Immediately following Advanced Therapies Europe (ATE) 2026, TALA’s life sciences PR team worked with client and conference organisers Phacilitate to highlight the stark warning that came out of the event: Europe must address persistent barriers to commercialisation, reimbursement, manufacturing scale-up and patient access if it is to maintain its position as a global leader in cell and gene therapy (CGT).
During Phacilitate ATE 2026, it became clear that the sector’s greatest challenge is no longer scientific innovation alone. A growing consensus of industry leaders, investors, regulators and therapy developers pointed to the need for safer and stronger regulatory, funding and commercial frameworks that can enable promising therapies to reach patients more quickly, efficiently and at scale.
TALA’s Andrew Baud was on the ground meeting with some of the 90 speakers, attending dedicated debates and creating media opportunities around the practical changes needed to strengthen Europe’s position as a global leader in advanced therapies.
Now in its 23rd year, Phacilitate ATE 2026 offered a unique environment for stakeholders from across the advanced therapies ecosystem to examine how Europe can convert world-class research into sustainable commercial success at a time of increasing competition from the US and Asia.
Four key shifts emerging from Phacilitate ATE 2026:
Commercial readiness is the sector’s next big test
As advanced therapies move closer to mainstream adoption, discussions focused on the need to scale out manufacturing, secure reimbursement and strengthen supply chains.
Europe must reform if it wants to capitalise on its scientific leadership
Speakers highlighted persistent obstacles including funding constraints, reimbursement uncertainty, regulatory fragmentation, manufacturing complexity and challenges in generating clinical data. The consensus was that Europe’s biggest challenge is no longer producing innovation but creating an ecosystem capable of translating breakthroughs into commercially successful therapies.
Patient access takes centre stage as the industry’s defining priority
The real challenge, and opportunity, lies in ensuring transformative therapies reach patients with serious, rare and underserved conditions, making access an increasingly important benchmark for the sector’s future success.
Leadership as a critical differentiator in an era of uncertainty
Boardroom decisions and organisational culture are becoming increasingly influential in determining how effectively companies capitalise on new scientific breakthroughs.
The challenge for Europe
Europe has all the ingredients needed to lead the next generation of advanced therapies, from world-class science and manufacturing capabilities to a thriving clinical research ecosystem. However, looking ahead, delegates warned that leadership cannot be taken for granted.
As global investment and innovation intensify, Europe must address regulatory, reimbursement and market access challenges that continue to slow progress. The consensus in Barcelona was clear: the future success of advanced therapies will be defined not by scientific breakthroughs alone, but by Europe’s ability to translate innovation into timely patient access.
The Pharma Letter was one of the first media organisations to report Phacilitate’s warning to the industry, and you can read more here.