Breaking boundaries in kidney care: The 62nd ERA Congress comes to Vienna
Game changers in nephrology
This year's motto, Game Changers in Nephrology, reflects ERA's commitment to exploring groundbreaking innovations in kidney health. Seven main tracks will guide the program, ranging from chronic kidney disease and dialysis to transplantation and critical care nephrology. More than 250 international speakers will contribute to an ambitious program of plenary lectures, symposia, hands on courses, and creative labs.
ERA's Scientific Committee ensures a high standard of academic excellence while promoting gender balance, professional diversity, and geographical representation.
A congress that lives its values
ERA25 is striving to be certified as a Green Meeting in accordance with the Austrian Ecolabel for Green Events. To reach this ambitious goal, a comprehensive range of sustainability measures will be implemented from reusable decorations and eco-friendly badge holders to vegetarian catering and paperless materials. Hotels for staff and faculty are located within walking distance of the venue, and attendees are encouraged to travel also by train thanks to their cooperation with the ÖBB Congress Account.
One highlight of ERA25's environmental engagement is its support via a donation for the DonauCleanUp initiative. This project - part of the wider RhineCleanUp network - mobilizes volunteers to remove plastic waste from the banks of the Danube, helping to prevent pollution from entering the world's oceans. In recent years, over 100,000 volunteers have collected more than 1.5 tons of waste, primarily plastic. By partnering with this initiative, ERA emphasizes the close connection between environmental and human health: healthy rivers, healthy kidneys.
Accessibility is also a key value: live interpretation in seven languages, a prayer room, a nursery, and affordable delegate categories help create an inclusive environment. Students, young nephrologists, and participants from low-income countries are actively encouraged to join.
Legacy projects: Leaving an impact in Vienna
In cooperation with the Vienna Convention Bureau, ERA25 goes beyond the traditional congress format with two impactful initiatives designed to create a lasting impact in Vienna and raise public awareness of kidney health.
- Kidney School Project: In collaboration with local nephrologists, six school classes from three Viennese schools already took part in workshops on kidney function and health in Mid-May. The students then visualized what they had learned in a creative group project. Out of the six unique artworks, which will be presented during the entire duration of the ERA Congress, one will be selected by the Congress participants as the winning one and will feature on the cover of the international nephrology journal NDT. Each participating school also receives a €1,000 prize to support health education initiatives which will be handed over to a school representative by the ERA President during the closing session of the Congress. This early outreach reflects ERA’s commitment to education and prevention, reaching future generations well before the start of the actual congress.
- Free Kidney Screenings: On 5 and 6 June 2025 (9:30 am to 5.30 pm), a mobile kidney screening truck will be stationed at the entrance of the Austria Center Vienna. Organized in cooperation with the Austrian Society of Nephrology, the initiative offers free kidney health checks to the general public. It aims to encourage early detection and raise awareness about kidney function - underlining the congress motto to go beyond nephrology.
These initiatives highlight ERA's long-term vision to raise awareness and promote kidney health not only among professionals but across society.
A congress beyond nephrology
Attendees can also look forward to events that merge science, culture, and wellbeing: the Sounds and Science Concert, hosted by the Austrian Society of Nephrology, will combine musical performance with medical storytelling, while the Renal Run on 5 June offers a refreshing start to the day in Vienna's Donaupark.
With over 28,000 active members, the European Renal Association (ERA) is one of the largest and most influential nephrology societies worldwide. As a leading voice in European nephrology and a key player among European medical associations, ERA organises an annual congress as well as numerous educational and scientific events throughout the year. Its mission is to reduce the global burden of kidney disease by supporting both basic and clinical research in nephrology, dialysis and kidney transplantation.
"It is with immense joy that the ERA Congress is once more returning to Vienna, the city within Europe that has seen most of its annual Congresses since its creation in 1963. This seems like the perfect location to launch these new projects, never held before, regarding legacy and screening. We are very grateful to the Vienna Convention Bureau, the authorities of the City of Vienna and, last but certainly not least, the excellent support by the Austrian Society of Nephrology and the many trainees who have supported such initiatives that hopefully, after this year’s Congress, will become one of ERA's well-known features", says Monica Fontana, Executive Director der ERA.
