Dear friends,

We are eager to welcome you to our EAACI Hybrid Annual Congress 2021 where together we will focus on “Harmonizing Research and Patient care in Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology”.

Our motto this year focuses on one of the overarching aims of our academy: ensuring standardization in our field across the globe, thereby facilitating knowledge mobility and providing the best degree of care to our patients worldwide.

We have the tools to enable this, ensuring that EAACI guidelines are implemented in clinical and research centres cross-country, advocating for consistency in policies and fostering the allergy specialty to build a dedicated workforce to tackle allergic diseases and asthma.

New means towards this will be presented at the Congress such as the EAACI Research an Outreach Network: a way to navigate through complex European regulations, limited funding opportunities, challenges in data gathering and overall quality control that will prove the position of EAACI as the global leader in promoting and supporting Research and Development.

In addition, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has all the more emphasized the need for a harmonized approach towards healthcare worldwide, and has highlighted the challenges faced by different countries, whether it be in terms of resources or the strength and preparedness of each national plan. In addition to pursuing these goals, the congress will also be the perfect opportunity to discuss how the pandemic has impacted our field and the ways to deal with these challenges.

The Congress’ new flexible format will enable us to build on the successful digital experience of EAACI Congress 2020: safeguarding your well-being and facilitating your participation wherever in the world you are based, while at the same time providing you access to valuable discussions within  our community.

The physical part of the Congress will be organised in the city of Krakow (Poland), selected for its suitability to our new format and accessibility. I am extremely honoured to welcome you to my country, in the ancient capital of Poland and one of the first UNESCO world heritage sites rich with architecture across the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque epochs and home to one of the eldest universities in the world.

Previously planned to be held in Madrid, our Congress will retain its Spanish flavour thanks to the incredible work done on the scientific programme by our Scientific Committee. Our hybrid congress will benefit from the collaboration and joint contributions of the Spanish Local Organising Committee and the EAACI Scientific Programme Committee, and the Polish Society of Allergology.

Thanks to this joint endeavour, we will dive deep into the field of allergy and clinical immunology, through a cross-cutting Congress that uses new technologies and spreads beyond borders.

We look forward to seeing you in Krakow and online!