Join me as we look back on the previous year for ESCMID with a few highlights from our activities during 2025 and what they mean for our Society. We have grown quite extraordinarily, and we are excited to share this wrap-up with you. Enjoy!

Science and Research

ESCMID expanded its efforts to fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by building bridges between science and policy. We organised the third edition of the AMR Science-Policy Forum in collaboration with the GLG at ESCMID Global. The AMR Action Subcommittee also participated in WAAW 2025 with a webinar series including support from WHO and the TAE. ESCMID has participated in the consultation process of the IPEA Zero draft document and in collaboration with the Global Strategy Lab published a policy brief on the IPEA Zero draft. You can see all of the reports, articles and links to the webinar recordings on our website.

This past year we successfully launched the weekly Epi Alert which is included in the ESCMID weekly news and highlights the latest developments in global health situations and recent outbreaks. In addition to this, the Emerging Infections Subcommittee published commentaries on special updates including MERS, avian influenza and Marburg virus. You can catch up on all of the previous alerts and special commentaries on our website.

The ESCMID Study Groups are a core activity of the Society and one of the major ways in which we support innovation and cutting-edge science. This past year the number of study groups has increased again to a total of 36, each with its own key topic area. Study Groups get access to additional funding and allow you to tap into a network of your peers for research support or education. Collectively, the Study Groups have produced over 110 educational webinars this year. We encourage you to join our Study Groups to support your career and connect with your colleagues around the globe.

Education

This past year we also launched the new ESCMID Media platform where past webinars, ESCMID Global sessions, conference material and more is stored and available for members to revisit at their leisure. The ESCMID Library also got a refresh this year improving your ability to find the abstracts, eposters, presentations, guidelines and publications you need.

We are very proud to have launched the first activities of the ESCMID Foundation for Education this year. The foundation is built on the principles of promoting science and education through the support of activities like blended courses and certificate programmes. One of the milestones this year was the launch of the AMS Certificate programme in Latin America tailored to the needs of the region. The foundation also initiated the Train the Trainers Fellowship supporting participation from Eastern European and low- or lower-middle-income countries in educational activities. The ESCMID Foundation for Education will continue to grow its offerings and support further education in CM and ID.

ESCMID is pleased to offer education outside of the standard scope including the new personal development courses designed to improve your leadership skills. The first of these courses were launched for our members this year with great feedback and testimonials that you can read on our Leadership Hub. Read more and register today for the next series taking place in the coming year.

Congress and Events

ESCMID Global met in Vienna, Austria this year with one of the most innovative structures and programmes to date.

The congress was extended by a full day with the inclusion of Education Friday which was a major success hosting an extra track of 30 sessions and special hands-on workshops. Pipeline Monday was another big change for the congress programme which highlighted innovation and the latest developments in the R&D pipeline.

The hands-on aspects continued throughout the event with the inclusion of the new ESCMID mobile lab bringing microscopy workshops to the congress and letting attendees explore parasitology and diagnostics in a more dynamic way.

There were other more subtle changes such as the development of personal recommendations with the support of machine learning allowing attendees to have a more personalised experience. Additionally, we organised the programme into different tracks to help participants find the sessions that are of interest to them.

While the congress evolved and pushed towards a new dynamic way of learning the heart of the event remains the same; educating, networking, innovating for a healthier tomorrow.

ESCIMD successfully relaunched the Vaccines Conference this year in Lisbon, Portugal partnering with the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID), the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Welcoming over 400 participants, the programme pushed the boundaries of vaccinology and explored all areas from development to implementation. All conference material is available on ESCMID Media and in the ESCMID Library to ESCMID members and conference participants.

Directly following the Vaccines Conference and just around the corner in Porto, Portugal, ESCMID and ESGEM hosted the 14th IMMEM conference. This long-standing meeting brought together researchers and explored the latest in epidemiology, genomics, bioinformatics and much more. All conference material is available on ESCMID Media and in the ESCMID Library to ESCMID members and conference participants.

Finally, ESCMID was pleased to co-organise the inaugural Global AMR Innovators Conference (GAMRIC) from 1-3 October in London, UK bringing together over 300 researchers, funders and innovators to discuss how we tackle the global crisis of AMR. A big thank you to our partners CARB-X, LifeArc, GARDP, BEAM Alliance, AMR Solutions and Boston University. The first edition was a huge success, and you can read the full conference round-up available on the website. Check it out, and we look forward to welcoming you to the next edition in Lisbon, Portugal from 22-24 September 2026.

Guidelines and Journals

ESCMID’s journal, Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI) continues to perform at the top of our categories showing that we are the home of cutting-edge science and research. This past year CMI organised a few new collections including the new “Reviews on research methods”. We also want to congratulate and thank Leonard Leibovici for his decade of service as the Editor-in-Chief for CMI. The journal has grown immensely over the years thanks to his constant efforts, innovative ideas and dedication to excellent publication standards. We look forward to seeing where we go from here under the guidance of the new Editor-in-Chief, Jesús Rodríguez-Baño.

Our open access journal, CMI Communications has had a busy second year. They have welcomed two new associate editors to the editorial board and will add a third in early 2026. Communicable, the journal’s companion podcast, continues to air two new episodes every two weeks and has reached over 27K downloads across 110 countries. Stay connected with us on BlueSky, LinkedIn, and Instagram.