#EBW26 Live: Closing ceremony  

The Europe Biobank Week (EBW) Congress, jointly organised between BBMRI-ERIC (the European Research Infrastructure for Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources in Health and Life Science) and ESBB (the European, African and Middle Eastern Society for Biopreservation and Biobanking) officially closed at the Prague Congress Centre in Prague, Czech Republic on 22 May 2026.   

This year’s Congress united over 750 biobankers, researchers, industry specialists and decision-makers from 50 countries across the life sciences to discuss the latest innovative research and industry developments.  

Prof. Jens K. Habermann, Director General at BBMRI-ERIC and Dipl.-Ing. Roland Leiminger, President ESBB and Prof. Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz chaired the closing ceremony and award session.  

#EBW27 

It was announced, to great applause, that the congress will take place in Lausanne from 18-21 May. Will you join us?  

Awards in full  

Poster Award winners 

• Topic: 5C: Tools and processes for quality implementation and use cases. Title: Impact of plasma separation techniques on extracellular vesicle analysis. Presenter name: Marta Truffi. 

• Topic: 5A: Building excellence: Developing skills for future biobanking. Title: Dutch biobank course for professionals. Presenter name: Peggy Manders 

• Topic: 8C: Mastering pre-analytics: Key to reliable biobanking and biomedical research. Title: Beyond biomarkers: Modular proficiency testing for liquid biobanking reveals persistent pre-analytical variability. Presenter name: Sven Heiling 

Poster Award sponsored by Azenta Life Sciences  

• Dr. Markus Albertini, Senior Director 

QM Award winners 

• BBMRI.de, Lungenbiobank Heidelberg 

• BBMRI.de, DZIF Tissue Bank Heidelberg 

• BBMRI.it, Human Genetics Laboratory Biobank 

• BBMRI.it, Biobanca BMS 

• BBMRI.de, Central Biobank Charité – ZeBanC 

• BBMRI.de, Central Biobank Erlangen – CeBE 

• BBMRI.de, Augsburg Central Biobank – ACBB  

• BBMRI.de, Leipzig Medical Biobank – LMB 

• BBMRI.se, Region Skånes Biobank 

• BBMRI.it, Biobanca BioCor IRCCS Policlinico San Donato 

• BBMRI.it, Centro Risorse Biologiche – Ospedale San Raffaele – CRB-OSR 

• BBMRI.de, Interdisciplinary Bank of Biomaterials and Data Würzburg – ibdw 

• BBMRI.de, BioBank Bonn – BBB 

• BBMRI.ch, Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Biobanking – SCMB 

• BBMRI.be, Biobank Antwerp 

BBMRI-ERIC Appreciation  

• David Byrne (former SEAB member) 

• Marco Hautalahti (former MlNN Director of Finland) 

ESBB Awards  

• Peter Riegman – ESBB 

• Elke Smits – ESBB  

• Erik Steinfelder – ESBB 

• Balwir Matharoo-Ball – ESBB 

• Rosita Kammler – ESBB 

• Pasquale De Blasio – ESBB