While the life sciences sector has made impressive advancements this year, particularly in artificial intelligence, the industry’s real estate market has continued to encounter hurdles.

According to CBRE’s first-quarter report, 21.4% of life sciences spaces in CBRE’s top 13 U.S. markets — including Boston, San Francisco and San Diego — are sitting empty. The sector is also grappling with uncertainty, with over $9.5B in cuts to National Institutes of Health grants and proposed budget cuts as part of the Trump administration’s 2026 budget plan. These changes are leaving many scientists wondering what their futures hold.

In such times, it’s more important than ever for commercial real estate professionals working in life sciences to stay on top of trends, challenges and opportunities so that they can plan strategically and make decisions for their business.

A perfect place to do just that is at Bisnow’s third annual International Life Sciences Conference at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, where hundreds of life sciences CRE experts will gather to discuss the integration between real estate and biotech on Sept. 10 and 11.

Attendees will hear from more than 50 speakers across 10 panels, including a keynote from BioMed Realty CEO Timothy Schoen, and lay the groundwork for future deals during the conference’s ample networking breaks.

ILS will feature speakers from BioMed Realty, Oxford Properties Group, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Gilead Sciences, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Wexford Science & Technology, Breakthrough Properties, Trammell Crow Company, JLL and more.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Topics will include:

• Securing investment for biotech advancements

• Artificial intelligence in the biotech industry

• Building flexible lab spaces for the future

• Universities’ contribution to biotech growth

• What’s on the horizon for CRE life sciences

And more!

This year marks ILS’s first time on the West Coast. Planning an event of this magnitude was an exciting opportunity for Bisnow Director of West Coast Events and Operations Samantha D’Angelo and Bisnow Senior Event Producer Bora Altunay.

The choice to bring the event to San Diego this year was an intentional one, given San Diego’s strong biotech presence, said Altunay.

“It’s important for CRE professionals to be where the action is and gather with their peers,” D’Angelo said. “San Diego is one of the top global hubs for life sciences and has a thriving ecosystem with many life sciences companies and research institutions.”

Altunay said that attendees of the previous two ILS conferences can expect the same level of high-quality discussions from top industry thought leaders. This year’s event will have an emphasis not just on biotech, but also on the role AI will play in biotech research. Panels will also touch on how capital is being deployed into biotech.

As with all Bisnow events, attendees can expect dedicated time devoted to networking. However, this event will have a unique offering: a two-hour welcome cocktail reception on Sept. 9. This will allow attendees to meet fellow life sciences professionals and kick off dealmaking ahead of the two-day event.

Putting together the components of ILS involved extensive research across markets, including consulting life sciences experts to inform timely panel topics.

Both D’Angelo and Altunay hope attendees will leave the conference having built the foundation for their next deals and gained insights that will inform their decision-making in real time.

“Because this event is on a much larger scale than our regional events, it is a critical platform for people to get in the weeds of not just the life sciences sector but the broader biotech industry,” D’Angelo said.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend Bisnow’s International Life Sciences conference on Sept. 10 and 11. Click here to learn more.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.