29 September 2026
13:00 - 18:00
Fondation Universitaire, Brussels, Belgium
With more than 10 million procedures performed annually in Europe, nuclear medicine plays a vital role in modern healthcare, from early cancer detection to targeted therapies that are transforming patient care. Yet despite its profound impact, nuclear medicine remains insufficiently understood by the public, policymakers, and even within the broader healthcare community.
Raising awareness about the benefits of nuclear medicine is essential to improving patient access, securing sustainable funding, attracting the next generation of professionals, and ensuring that innovation reaches those who need it most.
That is why we are launching the European Nuclear Medicine Day, an annual event dedicated to bringing the benefits, challenges, and potential of nuclear medicine into focus. Through this initiative, we aim to strengthen collaboration with policymakers, healthcare systems, patient organisations, and the public, and to ensure that nuclear medicine receives the recognition and support it deserves in shaping the future of healthcare in Europe and beyond.
Programme
13:15 – 13:25
Welcome & Opening Remarks
This opening segment will set the scene for the afternoon, framing the key challenges related to patient access to nuclear medicine across Europe. It will introduce the main themes of the event, highlight priority areas for action, and position Nuclear Medicine Day within the broader European policy context.
Prof. Dr. Paola Anna Erba
EANM President
Mart-Jan Blauwhoff
Nuclear Medicine Europe President
13:25 – 13:45
Policy Keynote
Securing equitable access to nuclear medicine across Europe
Speaker TBC
TBC
TBC
13:45 – 14:00
Patient Keynote
Testimony: Living the access gap
This keynote will bring the patient perspective to the forefront, highlighting the real-life impact of unequal and delayed access to nuclear medicine across Europe.
Through a personal testimony, the session will illustrate how disparities in availability, reimbursement, and healthcare systems translate into concrete challenges for patients, underlining the urgent need for more coordinated European action.
Dr. Erik Briers
Europa Uomo (Belgium)
14:00 – 14:45
Panel Discussion
Regulatory integration: Making innovation reach patients faster
Ensuring that innovation in healthcare effectively reaches patients across Europe remains a key challenge. This session will explore how better regulatory integration and coordination can help reduce delays, address fragmentation, and ensure more equitable access to advanced diagnostics and therapies.
Starting from a concrete case study, the discussion will highlight where current processes create bottlenecks and how EU-level and national frameworks could be better aligned.
Chair: Dr. Konrade von Bremen, Nuclear Medicine Europe Vice President and Treasurer
Format: Moderated panel discussion, preceded by brief introductory remarks from each panellist.
Prof. Dr. Marianne Patt
Head of Radiopharmacy, University Hospital Augsburg (Germany)
Dr. Anne-Leen Deleu
Nuclear Medicine Physician, Jules Bordet Institute (Belgium)
Dr. Sibylle Jennings
Global Therapeutic Area Lead Radioligand Therapy, Novartis (Switzerland)
Representative from DG SANTE (TBC)
Vanessa Fradin-Da Ros
Scientific Administrator
European Medicines Agency
14:45 – 15:15
Coffee break
15:15 - 16:00
Panel Discussion
Building Europe's Nuclear Medicine capacity: infrastructure & security of supply
As nuclear medicine continues to expand rapidly across Europe, ensuring sufficient infrastructure and a secure supply of radioisotopes is becoming increasingly critical. This session will explore key capacity gaps and structural challenges, and discuss how coordinated European action can support sustainable growth in the field.
Through a series of short, targeted interventions followed by a panel discussion, speakers will highlight concrete bottlenecks and outline priorities for EU-level support and collaboration.
Chair: Prof. Dr. Wim Oyen, Professor of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy, Milan Humanitas University (Italy)
Format: 3 lightning talks followed by a panel discussion.
Prof. Dr. Karoline Goffin
Professor of Nuclear Medicine, UZ Leuven (Belgium)
Diagnostic and therapeutic capacity
Sébastien Linard
Radioisotope Strategy Director EMEA, Telix Pharmaceuticals (Belgium)
High cost and time of specialised facility requirements
Erich Kollegger
CEO at Institut National des Radioéléments (Belgium)
Radioisotope supply chain vulnerability
Dr. Margarida Goulart
European Commission
Head of Unit for Euratom Coordination, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (Belgium)
Georgi Simeonov
European Commission
Directorate for Energy
16:00 - 16:45
Workforce Roundtable
Europe's Nuclear Medicine Workforce: Crisis or opportunity? An informal conversation between healthcare professionals and regulators
With growing demand for nuclear medicine across Europe, the availability of a skilled and sustainable workforce is becoming a decisive factor for the future of the field. This roundtable will explore whether Europe is facing a workforce crisis, or a unique opportunity to rethink training, mobility, and skills development.
Building on the latest evidence and perspectives from both healthcare professionals and policymakers, the discussion will focus on how to strengthen the talent pipeline and adapt to emerging needs such as theranostics and advanced imaging.
Chair: Prof. Dr. Paola Anna Erba, EANM President
Format: Moderated panel discussion, preceded by brief introductory remarks from each panellist.
Dr. Desirée Deandreis
Head of Nuclear Medicine, Gustave Roussy (France)
Mario Malinconico
Scientific Leader, Comecer (Italy)
Roberta Cirillo
Project Manager, European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) (Belgium)
Dr. Gabriel Pavel
Director General, European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN) (Belgium)
Member of the European Parliament
(TBC)
16:45 – 16:55
Joint Call to Action
Towards a European Access Roadmap for Nuclear Medicine
This concluding segment will present the first set of joint recommendations developed by EANM and Nuclear Medicine Europe, aimed at improving patient access to nuclear medicine across Europe.
Looking ahead to 2026–2027, the session will outline key priorities for coordinated European action, including workforce development, regulatory alignment, and strategic investment to support the sustainable growth of the field.
Prof. Dr. Paola Anna Erba
EANM
Dr. Konrade von Bremen
Nuclear Medicine Europe
16:55 – 17:00
Closing Remarks
Towards the establishment of a European Nuclear Medicine Day
This concluding segment will present the first set of joint recommendations developed by EANM and Nuclear Medicine Europe, aimed at improving patient access to nuclear medicine across Europe.
Looking ahead to 2026–2027, the session will outline key priorities for coordinated European action, including workforce development, regulatory alignment, and strategic investment to support the sustainable growth of the field.
Prof. Dr. Paola Anna Erba, EANM
Mart-Jan Blauwhoff, Nuclear Medicine Europe
17:00 – 18:00
Networking Cocktail
Organisation
The organising committee is composed of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), the industry association Nuclear Medicine Europe and their dedicated Communications Working Groups.
