May 25, 2023 by Dean Leverett

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Now that the dust has well and truly settled on SETAC Dublin 2023, and we’ve had a little time to catch our breath from what proved to be an extremely busy event, it is perhaps worth reflecting on a few highlights from the week. From my perspective, it was very rewarding to discuss chemical regulation and wider environmental support needs with so many new contacts (quite a few referred by existing clients – thank you!), as well as scoping potential new opportunities with those we have worked with for many years. Everyone was well aware that the event was sold out and this (and the smaller venue) meant that the whole conference felt very concentrated – and this seem to add to the general feeling of positivity amongst delegates (in my opinion anyway!).

For once, I managed to get the balance of conducting business and attending presentations about right, and I saw some outstanding talks – particularly those in the SETAC Pharmaceutical Interest Group’s session and Business meeting (which focused on student presentations), and also on the last morning in the ‘Advantages of Using Lab and Field Collected Invertebrates and in situ Studies in Ecotoxicology: Challenges and Opportunities’ session – with platforms by Rosa Escobar and Alex Ford especially interesting to my ongoing work on fish vet meds and anti-fouling. SETAC Europe continues to be extremely important for wca, both in business terms and to ensure we remain engaged with the scientific community and latest developments, and we look forward to getting involved in the programme for Seville 2024.