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On May 12.+13 2022, the 3R-Center Tübingen organized on behalf of the Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry for Science, Research and the Arts (MWK) for the first time the two-day annual 3R-Conference of the3R-Network Baden-Württemberg on the topic of Replacement, Reduction) and Refinement3R of animal testing. With exciting keynote lectures, oral and poster presentations, the event in the Old Anatomy of the Medical Faculty of the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen offered plenty of opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange between 3R-actors from different disciplines and thus represented an important contribution to better networking among Baden-Württemberg researchers as well as to the professional dialogue among each other.

With its comparatively high density of universities and university hospitals and its high density of pharmaceutical and chemical industry, the state of Baden-Württemberg is one of the most important biomedical research locations in the Federal Republic of Germany. In order to reduce the number of animal experiments in the short and medium term and to replace them to the absolute bare minimum in the long term, the 3R-Network Baden-Württemberg has set itself the goal of intensifying cooperation and exchange between research, industry and regulatory authorities and thereby sustainably promoting the use of alternative methods in Baden-Württemberg.

The highlights of this year’s conference were the keynote lectures given by three renowned 3R-experts Marcelle Halloway (European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, European Union Reference Laboratory for the Validation of Alternative Methods, EURL ECVAM), Janna Nawroth (Helmholtz Pioneer Campus in Munich) and Andreas Stahl (Department of Nutritional Science & Toxicology at UC Berkeley, USA).

Numerous other excellent presentations given by members of the 3R-Network Baden-Württemberg as well as other researchers and developers from all over Germany gave visitors the opportunity to delve deeper into the topic and exchange ideas with the presenters. In a specialized session for young scientists, early-career researchers were able to present their research work and discuss it with the audience. During the two-and-a-half-hour poster session, there was also ample opportunity for exchange and networking.

The first 3R-Conference of the 3R-Network Baden-Württemberg was a great success and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants who contributed to its success with their contributions.

In 2023, the next 3R-Conference will be hosted by the 3R-Network BW Partners from Mannheim and Heidelberg. All information can be received in good time via the 3R-Center Tübingen’s website and its social media channels (Twitter & LinkedIn).