Unique biosafety conference

On 13^th March, the 1st International Conference on Hungarian National Biosafety was commenced at the Szentágothai Research Centre of the University of Pécs (UP). The two-day event served as a much-needed professional forum, bringing together Hungarian and international experts working in the field of biosecurity.

Organized by the UP National Laboratory of Virology and RoLink Biotechnology, the conference aimed to connect the scientific community, authorities, industry representatives, and research institutes. It provided a platform for participants to share experiences, discuss emerging challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

The conference was officially opened by dr. András Komócsi, Vice Rector for Science at the University of Pécs, who highlighted in his speech: “This is an indispensible opportunity to reflect on humanity’s self-efficacy. Safety is the most crucial aspect of any kind of human and technological development — we always need to follow the ‘safety first’ principle. I hope that this will be an important opportunity for us to reflect on the self-efficacy of humanity.”

Dr. Gábor Kemenesi, Director of the UP National Laboratory of Virology and host of the conference, along with dr. Roland Hetényi, CEO of RoLink Biotechnology and the main organizer and sponsor of the event, also welcomed the attendees. 

In his presentation, dr. L. Gábor Kovács, Scientific Director of the Szentágothai Research Centre, introduced the institute, “the university’s flagship of science”, known for its multidisciplinary projects in life sciences and bio-medical sciences, innovative research, professional community, and state-of-the-art laboratories. The research center has contributed to more than 2,000 international publications. 

Asa Szekely Björndal, President of the European Biosafety Association and Institutional Biosafety Officer at the Public Health Agency of Sweden, addressed the audience in an online speech, stating: “We are part of a European community and together we can strengthen our preparedness with the creation of new important tools to ensure that we are equipped to face tomorrows’ threats.”

Haris Hajrulahovic, the World Health Organizations’ Representative in Hungary, declared that “biosafety is a shared responsibility, a work that will shape future generations”. He emphasized the importance of robust and adaptive international systems that facilitate cross-border cooperation and adherence to international health regulations that pave the way for global health security. 

Following the opening remarks, two keynote speeches were presented. Dr. Cecília Müller, Chief Medical Officer of the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy and Honorary Patron of the conference, spoke about the complexity of biosafety and how this field is closely linked to public health, while Balázs Somogyi, BSL-4 (the highest biosafety level) Manager at the UP National Laboratory of Virology, provided insights into biosafety trends in Hungary.