From Central Office

From the President

It was both a great honor and a true pleasure to welcome so many of you to the 35th Regional ISBT Congress in the wonderful city of Milan. The success of this event reflects the strength of collaboration and our shared commitment to advancing transfusion medicine across the globe.

My warmest thanks go to Francesco Fiorin, President of SIMTI - the Italian Society of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology - and President of the Congress, for his leadership and to all our Italian colleagues for their vital partnership. Grazie mille!

I would also like to express my deep appreciation to Jason Acker, our Scientific Secretary, for his tireless work in shaping a truly excellent congress program, Jill Story and Cynthia So-Osman, our Vice Presidents, for curating an inspiring Academy Day; the Program and Local Organising Committees, whose commitment delivered a rich and high-quality scientific experience; Jenny White, our Executive Director and the ISBT Central Office team, for their unwavering support both front- and backstage.

Central to the success of our congress as well: our Working Parties, whose scientific expertise and collaborative energy are the backbone of ISBT; all those of you who submitted oral and poster presentations, contributing to the dynamic exchange of knowledge; and our Corporate Members, whose sustained support enables the vitality of our global mission.

Just before the Congress, the ISBT Board convened for a two-day strategic seminar, laying the foundations of our 2025–2030 strategic roadmap. We reflected on how our vision - “a world of safe and sufficient blood”— may evolve to meet today’s challenges. In addition to safety and availability of blood, we should now further emphasize appropriate use, quality, and equity of access—for all, everywhere.

While the full strategy will be shared later this year, I would like to highlight that the Board developed the new ISBT roadmap wanting to think big – embracing ambition to match the scale of the global transfusion challenges; think with others – fostering deeper synergies within ISBT and with external partners; think broadly – engaging with new frontiers such as innovative cellular therapies; and think globally – celebrating and integrating the diversity of our international community.

Our strategic priorities for the upcoming years will be centered around:

  • Global ISBT – strengthening our role as a global leader, addressing regional disparities and responding to the evolving needs of patients, donors, and blood systems;
  • Communities and Connections – deepening collaborations, investing in our Working Parties and nurturing the next generation of professionals;
  • Knowledge – promoting the generation, dissemination, and implementation of transfusion knowledge to improve care across all settings;
  • Sustainability – ensuring ISBT’s long-term strength through reimagined partnerships, investment in new technologies, and resource diversification.

These ambitions come at a time of immense global challenges—conflict, climate disruption, loss of trust, and erosion of mutual understanding. In this context, transfusion medicine has a unique and powerful role to play. Our field is one of the few in medicine that directly links healthy individuals, acting out of altruism, to patients whose lives depend on their generosity. It is a profound expression of human compassion, solidarity, and responsibility. ISBT is not just a regional society reaching out across borders—we are international in name, in mission, and in practice. We represent and serve the diversity, realities, and voices of all regions of the world.

Our strategy must therefore balance global goals with local realities—recognizing medical, economic, cultural, and organizational diversity while pursuing shared progress. Together, we are building a future where ISBT leads in transfusion science, equity, and education. A future where innovation is shared, excellence is implemented, and transfusion care is delivered safely, sufficiently, and appropriately—for both recipients and donors, everywhere.

As Working Party activities, webinars, and educational programs continue to thrive, we are excited to soon launch our new strategic plan for 2025–2030. And of course, we look forward to reconnecting at our upcoming ISBT Congresses in Perth (November 2025) and Kuala Lumpur (June 2026).

Thank you again for your support and engagement.

With my very best wishes,

Pierre Tiberghien, ISBT President

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