ESPCI 2023 will offer participants a great variety of interesting speakers and presentations! The programme focuses on 4 themes

• Hearing and the developing Brain (topics: indications, SSD, Vestibular function, ANSD, Bimodal/Bilateral, cognition, objective measures and etiology)
• Novel implants, therapies and fitting (topics: (robotic) surgery, image guided electrode choice, fitting, fitting EAS, imaging, vestibular implant, hearable devices, otogenetic/molecular therapies, artificial intelligence, Big data, personalized therapy)
• Growing up with CI (topics: Rehabilitation, Psychosocial development, education/career, quality of life, speech-language development, Daily CI use, sign language development, patient participation)
• Sustainable and green (topics: Economic issues, public health issues, global CI, sustainable care, green health care, spread and accessibility to technology)

Sustainability

Green is the color of our conference. Not only because it makes up two-thirds of the Rotterdam flag but mainly because we want this to be the greenest and most sustainable in-person conference in hearing up to date (overall, it is the VCCA virtual conference series). The ESPCI is the largest conference on cochlear implants for children, but that also means it has a huge impact on the environment. The large number of international professionals flying to the conference emits an extraordinary amount of CO₂ into our atmosphere. We, as the executive committee of ESPCI 2023, recognize the burden imposed on our environment and are proud to take the first steps towards a more sustainable conference.

Our efforts in short:

• Raise awareness of green and sustainable healthcare throughout the entire conference by emphasizing personal efforts
• Promotion of public transportation. Make use of our Eurostar discount offer!
• Free use of public transportation with the Rotterdam Welcome Card
• CO₂ compensation through tree planting
• Locally sourced catering
• Two inspiring green key-note speakers
• Multiple sessions on sustainable and green healthcare

Green context:

• Rotterdam, our host city, is taking sustainability very seriously
• The venue recently installed rooftop greenery and water retention system