EATRIS gathered in Prague this June for the latest meetings of the Board of Governors, National Directors and Platform Chairs, bringing the community together for strategic updates, scientific exchange and the closing chapter of the EATRIS-CZ Spotlight Programme.
Hosted in the historic setting of Kaiserstein Palace, the meetings provided an opportunity to reflect on recent progress across the infrastructure, discuss shared priorities for the year ahead, and celebrate the contribution of the Czech Republic as the latest country to be in the EATRIS Spotlight. The programme concluded with an official handover to Italy, which now takes forward the next chapter of the Spotlight Programme.
Czech Republic Concludes its Spotlight Cycle
The Czech Republic Spotlight focused on the theme “Precision and Personalised Health – from Discovery to Patient”, highlighting the role of EATRIS-CZ in advancing translational medicine, precision health, biomarker development, therapeutic innovation, AI-driven biomedical research and the integration of national research infrastructures across the translational pipeline.
The final Spotlight event brought together the EATRIS community in Prague for a full programme showcasing national expertise across therapeutic innovation, diagnostics, multiomics, biomedical data and research infrastructure collaboration. Sessions explored topics including drug repurposing strategies in cancer therapy, polymeric therapeutics, vaccine development, molecular imaging, early diagnostics, HPV biomarkers, the Czech Multiome Project, rare diseases infrastructure, cancer research collaboration, EOSC-CZ, ELIXIR-CZ and artificial intelligence applications in translational medicine.
Board Meetings Focus on Strategy, Sustainability and Community
Across the Prague meetings, EATRIS members discussed key scientific highlights from the first half of 2026, including updates on PerMed and ATMPs, the REMEDi4ALL Repurposing Database, EATRIS-CONNECT, innovation management and recent proposals. The National Directors and Platform Chairs also heard a presentation from the Slovakian Node and took part in community discussions on node governance and strategic sustainability, powered by EATRIS-CONNECT.
The combined session of National Directors, Platform Chairs and Board of Governors included updates on the EATRIS Strategic Plan development, the 2025 EATRIS Annual Report, the strategic value of EATRIS and the draft Community Code of Conduct. Participants also joined a community-building session around the award-winning drug repurposing board game – REPURPOLIS, supporting exchange and collaboration across the network. The Board of Governors meeting continued this strategic focus on the final day.
A Memorable Prague Programme
Alongside the formal meetings, the Czech hosts created opportunities for the EATRIS community to experience the city. EATRIS Czech Governor, Judita Klosakova, offered us a walking tour through Prague, providing a welcome chance to continue conversations while exploring one of Europe’s most historic capitals.
The Spotlight programme concluded with a Gala Dinner at the Rudolfinum, home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The evening brought participants together for food and networking in one of Prague’s most iconic cultural landmarks, providing a memorable close to the Czech Republic’s time in the Spotlight.
EATRIS warmly thanks the Czech Node for hosting the Board meetings and Spotlight final event, and for showcasing the strength, breadth and ambition of the Czech translational medicine ecosystem.
With the Spotlight now officially handed over to Italy to explore inclusion and equity in medicine and biomedical research, EATRIS looks forward to the next bi-annual gathering in Rome and to the continued development of the Spotlight programme as a platform for national visibility, community building and cross-border collaboration. To learn more and stay up to date with the Italian Spotlight Programme, visit the EATRIS-Italy webpage.
