected?

This last month has been filled with excitement, inspiration and innovation, as young talented individuals gathered at our inaugural #ScienceBEAT event. It was a gathering that celebrated the fusion of science, innovation and collaboration, where visionary ideas met real-world applications, and where we witnessed remarkable presentations by world-renowned scientists. For a close-up view of the event, we sat down with one of the winners, Mateusz Kosiński, whose exceptional contributions and expertise stood out in a sea of remarkable talents.

?Mateusz studies Microbiology at the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of ?ód? in Poland. He was encouraged by his university mentor to send his application to join ScienceBEAT. He admits he wasn’t entirely sure what he was getting himself into, but it turned out to be more than anything he could have expected, saying: “The biggest highlight for me was the chance to meet driven and like-minded individuals who just feel like the future of science, be it in industry or academia. Having the chance to speak to Sir Paul Nurse, Andy Baynes, and the amazing people from Lek was really inspiring and sparked some interesting conversations.”

The program for the event was filled with interesting lectures, where students got a unique insight into the trends and challenges of the modern pharmaceutical industry and felt the pulse of a global pharmaceutical company. Which part of the event did Mateusz like the most? For him, the pitch workshops, together with the ones led by Andy Baynes on disruptive innovation and “core vs. context”, made for a great combination. The latter helped participants understand how to build on their ideas and where to focus their strengths, while also knowing when to fail fast. “This combined well with the pitch workshops, which showed us how to properly articulate and define these ideas to people outside our circle, especially in the case of scientists, who have a tendency to overcomplicate matters, immersed in their passion for the subject,” said Mateusz. Another topic particularly important to him was getting a better understanding on the importance of biosimiliars, how they are produced, and the amount of resources that are invested into new biosimilar research and production facilities. “This topic hits close to home, as there is someone very close to me who is able to live a comfortable life in the face a chronic disease thanks to biopharmaceuticals. So advancements in this field are really important to me.”

?A unique event with a bright future

Here at Lek, we are extremely proud to have put together such an exquisite and unique event that brought together young talented individuals and acclaimed scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs, while fostering an environment of knowledge exchange and innovation. We have set the foundation of a thriving platform that will continue to develop in the years to come, not least because of the positive feedback the participants gave. “I’d like to thank everyone involved in making this event a reality, as well as all the other attendees (especially Red Team – you guys were amazing) for creating such an incredible atmosphere throughout the whole time we were in Slovenia. I would truly recommend the event to any student aspiring to be part of the pharmaceutical industry in their future careers, or simply to those who want to have the chance to network with some truly amazing people.”

Getting the chance to meet, learn, work, and party together with people my age and at the top of their game was really refreshing and unique. Those bonds will remain for years to come! Mateusz Kosiński, Individual Winner of ScienceBEAT 2023

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