As we draw nearer to many important dates in the ECR 2025 timeline, I would like to take this opportunity to share the vision and outlook for our upcoming congress.
Significant changes are currently taking place across the globe and we, as radiologists, find that our duties increasingly extend not only to our patients, but also to our planet. We face challenges in sustainability, society and science that must be addressed to ensure the advancement of our profession, and the advancement of the world we live in. With its theme of ECR 2025, ‘Planet Radiology’, I hope to inspire radiologists to work together in overcoming these challenges.
With the effects of climate change now starker than ever, the question of sustainability looms large for the medical imaging community. Implementing more environmentally friendly practices is a challenge that many radiology departments and industry partners currently face. We hope that next year’s congress will offer an initial blueprint to radiologists, a roadmap on how they can make these changes, taking inspiration from a huge variety of experts, innovations and ongoing projects that are leading the way towards a more sustainable future in imaging. As a first step, we are pleased to announce a new partnership with the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) for ECR 2025. Through this agreement, congress attendees will be eligible for a 10% discount on international rail journeys and a 20% discount on Austrian rail journeys to the congress, as well as special rates of ÖBB Nightjets. I hope you will consider taking advantage of this offer, which will be available from September onwards, to reduce your carbon emissions and travel in style to next year’s congress. Watch this space for more sustainability-related announcements for the congress.
But ‘Planet Radiology’ is not only about our environmental footprints in radiology, and the pursuit of green practices. It is also a call for our community to consider the concept of planetary health. Across the world, we see a huge imbalance in society in the delivery of basic healthcare services. This disparity in health equity is one that must be addressed by all healthcare stakeholders, including radiologists. At ECR 2025, we will stress the urgency of this global health equity crisis, whilst shining a light on members of the medical imaging community who are working to end it through innovative and inspiring initiatives.
Finally, ‘Planet Radiology’ also encompasses the challenges and opportunities in science that can help shape our future. Artificial intelligence and big data are redefining medical imaging and at an exceptional pace. Technological advancements have the potential to improve sustainability, global health equity and patient outcomes in extraordinary ways. As crucial stakeholders in new technology, it is vital that radiologists support innovations in our field to enhance ‘Planet Radiology’ and planet Earth together.
At ECR 2025, we will explore all of these themes and much more. With a scientific and educational programme complete with sessions in both familiar and fresh formats, ‘Planet Radiology’ will truly burst into life on February 26-March 2 in Vienna.
