16th Trends in Brewing – Innovations in products and processes

Leuven | The International Symposium 16th Trends in Brewing will take place from 6 until 9 April 2025 in Leuven. This edition is co-organized with the J. De Clerck Chair XIX. The general theme is 'Innovations in Products and Processes' with 4 thematic sessions on NABs, malt & wort production, yeast & hops and AI.

The venue is located in the renowned historical centre of Leuven. This symposium is jointly organized by KU Leuven, TU Berlin, University of Nottingham, Oregon State University, the Italian Brewing Research Centre and Ghent University. The 16th edition of Trends in Brewing is co-organized with the J. De Clerck Chair XIX, which focusses on the education for the malting and brewing sector on scientific and technical developments.

The theme of this 16th edition is 'Innovations in Products and Processes' and it goes back to the basics of the Trends in Brewing symposia focusing on innovations in the technical aspects of malting and brewing sciences going from ingredient over process to final product with the ultimate aim to produce premium quality beers.

Thematic sessions

The lectures will be organized into 4 thematic sessions encompassing the whole value chain:

1. Non-alcoholic beers (NABs): This session focuses on non-alcoholic beers since their market share is steadily growing and their development is a prime focus of many breweries.
2. Malt and wort production: This session broadly targets research and developments in barley, malt and wort production but also the use of alternative grains.
3. Yeast and hops: This session focuses on innovations in beer yeast such as yeast breeding and microbial communities and the newest insights in hop breeding and hop-derived thiols.
4. Artificial intelligence and Machine learning: New technologies like AI and ML are important drivers for technology in many industrial sectors and applications. Also in the malting and brewing sector, AI and ML are gaining traction. In this session, the attendees will be submerged in theoretical and applied aspects and the ongoing research in different application areas.

Each session will start with a keynote lecture by an expert in the field to give an overview of the newest research and innovations. The following experts will participate in the symposium as keynote speakers:

• Opening lecture: Paul Lefebvre, CEO Brasserie Lefebvre and president of EBC;
• NAB: David De Schutter, Global Vice President of GITEC AB InBev;
• Malt and wort production: Birgitte Skadhauge and Michael Jakob, VPs Carlsberg;
• Yeast and hops: Amparo Querol, Director CSIC;
• AI and ML: Jens Bürger, manager Leuven.AI institute.

The Trends in Brewing symposium is aimed at bringing together malting and brewing researchers, scientists, and technologists from universities, companies and institutes to provide a unique international platform for sharing new ideas and discovering promising trends and developments in malt and beer production. Scientific findings and technological advances will be presented through invited lectures, peer-reviewed lectures and posters, in combination with an extensive technical exhibition. The symposium will also allow to visit local breweries to get acquainted with the technicalities of brewing Belgian beers. By combining the scientific program with a variety of social events, the 16th Trends in Brewing will be a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and contacts, and to consolidate continuous efforts for innovation in malting and brewing.

What better place to immerse yourself in the innovations in malting and brewing than a country whose beer culture is listed as UNESCO Cultural Heritage? We hope to see you in April in Leuven! For more detailed information and the latest updates on the 16th edition of Trends in Brewing, please visit: trendsinbrewing.org/. The registrations are open till March 23rd via the same website.