CBRNe Summit Europe 2026: Strong momentum for the EMBRACE Biotoxin Task Force
The CBRNe Summit Europe held in Lyon on 03-05 February 2026, proved to be an exceptionally productive platform for advancing the work of the Biotoxin Task Force (BTF). As Chair of the BTF, Prof David Crouch had the privilege of moderating the majority of the Day 1 sessions and leading the forensic panel discussion on Day 2, ensuring that biotoxin preparedness and attribution remained central to the wider CBRNe conversation.
During the forensic panel, a series of forward-leaning questions were posed exploring the changing threat landscape, modernisation of chemical and biological forensics, operational realities at contaminated scenes, and the growing role of intelligence-led and digital forensics. These themes resonated strongly with the panel and audience, reinforcing the need for coordinated European capability development in biotoxin mitigation.
Engagement throughout the summit was extremely positive and several potential members of the BTF’s new Advisory Group were present including INTERPOL’s Ian Tippetts as a panel member, Fanny Ewann, an Embrace Symposium 2025 speaker, and Sean Sohun from the OPCW Laboratory also requesting to be involved, recognising the value of a dedicated biotoxin-focused forum. Numerous other delegates and government representatives also shared their support for strengthening biotoxin preparedness across forensic, medical, and operational domains.
A major outcome of the summit was confirmation that the 2027 CBRNe Summit in Estonia will host a dedicated one-hour seminar on the Biotoxin Task Force based on Resilience Advisors ongoing sponsorship of the event. This will provide a formal platform to expand participation and shape the next phase of BTF activity.
Overall, the Lyon summit significantly elevated the profile of the BTF and reinforced the importance of collaborative, cross-sector engagement in addressing emerging biotoxin threats. The momentum generated will directly support the Task Force’s mission to enhance European resilience, capability, and interoperability in this critical area.