Tuesday, 29th September 2026
After 4 years our Action is coming to a close, and we will celebrate all the achievements we have made and the young talents that expanded their horizons via STSM visits and will look toward the future with NetwOArk in it.
We are happy to host you in Utrecht, The Netherlands!
The Closing Conference programme
COST Action CA21110: "Building an open European Network on OsteoArthritis research"
Closing NetwOArk Meeting
Dates: Tuesday, 29th September 2026 (social event on 28th September)
Location: Geertekerk, Geertekerkhof 23, 3511 XC Utrecht
Pre-Program
28th September 2026
18.00: Pre-Meeting Social Event – Walking Dinner (separate registration required), joint with the Dutch OA Research Community
Program
29th September 2026
9.00 – 9.30: Welcome, registration (attendance), and poster set-up
9.30 – 9.50: Opening and Action update by the Chair
9.50 – 10.30: Keynote lecture “Ethics, Innovation, and Engineering Life: Building the Future of Osteoarthritis Research”, Prof Ralf Stutzki (NCCR MSE, CH)
10.30 – 10.40: WG 1 Update
10.40 – 10.50: WG 2 Update
10.50 – 11.15: Break + poster session
11.15 – 12.45: STSM session 1 (15 min presentation +5 minutes discussion)
12.45 – 13.50: Lunch + group photo + poster session
13.50 – 14.00: WG 3 Update
14.00– 14.10: WG 4 Update
14.10 – 15.50: STSM session 2 (15 min presentation +5 minutes discussion)
15.50 – 16.20: Break + poster session
16:20 – 16.40 : Round table: NetwOArking with Patients
16.40 – 16.50: Encouragement Awards (1st, 2nd, 3rd place)
16.50 – 17.00: Closing remarks
17.00: Borrel (drinks)
More information on abstract submission and poster presenting will follow later on this website.
Download Conference programme
Social Event – Walking Dinner
Travelling to the NetwOArk Closing Conference in the Netherlands offers not only the opportunity to meet and greet the NetwOArk people you have got to know over these 4 years of our Action, but also to (re-)connect with the Dutch OA research community.
And what better way to do this than while enjoying tasty foods?
Conveniently located close to Utrecht Central Station we will host you on the evening of September 28 for a Walking Dinner at the Metro City Kitchen, offering the perfect ambiance to meet familiar and new faces active within the OA domain.
The event starts at 17:45 and will end around 21:30.
To join the Walking Dinner, registration and payment of the €55 dinner fee are required. See the registration form (link below).
Practical information
The Closing Conference Venue
The Closing Conference will take place in the Geertekerk, a historic church with the respectable age of 1000 years. It felt fitting to have a similar location to close our Action as where we started 4 years ago, in a monastery Barcelona.
Registration
Registration is mandatory, and subject to availability of participant spots.
Registration link: https://forms.gle/BsggSS6eactfvJzK9
Each participant will be required to pay a registration fee of €35, to cover costs for lunches and drinks (in accordance with COST rules). After registering via the provided registration link an invoice will be sent to the partipant to initiate payment. Payment via bank transfer is preferred, but alternative payment modalities can be accomodated. Consult with Annelies via netwoark@reumanederland.nl in case this is relevant.
After reception of payment the participant will be invited via e-COST to be eligible for reimbursement. COST reimbursement will cover actual travel costs (up to a maximum of €700) and daily allowance (to cover hotel, meals, short distance travel) of €215/day.
Please carefully review the COST rules regarding eligibility of costs and requested supporting documentation: COST-094-21-Annotated-Rules-for-COST-Actions-Level-C-V3.0-25-IX-2025.pdf
Hotel suggestions
Utrecht offers a huge variety of hotels, fitting different tastes and budgets. We have selected a few that might be suitable, but there are plenty more to find. As a tip: usually making a reservation via the hotel website itself is cheaper compared to via booking.com, and is also considered more friendly towards the hotel keeper.
Close to Utrecht Central Station
Bunk Utrecht (offers rooms but also small pods)
Crowne Plaza Utrecht Central Station
Within the heart of the city
StayOkay (not a hotel but hostel, that also offers 4-pers/6 pers private as well as family rooms)
Located not within the busy center but south of the venue in the historic Tolsteeg area
Things to do
Utrecht has a rich history going back to prehistoric settlements but also offers a lot of new and innovative things for visitors. Some sights/things to do might be:
Visit the famous DOM Tower (climb to the top and/or discover the things UNDER it!) Dom Tower, Utrecht’s icon | Book your tickets online | Dom Tower
Utrecht has many canals, so take a cruise along those to see the city from a different angle: Rederij Schuttevaer | Boat Canal Tour Utrecht Netherlands
Visit city castle Oudaen, where they still have their own operating brewery. You can join a small tour of the place, sit down for a tasting or just enjoy a good meal.
Looking for more green/scientific inspiration? You could go to the University Museum and/or visit the Hortus Botanicus there. English – UMU – Universiteitsmuseum Utrecht
And for lovers of modern and architecture: Don’t miss the Rietveld-Schröder House, a high point of the De Stijl movement and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Entering feels like you’re walking into a 3D Piet Mondrian abstraction.