INNOVATING CHRONIC WOUND
TREATMENT

FORCE REPAIR at EWMA CONFERENCE 2025

Barcelona, Spain – FORCE REPAIR’s project partner European Wound Management Association (EWMA) held its annual conference from March 26th to March 28th, 2024, in Barcelona, Spain

The EWMA 2025 conference, organised in collaboration with GNEAUPP – the Spanish Advisory Group for the Study of Pressure Ulcers and Chronic Wounds and with SEHER - the Spanish Wounds Society marked a historic milestone as the largest in EWMA’s history, welcoming 6,264 registered participants from 90 countries. Over the three days, the programme featured 850 engaging oral presentations, 1,547 e-poster presentations, and a vibrant exhibition area with 143 exhibitors.

This year’s conference theme ‘Moving towards excellence in wound management by breaking frontiers and silos’ emphasised how excellence in wound management requires more than clinical expertise—it demands innovation, collaboration, and the courage to challenge traditional boundaries. By breaking down silos between disciplines, integrating emerging technologies, and fostering cross-sector partnerships, we unlock new possibilities in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in wound care.

Prof. Andrea Pokorná, Scientific Recorder at EWMA Executive Committee, explains how this year’s EWMA Conference and cross-sector partnerships are driving excellence in wound care: “EWMA is a platform connecting people with the same goals – to help wounded patients and their loved ones and advocate for them at an international level for better quality care,” she said, highlighting the significance of the joint declaration signed by EWMA, GNEAUPP, and SEHER, which outlines the rights and needs of individuals with wounds and calls for decisive action from healthcare providers and governments.

This year, the FORCE REPAIR team presented the project and its latest developments through a series of activities at the EWMA 2025 conference:

  • Industry Exhibition Participation: The project was presented at the exhibition by a booth by Dr Damien Dupin (CIDETEC), Ema Ćerimagić (RISE) and Iva Baršić (RISE);
  • E-Poster Presentation: Dr Ziba Najmi from Università del Piemonte Orientale presented an e-poster titled "Antibiofilm reduction on a scratched-3d skin tissue model using nano-encapsulated Mupirocin";
  • EWMA Arena Presentation: Project coordinator Dr Damien Dupin (CIDETEC) delivered a talk titled “Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory, and Pro-regenerative: The 3 Keys to Healing”;
  • Focus Group Session: A dedicated focus group was held, moderated by Dr Damien Dupin and Alexandra Margarida Pinto Marques (EWMA), to collect insights and perspectives from key stakeholders.

Dr Ziba Najmi presented the e-poster titled "Antibiofilm reduction on a scratched-3d skin tissue model using nano-encapsulated Mupirocin". The study focused on stimulating chronic wound infections using 3D mode human epidermal skin (EPISKIN SA) and evaluating the eradication of bacterial biofilm when nanoemulsions loaded with Mupirocin were applied. Dr Ziba Najmi noted that this year’s conference exceeded her expectations in scale and impact, emphasising the value of attending such events for clinicians. “Conferences like EWMA are incredibly important,” she said, “as they offer a unique opportunity to explore current market offerings and discover the latest innovations in wound care.”

The EWMA Arena drew a full audience for an engaging presentation by our project coordinator, Dr Damien Dupin from CIDETEC. His talk on “Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory, and Pro-regenerative: The 3 Keys to Healing” provided an overview of the current progress and development of the project across all partners and work packages. Among the promising results shared, there was a significant finding in the area of pro-regenerative wound care, where accelerated healing was observed within just 21 days.

Additionally, Begoña Castro from Histocell, had the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion in Spanish titled “Biotecnología y heridas. Primer cuarto del siglo XXI” (Biotechnology and Wounds: First Quarter of the 21st Century). The discussion focused on biotechnological products currently available to wound care professionals, as well as three cutting-edge innovations: advanced platelet derivatives, newly developed 3D bio printed engineered tissues, and autologous skin substitutes created and applied for the treatment of critically burned patients.

Our participation at EWMA 2025 concluded with a 1.5-hour focus group session moderated by Dr Damien Dupin and Alexandra Margarida Pinto Marques. A group of 12 healthcare professionals had the opportunity to learn about the FORCE REPAIR approach and offer their valuable insights and expertise that will help us in creating final product tailored to the real needs of professionals and patients.

“The focus session highlighted several practical challenges and real-world perspectives that are essential for refining our approach. These insights will help us tailor our development strategy, especially in terms of usability,” said Dr Damien Dupin.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit us at our booth or join some of our sessions to learn more about what we do to advance chronic wound treatment. The discussions and feedback from the conference were incredibly valuable to us.

See you next year in Bremen, Germany.