Recap: ESC Acute Cardiovascular Care 2026 Lisbon

CEO Gery de Jong at ACVC 2026 — CEO Gery de Jong at the congress center in Lisbon

ACVC 2026 - an unmissable event

Last week, the ictaro team travelled to Lisbon for ACVC 2026. And what an inspiring few days at the heart of cardiovascular innovation it has been!

This annual congress, organised by the European Society of Cardiology, brings together leading clinicians and researchers to share the latest advances in acute cardiovascular care, and for ictaro, it is an unmissable event. As a clinical research organisation specialising in cardiovascular and acute care trials, we are always looking to stay close to the science and the community shaping this field.

This year's edition was well organised, with a clear and accessible setting and — perhaps most importantly — plenty of room for meaningful conversation. We would like to thank the organisers for their excellent care, and everyone with whom we connected and shared thoughts at ACVC 2026.

congress highlights

Highlights from the congress included an excellent presentation by Prof. on pre-hospital treatment of STEMI patients — directly relevant to the kind of time-critical, acute-care studies we support at ictaro.

Among the highlights was an excellent presentation by Prof.Arnoud van 't Hof on the pre-hospital treatment of STEMI patients. A subject directly relevant to the kind of time-critical, acute-care studies we support at ictaro.

There was also a thought-provoking discussion on the role of AI in healthcare. One observation that stayed with us:

"AI can do a great deal, but it struggles to interpret conflicting data, and it cannot perform resuscitation."

A timely reminder that clinical expertise and human judgement remain irreplaceable.

looking forward

We are already looking forward to the next congress — will we meet you there? Keep a close eye on our LinkedIn page for our most recent company- and event attendance updates.

Wish to contact us? Feel free to drop us a line at ictaro.com/contact. We would love to connect!

March 26, 2026

Recap: ESC Acute Cardiovascular Care 2026 Lisbon

Last week, the ictaro team travelled to Lisbon for ACVC 2026. And what an inspiring few days at the heart of cardiovascular innovation it has been!

March 18, 2026

Acute Care Trials: A Critical Gap in Cardiology Research

Acute cardiovascular events takes the lives of thousands every day. Yet the trials designed to change how we treat them are among the hardest to run — and too often, they don't get run at all. Here's why that needs to change, and what it takes to do it properly.

February 10, 2026

ARO or CRO: what’s the difference in clinical research?

When planning or running a clinical trial, two terms come up frequently: ARO and CRO. They can appear similar — both may support study set-up, trial conduct, and data — but they typically operate under different models and are used for different reasons. In this article, we explain what an ARO and a CRO are, how their responsibilities are defined in Good Clinical Practice (GCP), where they overlap, and how they often work together in real-world clinical research.

January 28, 2026

our 2026 outlook at ictaro

As we begin 2026, we are proud to announce the launch of a new European clinical trial focused on coronary calcified lesions. This study reflects our commitment to innovation and collaboration in cardiovascular research, alongside a year of continued engagement with partners and peers across Europe.