By all measures, Euretina Innovation Spotlight (EIS) 2025, held on Wednesday afternoon, September 3, showed that the meeting has continued to grow and become a cornerstone of the EURETINA Meeting.
EIS is an engaging and dynamic platform for collaboration, learning, and networking for all parties interested in retinal innovation. Opening the meeting, EURETINA President, Dr. Anat Loewenstein expressed her excitement to welcome everyone to the third EIS.
“This is a very special meeting, incorporating ideas, talks, and discussions from industry, thought leaders, and clinicians, and I am sure we will all learn a lot,” Dr. Loewenstein said.
She added, “Another very important aspect of EIS is the opportunity for networking between representatives from industry, clinicians, researchers, and the whole community.” Dr. Loewenstein then welcomed Dr. Kourous Rezaei to the podium.
Speaking on behalf of the EIS Organising Committee, Dr. Rezaei noted that EIS 2025 is showcasing cutting edge retina innovations from around the world. Attendees at the meeting represent around 40 companies, 50 thought leaders, and 800 registrants.
Dr. Rezaei thanked EIS keynote speaker, Jane Mosely, Senior Scientific Officer at the EMA, members of the investor panel, and the meeting’s industry sponsors. Before turning the programme over to the moderators for the first session, Dr Rezaei took the opportunity to invite everyone to EIS 2026 that will take place on September 30, 2026 in Vienna, Austria.
The EIS programme was divided into multiple sessions covering all aspects of innovation in the field of retina, including non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration, VEGF-related and other retinal indications, inherited and rare retinal diseases, retinal surgery and imaging. These sessions included presentations by more than 30 high-level executives from biotech, device, and pharmaceutical companies around the world who provided updates on their company’s current research and future plans for development of products that encompass medical/biological therapies, gene therapies, diagnostic and surgical devices, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based applications. Each session concluded with time allocated for audience questions and expert discussion by a panel comprised of company executives and retina specialists.
During the Investor Panel, representatives from renowned venture capital firms answered questions aimed at eliciting the factors their company considers when judging investment opportunities in the field of retina. The panelists also shared advice for biotech companies seeking venture capital support.
EIS 2025 also saw the introduction of a quick-fire session giving representatives from emerging biotech companies an opportunity to describe their cutting-edge innovations in a very brief, 2-minute presentation. The featured companies are focusing on novel approaches for gene therapy, sustained release/durable delivery of biologics, topical non-invasive application of medications for retinal diseases, and the application of artificial intelligence for visual function endpoints.
Dr Nicole Eter, EURETINA President Elect, delivered closing remarks. Reflecting on EIS 2025, she commented that the programme was a tremendous learning experience and evidence that innovation in retina is no longer just a pipeline but an area of ongoing progress.
Dr Eter also extended her thanks to all participants and the EIS organisers.
“We are entering a new era in retinal care, and this innovation cannot happen in isolation.
Innovation needs collaboration, it needs researchers, clinicians, industry partners, and regulators, and we brought them all together here in what I think this was really an inspiring day,” she said.
“To our esteemed speakers, thank you for sharing your work and your vision, and to the organisers, especially, Kourous, Anat, and Dara, thanks for this really great programme.”
Thanking attendees, Dr Eter said, “Your questions really brought forward the discussions and showed us what really matters and what interests you.”
After thanking the EIS industry sponsors and inviting all in attendance to EIS 2026 in Vienna, Dr. Eter asked everyone to continue the discussion at a networking reception.
A special thanks to all of our sponsors, listed below.
