LIVe2026 Congress - 20 years of Epithelix innovation in in vitro respiratory science

 8 - 9 October 2026 | ATU Galway City Campus (Ireland)

LIVe2026 is a unique international exchange platform bringing together scientists, industry professionals, and regulatory stakeholders to advance in vitro respiratory research. The congress focuses on cutting-edge predictive lung models, including ALI-reconstructed epithelia, organoids, precision-cut lung slices (PCLSs), and lung-on-a-chip systems using primary cells, iPSCs, and immune cells.

Key scientific themes:

• Modeling COPD/Asthma/IPF/CF/PCD in vitro
• Viral Infections
• Bacterial and Fungal Infections
• Inhalation Toxicity Testing
• Biological Barriers, MPS & Drug Delivery
• Regulatory considerations, Exposure Devices and Deposition Modelling
• Mucus, Surfactant, Cilia Functions and Modulations
• Think Different

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ENABLE On-Site Training for Organ-on-Chip technology

25. - 27. January 2027 | 3R-Center for In-vitro-Models and Alternatives to Animal Testing (Germany)

The STEP4NAMs ENABLE On-Site Training is coming to Tübingen! Are you an SME in the BioPharma or MedTech sector interested in exploring how Organ-on-Chip technology can support your R&D workflows? Mark your calendar for the first STEP4NAMs ENABLE On-Site Training at the 3R-Center for In-vitro-Models and Alternatives to Animal Testing in Tübingen, Germany. 
During this 2.5-day training, participants will gain practical insights into Organ-on-Chip technology, from microfabrication, material selection and cell seeding to fluidics, readout strategies and real-world applications.

Application Deadline: 19.10.2026

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ENABLE On-Site Training for bench-top simulation 

 26 November 2026, 09:30 – 16:30 | ATU Galway City Campus (Ireland)

The training was structured as a full-day programme combining introductory context, hands-on lab work, and applied strategy sessions. For participants:

• gain an overview of STEP4NAMs and ATU's Medical & Engineering Technologies (MET) Centre
• explore NAMs in the context of MedTech preclinical evaluation
• set up and operate vascular in vitro test systems
• navigate and deploy devices under real-time fluoroscopy imaging, including clot retrieval scenarios
• work with bioplotter-based fabrication to produce anatomically relevant vascular models
• develop 2D/planar navigation models and discuss how bench-top testing fits into regulatory development pipelines

Application Deadline: 28.10.2026

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13th Annual 3Rs Symposium: Innovative Uses for the 3Rs- Virtual + In-Person 

12. November 2026 (Virtual & In-Person) | University of Washington 3Rs Symposium - 8:00am-11:00am PT - Seattle Cancer Consortium's NAMs Symposium - 11:00am-5:00pm PT

Discover new ideas and approaches for advancing the 3Rs at this 4-day symposium. This year’s theme, Innovative Uses of the 3Rs, will bring together national and international experts to share creative solutions, emerging approaches, and practical examples of replacement, reduction, and refinement in action.

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Human-Specific Research Conference 

21 - 22 April 2027 | Crowne Plaza Newcastle

From Idea to Impact: Advancing Human-Specific Research as a Community

A new era in biomedical research is taking shape as the scientific community increasingly shifts towards research centred on human cells, human tissue, and human data. At the forefront of this shift are the scientists and groups actively pursuing the development and adoption of more effective, ethical, and human-relevant approaches. 

The Human Specific Research Conference will convene this growing interdisciplinary community to foster knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation across all areas of human-focused research.

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Advanced Innovation Challenges - Pilot

What is the EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges ?

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges aim to support high-risk, demand-driven deep tech innovation with transformative potential especially in areas where there is extensive research but lack of commercial uptake.  

This pilot aims to assess whether competitive, stage-gated support can accelerate the path to market for high-risk deep tech innovations, and whether early integration of demand-side actors can enhance the relevance, validation, and ultimately the uptake of breakthrough solutions. The pilot will provide evidence on whether these mechanisms lead to more efficient innovation cycles and broader market adoption than other instruments within Horizon Europe. 

The EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges are shaped and steered by EIC Programme Managers, in collaboration with users and ecosystem actors, to ensure strong alignment between cutting-edge science, demand, and policy priorities.

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2026 Challenge 2: Translating Disruptive New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into Practice

NAMs have the potential to replace, reduce or refine animal use in the testing of medicinal products. This Challenge competition therefore looks to accelerate the adoption of NAMs in biomedicine and support companies that want to bring NAMs to the market.

Watch Challenge introduction

A Moonshot for NAMs

Leveraging non-animal methods to position Europe as global leader in health research

Crafting a European Moonshot Strategy for NAMs - The BioMed21 Collaboration approach

The explanatory memorandum of the draft regulation establishing Horizon Europe for the 2028-2034 period outlines plans for moonshot projects, defining them as “projects with a strong scientific component, boosting EU-wide value creation and strategic autonomy” and organised around a “coherent sequence between research and innovation, demonstration, development and deployment, focusing efforts and funding, from the EU and national, public and private sector”. The memorandum provides an indicative list of possible moonshot projects and although transitioning biomedical research to NAMs is not one of them, the Commission proposes “investing in innovative therapies for human regeneration for healthier lives and a stronger economy” and “address diseases that have currently no cure”, as well as “developing and applying the world’s next generation AI”. Such projects can only be a success if the EU also invests substantially in human-centred NAMs.

Read full Policy Paper