Engineering Africa's Biological Future
A continental gathering of scientists, founders, policymakers and students shaping the synthetic biology revolution starting from Accra to the world.
- 7–9 October, 2026
- Accra, Ghana
kick Off In
- countdown
200+
DELEGATES
40+
SPEAKERS
27
COUNTIRES
- About SBA5.0
A continental platform for responsible biotechnology
SBA5.0 convenes scientists, policymakers, engineers, security experts, industry leaders, investors, development partners, students, and early-career innovators to advance responsible biotechnology and strengthen biosecurity capacity across Africa.
International scientific collaboration
Policy dialogue and responsible governance
Practical pathways for resilient bioeconomies
Why this conference matters
Building sovereign, resilient futures through responsible innovation
Africa’s biodiversity, growing scientific ecosystems, and expanding youth talent pools create an extraordinary opportunity to shape biotechnology on its own terms. SBA5.0 responds to the linked opportunities and challenges of health security, climate resilience, food security, sustainable development, and sovereign bioeconomy growth.
International scientific collaboration
Policy dialogue and responsible governance
International scientific collaboration
Policy dialogue and responsible governance
Conference tracks
Eight routes into Africa’s next bioeconomy
The technical programme connects emerging research, implementation practice, governance, and collaboration.
01
Synthetic Biology and Engineering Biology
Design and construction of biological systems for medicine, agriculture, and environmental applications.
02
Artificial Intelligence in Biological Design
Machine learning, bioinformatics, and computational modeling for accelerating biological discovery.
03
Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Responsible Innovation
Risk assessment, governance frameworks, and ethical oversight in biotechnology.
04
Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Food Systems
Engineering crops and microbes to improve food security and climate adaptation.
05
Industrial Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing
Distributed biomanufacturing systems and sustainable bio-based production.
06
Health Innovation and Pandemic Preparedness
Synthetic biology applications in diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutic development.
07
Biodiversity, Conservation, and Environmental Biotechnology
Biotechnological approaches to environmental restoration and ecosystem protection.
08
Policy, Governance, and Bioeconomy Development
Strategies for implementing global biotechnology policies within African regulatory ecosystems.
- About
Voices from across the continent
Keynote
Otim Geofrey
Keynotes on gene editing, bioprocessing, and indigenous genomic data sovereignty.
Keynote
Otim Geofrey
Keynotes on gene editing, bioprocessing, and indigenous genomic data sovereignty.
Keynote
Research
Keynotes on gene editing, bioprocessing, and indigenous genomic data sovereignty.
Keynote
Otim Geofrey
Keynotes on gene editing, bioprocessing, and indigenous genomic data sovereignty.
Keynote
Otim Geofrey
Keynotes on gene editing, bioprocessing, and indigenous genomic data sovereignty.
Keynote
Research
Keynotes on gene editing, bioprocessing, and indigenous genomic data sovereignty.
Emerging Leaders programme
Supporting the second cohort of emerging African leaders
The Emerging Leaders in Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity in Africa programme will support undergraduate students, graduate students, and early-career researchers working across biotechnology, AI, biosafety, and biosecurity.
Second cohort
A flagship initiative to cultivate the next generation of African scientists capable of advancing responsible biotechnology innovation and biosecurity awareness.
Strategic launches
Turning shared ambition into durable capacity
SBA5.0 will bring institutions, collaborators, policymakers, industry leaders, and development organisations together around SynBio Africa’s next strategic chapter.
SynBio Africa Strategic Plan (2026–2031)
A roadmap for research, training, startup incubation, biosafety and biosecurity, pandemic preparedness, international collaboration, and policy dialogue.
SynBio Africa Corporate Fundraising Campaign
A campaign to mobilise financial and strategic partnerships for research initiatives, training, capacity building, innovation, and long-term implementation.
Center of Excellence in Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity (CoESBB)
A flagship initiative to strengthen research infrastructure, workforce training, innovation ecosystems, and biosafety governance across Africa.
Tour Ghana - African Culture
The gateway city
SBA5.0 will be hosted by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), University of Ghana, in Accra, Ghana. Arrive for science, stay for the culture.