Dear colleagues, friends, and members of the ESAIC community,

As we look back on 2024, we are proud to share some highlights from a year that has brought growth, renewal, and progress across our Society.

This year, we continued to build on the foundations laid in recent years, with a strong focus on uniting anaesthesiologists and intensive care professionals through science, innovation, education, research, advocacy, and collaboration. At the heart of everything we do is our community, and 2024 has once again shown the power of collective effort and shared purpose.

Membership across ESAIC grew again in 2024, with a 10% increase overall. We saw growth in every category, with Germany in particular standing out—perhaps a reflection of the success of Euroanaesthesia in Munich.

Education remains central to our mission. In 2024, we produced ten webinars—viewership increased by 39%—and launched new formats, including podcasts and interactive quizzes. Our Train-the-Trainer programme returned with great success, and we continue to explore new ways to support lifelong learning. Our Patient Safety Ambassadors initiative gained strong visibility at Euroanaesthesia and is now generating interest from national societies seeking to implement it at a local level.

On the research side, we closed several long-standing projects and continued to support clinical trials and guidelines development. Five new guidelines were published this year, thanks to the dedication of our teams and volunteers. We’re proud to have secured new research funding, and we welcomed a new methodologist to strengthen our internal expertise. These steps ensure that we remain a trusted contributor to clinical excellence and evidence-based practice.

The examinations team achieved record numbers in 2024, with over 4,000 candidates for Part I of the EDAIC and 1,550 for Part II. We also saw 2,000 participants in (H)OLA. These achievements reflect the global reputation of our examinations and the tremendous effort of the team, especially during the transition to a new exam provider.

Euroanaesthesia remains a cornerstone of our identity and our most visible platform for collaboration. The 2024 congress in Munich was a great success, with strong feedback from attendees, new initiatives like the Innovation Village, and a vibrant presence from national and international partners.

Beyond these flagship activities, ESAIC continues to take part in key European projects and advocacy work. Our White Paper is nearing completion, and we look forward to sharing it as part of our broader advocacy strategy in the year to come.

All of this progress would not be possible without the dedication of our teams—staff, members, and volunteers—who work tirelessly behind the scenes. We are especially grateful to everyone who gives their time and energy to help ESAIC thrive. Investing in our people remains a key priority, and in 2025 we will continue to focus on development, innovation, and collaboration.

As we move forward, we remain guided by the same principles: advancing patient care, supporting our community, and ensuring that ESAIC continues to lead the way in science, education, and advocacy in Europe and beyond.

Thank you for your trust, support, and shared commitment to our mission.

Sincerely,

Wolfgang Buhre and Cathy Weynants,

ESAIC President and CEO