At EURETINA 2026 in Vienna, the international retina community marks a landmark evolution in global scientific exchange with the official launch of the World Retina @ Euretina initiative. Grounded at the World Retina Plaza stage, this new four-day format brings together 35 international organizations and national societies, representing a global community spanning more than 140 countries.

Historically hosted as a standalone, single-day event held every two years, the World Retina initiative has been expanded into an integral, continuous centerpiece running throughout the entirety of the congress. This shift reflects unprecedented demand and active participation from ophthalmology and retina societies across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Africa.

Highlighting the strategic vision behind this evolution, EURETINA President Prof. Nicole Eter noted:

“World Retina Day used to be a single day event held every two years. The response from retina societies from all over the world was so strong that in Vienna, for the first time, World Retina @ EURETINA runs across all four congress days. Societies from Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Africa and Europe are each bringing their own symposia, and there is dedicated space between sessions for networking and exchange. This new format changes the character of the collaboration. Our partners are no longer just guests with a time slot; they are co-hosts of a shared international programme.

Patient organisations are part of the change too — on Saturday we hold our first joint session with Retina International. Alongside the congress I will also meet the presidents of our partner societies to discuss how we build on this together.”

A Global Scientific Agenda at the World Retina Plaza

Located at the main hub of the congress, the dedicated World Retina Plaza stage serves as the central focal point for cross-border knowledge exchange, clinical insights, and pipeline discussions. Across 4 days of targeted programming, partner societies lead dedicated symposia highlighting regional breakthroughs, complex case studies, and surgical techniques.

Key participating international and regional bodies featured on the World Retina Plaza program include:

• The Americas & Global: American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), Canadian Retina Society, Ecuadorian VR Society, Mexican Retina Association, and Retina World Congress.
• Asia-Pacific & Middle East: Asia-Pacific Vitreo-Retina Society (APVRS), Japanese Retina & Vitreous Society, Vitreoretinal Society of India, Korean Retina Society, Retina Society of Singapore, Malaysian Society of Ophthalmology, Taiwan Retina Society, Egyptian VR Society, and the German-Arab Society of Ophthalmology.
• Europe & Africa: African Retina Society, FLORetina, GIVRE (Italy), SFO (France), BEAVRS (UK), Ukrainian Ophthalmology Society, and the Turkish Ophthalmic Association.

In addition to scientific symposia, the schedule builds in dedicated inter-session breaks designed specifically to encourage informal networking, peer discussions, and international research collaborations directly at the Plaza.

Elevating the Patient Voice & Strategic Leadership

A core component of the expanded initiative is its inclusive approach to patient-centric care. On Saturday, 3 October, the World Retina Plaza hosts a milestone joint session with Retina International, titled “Fostering Retinal Innovation in Europe Through Structured Collaboration”. This session connects clinical experts, researchers, and patient advocates to address regulatory pathways, early diagnosis, and access to novel retinal therapeutics.

Parallel to the scientific program, EURETINA leadership is convening high-level bilateral meetings with the presidents of participating global societies. These executive roundtables aim to establish long-term frameworks for shared educational resources, cross-border research grants, and unified clinical guidelines across the global vitreoretinal landscape.