*NEW* EMBEC 2020’s destiny sealed by Covid 19 pandemic

Published: 21 October 2020

In response to the call for scientific submissions to the 8th European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference, to be held in Portorož, Slovenia, we received in total 183 full length papers and 198 abstract-only submissions from 1234 authors coming from 60 countries. The Proceedings of EMBEC 2020 containing the peer-reviewed and accepted papers is currently in production and will be published by Springer as part of its IFMBE Proceedings Series, as previously announced. We will also prepare and publish the Abstract Book of EMBEC 2020. It will summarize all contributions that where accepted for presentation at EMBEC 2020 after the reviewing process, including abstract-only submissions and abstracts of full length paper submissions. The Abstract Book will be available for download in electronic form. Both publications will be prepared by the scheduled time of the Conference.

However, due to Covid-19 pandemic we will unfortunately not be able to meet in person in Portorož nor online in a hybrid event that we were trying to make possible until the last moment. Finally, the Organising Committee together with IFMBE and EAMBES decided not to pursue this meeting as an online only meeting, since we all already spend too much time on-line and the real meetings with peers and colleagues have become nearly nonexistent. We hope for better times in the near future, which will allow us to meet and share our research, achievements, and ideas in person.

Once again, we would like to thank all authors and reviewers for their invested work and efforts.

Thank you for your understanding. We wish you to stay well and healthy!

EMBEC 2020 Organising Committee

(last updated on 3 July 2020)

Dear colleagues,

Thank you for submitting your work for presentation at the EMBEC 2020 Conference and for waiting patiently for announcement regarding acceptance of your contribution.

In the light of the global crisis and many difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and after careful consideration of all available options with all parties involved (IFMBE, EAMBES, the Congress Center and the PCO) we have jointly reached the decision to postpone the EMBEC 2020.

The EMBEC 2020 is rescheduled and will take place between 29 November and 3 December, 2020. The venue remains unchanged, that is St. Bernardin Conference Center at Grand Hotel Bernardin in Portorož, Slovenia.

The submission system is reopened and accepting submissions (with impotant dates also announced!). This gives you an opportunity to update your current submissions with newest original research results or maybe even submit new work. You may of course stick to your present submission and wait for the results of the reviewing process which has also not been completed for majority of all submissions due to the situation and will be restarted in due time. We also ask you to spread the word to your colleagues who might consider participating at the postponed EMBEC 2020.

If you have already paid your registration fee and intend to attend, your payment and registration remain valid. We suggest that you only ask for a refund of the registraton fee if you already know (or when you will know) that you will not be able to attend the rescheduled EMBEC 2020 on new dates, and have no intention to re-register at a later date. Transferring money is always accompanied by banking costs, which means that part of the money is “lost”.

We sincerely hope that the global situation will improve by the fall of 2020 to permit us to host you between 29 November and 3 December in Portorož and that we will enjoy the EMBEC 2020 together. Stay well and healthy.

Damijan Miklavčič
Chair of the Conference on behalf of
the local EMBEC 2020 Organising Committee

Please note you have two choices regarding submission:

• Short Abstract-only submissions without a Full Paper submission, accepted contributions will be published in the Conference Programme and Abstracts Book only;
• Full Paper submissions, to be published in the IFMBE Proceedings (if accepted), where the short abstract submitted electronically is the same as contained within your Full Paper. The abstract of the accepted Full Paper will also be published in the Conference Programme and Abstracts Book. Full Paper submission is prerequisite for entering the Young Investigator and/or Travel Award competitions!

UPDATE (3 July 2020): We would also like to inform you that regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic situation we will make every effort that the Proceedings of the EMBEC 2020 containing the reviewed and accepted papers will be published by Springer as part of the IFMBE Proceedings Series as planned.

The submission system is the same, regardless of which of the two options above you decide to take. During submission, those submitting a Full Paper have to choose the correct option and upload the required files.