Dear Participants, The Organising Committee is pleased to announce the upcoming ‘7th International Congress – IACS: Challenges and Innovation in Infection Control’, a landmark event to be held in the city of Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal, at EUROPARQUE, on 22, 23 and 24 October 2025, promising an enriching experience for all involved. Over the course of three days, we will bring together professionals, researchers and experts from various countries to share knowledge, experiences and scientific advances in this area, which is crucial for people's safety and the quality of healthcare. This year, we highlight the transformative role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in infection control. We live in an era of rapid technological evolution, where predictive algorithms, automated surveillance systems and clinical decision support tools are revolutionising the way we identify, prevent and manage healthcare-associated infections. The scientific programme we have prepared is comprehensive and multidisciplinary, including conferences by internationally recognised speakers, panels, workshops, symposiums and sessions for the presentation of scientific papers. We aim not only to present the most up-to-date scientific evidence, but also to encourage critical reflection on new challenges and innovations in the field of infection control.

In addition to the scientific component, this congress was designed as a privileged networking space. We firmly believe that progress in infection control depends on collaboration between professionals and institutions. Social moments, coffee breaks, and interactive sessions were carefully planned to facilitate networking, the exchange of ideas, and the development of future collaborations. We invite everyone to actively participate and seize these opportunities to establish partnerships that can transform clinical practice. This year, IACS will once again award the IACS Research Award (www.iacs.pt), which aims to encourage the participation of healthcare professionals, faculty, and researchers in research studies in this area, stimulating and recognizing their efforts in creating new knowledge, securing funding for scientific research activities, and producing scientific publications. As with previous events, the Journal of Research & Innovation in Health (RIIS) of the Research and Development Unit of the Northern School of Health of the Portuguese Red Cross joined the scientific committee to create the conference proceedings book, which promotes the scientific publication of research papers presented in oral and poster presentations, as well as the awards ceremony. On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I thank you for your presence and participation, which will undoubtedly enrich this event. Your commitment to excellence and innovation in infection control is inspiring and essential as we face current and future challenges together. I wish you all a fruitful conference, full of learning, valuable connections, and memorable moments in the beautiful city of Santa Maria da Feira. SAVE THE DATE. October 22–24, 2025, EUROPARQUE, Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal