European Society for Biomaterials

Pre Foundation of the Society (1975)

The first document in the annals of the ESB, is a protocol of a meeting of 20 scientists held at the Instituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy, from 3 to 4 October 1975, with the aim of establishing the European Society for Biomaterials.

“All participants have emphasised the importance and ensuing necessity of founding the ESB due to the many European Research Centres which have already given noticeable contributions as regards the medical application of such materials”.

The participants at this first meeting represented the constitutional committee of the new society.

“A Secretary’s and information office is established in Bologna, all gentlemen being present will undertake promotional work to find potential members in their own countries, and raise interest of Institutions in the matter. The possible members should mention their research activities and send reprints of publications for a bibliography and for circulation to membership by the Secretary”.

The Secretary was to record the draft articles of incorporation and its bylaws within three months. The Constitutional Committee was bound to meet again in Bologna on March 12–13, 1976 to sign the articles and bylaws of the ESB and to establish the same. Additionally, it was agreed that a European Symposium on Biomaterials was to be organised by the Society, and Professor. Chiari would act as President for this meeting. The Symposium was to be held in Vienna, if possible in autumn 1976 with the suggested subject: “Evaluation criteria for Biomaterials in Surgery“.

Founding of the Society (1st ESB Meeting - 1976)

The First Meeting of the European Society for Biomaterials was held 12–13 March 1976, in the Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli, Bologna. Thirty-one people (from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland) attended the inaugural business meeting, on 13 March 1976, chaired by Sergio Sandrolini Cortesi.

The Programme

This two-day meeting comprised a mixture of both formal business (to establish the Society as a legal entity) and scientific reports and discussion.

Programme

Friday, 12 March 1976

8.30 - 12.30 Establishment of the ESB Sanction of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws in the presence of a Notary Election of the Executive Board

14.30 -17.00 Scientific reports with discussion

17.00 - 18.00 Discussion

20.00 Banquet

Saturday, 13 March 1976

9.00 - 12.30 Scientific reports Discussion of research performed in various countries by a platform panel, including regulatory aspects

The Founding of the Society

The document (written in Italian) detailing the incorporation of the ESB in the Repubblica Italiana by the notario, contained the “Statuto“, the statutes. The Statutes were discussed, Article by Article, and amended Statutes agreed. At the close of the Meeting, the Statutes, witnessed by the Notario Dott. G. Comelli and signed by Prof. Sergio Sandrolini Cortesi and Prof. Arturo Pizzoferrato, assured the formal foundation of the Society.

Election of Council Members

In this same meeting the following people were elected onto ESB council:

• President : George Winter
• Secretary: Sergio Sandrolini Cortesi
• Treasurer: Arturo Pizzoferrato
• Vice President: Jean Leray
• Deputy Secretary: Franz Burny
• Deputy Treasurer: Günther Heimke
• Member at Large: Klaas de Groot

Projected Meetings

As is still the case today, the importance of sharing results and ideas was a fundamental aim of the Society. Three future meetings were scheduled:

1. The next Council Meeting, September 23, 1976, following the conference on “Problems of Biocompatibility“ at Brunel University, London.
2. “Methodology in Biomaterials Research“ to be organised by Dr. Leray, Strasbourg March 1977
3. Biomaterials Congress in Brussels, April 1978, to be organised by Dr. Burny, as well as:
4. Local, one-day meetings on specific topics at appropriate centres throughout Europe organised to further the work of the society

Additionally, the proposal of a joint international meeting sponsored by the Society for Biomaterials (USA), the Biomaterials Group of the Biological Engineering Society (U.K.) and the European Society for Biomaterials to be held in Europe in 1980 was put onto the agenda for the council meeting on September 23, 1976.

Membership and Subscription

The Society in 1976 already had almost 100 members. shown below according to country of origin:

It was agreed that each member should receive a list of registered Society members including addresses and fields of interest. The annual Subscription was set at 20.000 Italian Lire for individuals and 200.000 Italian Lire for corporate members (10.34 Euros and 103.40 Euros respectively using 2002 exchange rates).

Collaboration

Collaboration with other associations, with similar or allied interests, was to be explored and encouraged. The then ESB President (George Winter) initiated contact with the Biomaterials Society (USA) and in turn, was invited to attend a joint international symposium in Philadelphia in April 1976.

The ESB Journal

It was decided that the society should have its own journal or make arrangements with an existing journal to advertise Society events, publish meeting reports and proceedings. Franz Burny agreed to act as chairman of a publications subcommittee.

Standards

The resolution of standardisation problems would be an important role of the Society. Arturo Pizzoferrato agreed to act as chairman of the subcommittee for standardisation.

Recurring Themes; Then and Now

Since this first ESB meeting, there are themes which have persisted over the whole 25-year history of the society both in council meetings and general assemblies, namely:

• Forthcoming scientific meetings or conferences
• Membership fees
• Publications and the official journal
• Standardisation questions and definitions
• Recruitment of new members
• Co-operation with other societies, e.g. joint international conferences

Post Foundation of the Society (1976-1979)

Within ten days of the inaugural ESB meeting, George Winter had already started formally promoting the Society further through the proposal of a society insignia, society meetings, arranging circulation of the revised statutes, and starting a discussion on membership fees.

Conferences and Events

The first ESB conference hosted by Jean Leray entitled “Evaluation of Biomaterials” was held in Strasbourg, France from 25 to 28 September 1977. This conference was considered to be a scientific and organisational success attracting 200 participants.

The World Stage

By the end of 1979, the Japanese and Canadian Societies for Biomaterials had been formed and a federation of the biomaterials societies in the world was envisaged; hence the formation of the International Liaison Committee (ILC). Early members from Europe are recorded as being Klaas de Groot, Jean Leray, Günther Heimke and Hans Plenk. Their role was specifically to express the views of the ESB as opposed to any national interests. The function of such representatives remains unchanged today as the ILC evolved into the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUS-BSE). (See appendix F for a list of member societies).

The ESB Journal

Negotiations took place with John Wiley and Sons for the publication of papers on behalf of the ESB and an editorial board was established. In September 1977, the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research was approved as the official journal of the ESB, with a European Editorial Board comprising Franz Burny, George Winter, Peter Griss and David Williams.

Collaboration

Significant progress was made during the late 1970s to develop links with the Society for Biomaterials in the USA. George Winter, as President of the ESB, was invited to attend a joint international symposium in Philadelphia in April 1976. The records also show that in 1978 the European Societies of Biomaterials and Biomechanics formed a liaison committee to promote the views of the societies in the Council of Europe.

Relocation

In 1978 the ESB office moved from Bologna to Strasbourg. As the society became a legal entity in Strasbourg, there was a need to alter the constitution to conform with French law. The statutes were rewritten by none other than Jean Leray and George Winter themselves. Dissolution of the Italian registered ESB coincided with its reformation in France on the 1st July 1978. Confirmation from the Ministry of the Interior, Paris, was received on January 12, 1979.

Through the 1980s

With Sorrow

The minutes of a council meeting held on 26 April 1981 at Weinheim, Germany, record the sorrow of the society following the deaths of Jean Leray (ESB President) and of George Winter (Immediate Past President). It is difficult to imagine the impact that these losses had at the time. Shortly after, the George Winter Award for outstanding work of an established researcher, and the Jean Leray Award for outstanding work of a young researcher were established. The first George Winter award winner was Samuel F. Hulbert in 1982, while the Jean Leray award was first presented in 1985 to Walter van Raemdonck.

Conferences and Events

The regularity of conferences, relationships with related events and societies and the timing of meetings seem to have been handled with some clarity even early on in the ESB history. There are clear records of co-sponsored functions, which would now be called “endorsed events” occurring in Europe or elsewhere in the world. For some years the collaboration between the ESB and the European Society for Biomechanics led to joint meetings. Between 1987 and 1991 each society held their conferences every two years with ESB in odd years and the European Society of Biomechanics in even years.

The Word Stage

The first World Biomaterials Conference was held in Europe in Baden near Vienna in 1980. Twenty six countries were represented, there were 461 participants, and two thirds of the contributions came from Europe. From this time on, the Biomaterials World Congress has been held every four years; Washington DC 1984, Kyoto 1988, Berlin 1992, Toronto 1996 and Hawaii 2000. The ESB has been a stalwart supporter of the World Biomaterials community throughout its history through the so-called International Liaison Committee (ILC) which subsequently has become the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUS-BSE). The IUS-BSE has representatives from each of the main world societies who meet every year during the world congress or at another major congress (usually the Society for Biomaterials, USA). On the occasion of each World Congress a number of eminent scientists from the international community are elected as Fellows of Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE), having been nominated by one of the IUSBSE member societies.

The ESB Journal

During the 80s, the ESB experienced various difficulties over the timely publication of the Journal and proceedings of meetings. Various publishing houses are mentioned through the years and it is not appropriate to give details here, even if it were entirely clear what the problems were. The issues were complex, sometimes involving the journal, sometimes the production of proceedings. However, it was with relief that finally, a contract between the publishers Chapman & Hall and William Bonfield, as Editor in Chief, was prepared and the Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine (JMS:MIM) became the official journal of the ESB at the General Assembly in 1989.

Membership and Subscription

At the beginning of the 1980s the recorded membership had risen to over 200, but it then declined for a short time reaching a low of around of 150, before climbing again to 185 in 1988, 246 in 1990 and over 300 in 1991. This is against the background of the founding of various national societies; firstly in Italy, the Italian Society for Biomaterials boasting 160 members in 1987, and then the foundation of other societies and special interest groups in other European countries. The council decided that it would “allow” national and regional societies to develop in Europe, and wisely sought to become an umbrella organisation for these societies with their co-operation and affiliations being clearly defined.

A new challenge for the managers of the society by the mid-1980s was the failure of members to keep up the payment of their dues. This has continued to be a difficulty until very recently (see Recent History).

Junior membership was created and made available to members in 1987. Today, as dictated by Bylaw, section 8:

“Junior membership can be given to any graduate student in the field of biomaterials. Junior members are entitled to a special membership fee, to receive the newsletter and to have a reduced registration fee for the Society meetings. They are not entitled to vote either by mail ballot either at General Meetings and not to be elected to the Council”

Communication

The only formal direct form of information dissemination between the Council and ESB members at large, is at the general assemblies (held once per year during the ESB congress). In 1981, to attract more active involvement of ESB members, committees were launched to consider conferences, standards and regulatory affairs, membership matters, statutes and awards. By 1982, however, the committees for conferences and awards seem to be all that were active. It is apparent throughout the history of ESB that the council, particularly the officers, were those ultimately responsible not only for financial matters but all functional aspects of the society.

Through the 1990s

Conferences and Events

A decision to hold an annual ESB conference three out of every four years (hence allowing Europeans to attend the world congress), has been adhered to since 1991. The earlier variations with meetings sometimes on alternate years help to explain how the society is now over 25 years old yet is only holding its 17th Congress in Barcelona in 2002.

In 1991 it was also decided that the ESB would not sponsor any conference due to take place during the 3 months either side of its own conference, a decision aimed at reducing the problem of overlapping meetings.

The ESB hosted the 4th World Biomaterials Congress, in Berlin in 1992 under the chairmanship of Professor Ulrich Gross. There were approximately 1,200 participants and over 700 papers were accepted for presentation at this meeting.

Following excellent attendance by young scientists at the Göteborg meeting in 1997 (over 50% of those in attendance were graduate students), Peter Thomsen with a team of 7 young scientists organised the first Young Scientists Forum (YSF) which took place during the conference in Bordeaux, 1999.

The World Stage

At the global level, the society has taken an increasing active role in IUS-BSE, to which Chinese and Korean societies became affiliated in 1996 and 1997 respectively. A meeting of the President with the Chairman of the Chinese Society took place in 1997 and various exchanges have taken place between laboratories in China and Europe.

Recent history demonstrates how long it actually takes for new ideas to come to fruition once they have been proposed. For example, there is a record of contacts having been made by colleagues in Russia, Bulgaria and Poland as long ago as 1994. It was not however until 1998 that Professors James Kirkpatrick, Peter Revell and Peter Thomsen visited Riga in Latvia to join in a biomaterials symposium, though there had been discussions in council of how to enable colleagues from Eastern Europe to become better integrated into the European Biomaterials community, travel fellowships being one possibility. Three travel fellowships to enable young scientists to present at the annual conference were awarded for the first time in 1997 and travel fellowships have remained a feature ever since.

The ESB Journal

The Special Issue of the journal (published at this time by Chapman and Hall) was introduced in 1993, in which (as is the case today) the best papers from the conference were published. In recent years, the JMS:MIM Special Issue has been made available during the same calendar year as the meeting.

In 1997, the idea for a ‘Best paper of the year’ award (JMS:MIM) was first suggested, and was discussed further in 1998. Kindly donated by Kluwer, it was awarded for the first time in 1999.

Membership and Subscription

The difficulties of ensuring the payment of membership fees continued into the 1990s with nearly one quarter of fees being outstanding in 1990 and 20 per cent still outstanding in 1993. By 1996 little had improved. It is recorded that there were 70 defaulters in 1996 and 100 in 1997.

To complicate the issue, over the years as new treasurers were appointed, bank accounts in each appropriate country of origin, were opened. By 1997, there were 3 ESB bank accounts in different countries, (and consequently in different currencies), into any one of which, members could pay their fees. There was a clear need for tighter financial management. Charles Baquey undertook the role of unravelling the situation, soon to be assisted by Luigi Ambrosio who was appointed deputy treasurer and membership secretary in 1998. That same year, it was decided to use the new Euro currency for the payment of fees by members. This decision resulted in a saving of 5 Euros per membership fee, as currency exchange charges were no longer applicable. It is all too easy to forget how complex financial matters had become now that we live in these days of a common European currency.

Laboratory membership (which today allows 6 active scientists to join the society for 1 fixed fee) seems to have been available for the first time in 1990.

The cost of travel and attendance at council meetings has always been covered entirely from the individual resources of members. This aspect was last discussed at the general assembly in 1997 when there was still resistance to the idea that any contribution to the administrative costs should be made by the membership. Subsequently, in 1998, there was agreement that professional accountancy help should be available to the treasurer and in 2001, nominal payments to cover the office costs of the President, Secretary and Treasurer was agreed.

The major component of the cost of society membership, is the subscription to the journal. Negotiations with the publishers (Kluwer), resulted in the generous donation of six free subscriptions. This enabled the introduction of a limited number of free laboratory memberships (for a lead scientist and five others) granting all the benefits of belonging to ESB, including a copy of Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine. Following the definition of clear criteria and means of application by the ESB council, research groups in Latvia and Bulgaria joined ESB in 1999, followed by others in Poland and Russia in 2001. There has been a steady increase in papers and posters submitted and accepted from the former socialist countries over recent years at ESB events.

Communication

Communication initially took the form of a newsletter from the President, which was published twice yearly. This was replaced in 1992 which a more “magazine-style” publication simply entitled “ESB News“, which also appeared twice per year. In 1998 it was decided to produce one edition, coming out during the autumn, reporting matters which occurred at the congress, the minutes of the general assembly and seeking nominations for the next annual awards.

In 1997 it is recorded that the ESB News was costing over 4000 Euros per issue. At that same time, a web-site was set up for the society, and some of those aspects presented in ESB News were also placed on the web-site. Heinrich Planck has been the web-master for the society throughout. In 1999 it was decided to close ESB News as a publication and put all such items on the World Wide Web at the site http://www.esbiomaterials.eu/. There is much to do to improve the ESB web-site, but since its inception, numerous additions have been made, including the Statutes and Byelaws of the Society, links to other world societies and to the web-sites of the organising committee of the current and future Annual and World Conferences. Membership application forms and registration for meetings are available electronically.

Mention of EC research programmes becomes most prominent in the records of the ESB from 1995 onwards. The society does not exist for political purposes and it would be inappropriate for this to become a function. Nevertheless, the society does provide a forum in which colleagues from many disciplines can meet regularly and it is noticeable how much individual members and laboratories have contributed to Concerted Actions, Brite-Euram and RTD projects over the years. The opportunity to give presentations to the society within its annual meetings has been provided readily over recent years to the European Commission.

Committees

The awards committee persists up to the present day, being, quite rightly, the means whereby George Winter and Jean Leray award winners are selected completely independently of the council and officers acting.

There is mention of setting up committees for publications and public relations, meetings, EEC and regulatory affairs, teaching and training, awards, internal relations and finance, external relations, strategy, statutes and bylaws in 1992, but no clear evidence that these were established.

Recent History (2000 to Present)

The World Stage

National societies in France, Germany and Italy were already affiliated to the ESB during the 1990s. The Swiss and UK Societies became affiliated to the ESB in 2001. On the occasion of each World Congress a number of eminent scientists from the international community are elected as Fellows of Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE), having been nominated by one of the IUS-BSE member societies. This honour has been conferred on a number of ESB members; first in 1996 in Toronto, then in 2000 at the Hawaii meeting.

Conferences and Events

The start of the 16th European Congress was a sad time for all; the meeting opening on 11 September 2001. Some American colleagues had already arrived, while others were understandably not able to get to Europe. Our thoughts were with them during the meeting. Ironically there was a discussion in council in 1999 as to whether insurance should be taken out against reduction in conference attendance due to such unforeseen events. It was, in fact, possible to return a significant proportion of their conference registration to American colleagues when the accounting had been completed.

Attendance at conferences has increased despite the plethora of other activities and rival meetings. Over 550 attended the London meeting in 2001 and 650 attended ESB2002 in Barcelona. Participation of relevant clinical groups in ESB meetings has been a feature, as in Göteborg and The Hague, while the Society has in turn, played a role in materials meetings such as Euromat 99. ESB has become a member, along with eleven other materials societies of the European Materials Societies Network (known also as MatNet) which, from 2001, has been funded by the EC.

The tradition of the society has been that the local organisers of the annual meeting should have autonomy with respect to detailed arrangements. To make management of such aspects as student paper and poster awards easier, however, specific procedures have been suggested and adopted. Thus, since 1999, all eligible individuals have been asked to indicate their candidacy at the time of abstract submission.

A clear time-table for the refereeing of abstracts has been established and a database set up of experts willing to commit to this process as a priority, hopefully making conference organisation less harassing for the hosts. A format for abstract refereeing was instituted in 1999 and has evolved since then.

The electronic age has revolutionised communication for the ESB as for all aspects of life. Abstracts are now submitted and refereed via the Internet, and the proceedings of the meeting in Barcelona in 2002 will be available on CD-Rom in addition to hardcopy.

ESB Travel Fellowships continue to encourage the participation of those who are unable to secure funding from their own institution (originating from “less developed regions” of the world); a record of 12 travel fellowships were awarded at the Barcelona 2002 meeting. The number of ESB best poster and best oral awards has also increased; a maximum of 4 per category to be awarded in Barcelona.

Following the success of the YSF in Bordeaux, the ESB went on to sponsor a European Summer School which was held in Ellös, Sweden in August 2001. Additionally, a YSF follow-up meeting took place in London in 2001 and the second YSF took place during the Barcelona conference in 2002.

The 17th European Conference on Biomaterials was held in Barcelona from the 11th to the 14th September 2002. Attracting over 650 delegates (including 180 students), from 41 countries made ESB2002 the largest European Biomaterials conference to date. 200 oral presentations, over 250 posters and almost 100 last minute posters were presented during the conference.

Various conferences and events have been organised after that: In 2003 ESB meeting took place in Türbingen, Germany, hosted by Heinrich Planck. The next World Biomaterials Congress took place in Sydney in 2004. In 2005 ESB meeting was in Naples, Italy, hosted by Luigi Ambrosio. Following a formal application process, the 2008 World Congress had been awarded to ESB once again in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, hosted by Joost de Bruijn.

Membership and Subscription

An element of discipline has entered into the payment of membership fees and a rationalisation of bank accounts have been achieved in the last two years by Luigi Ambrosio (ESB treasurer) to whom a particular debt is due. Antonio Merolli has recently agreed to become deputy treasurer.

Membership in 2001 had risen to almost 400, with 27 countries (18 European and 9 non-European).

Following the success of numerous meetings aimed at encouraging young scientists, suggestions have been made regarding the consideration of research and professional training on a Europe-wide basis. With this in mind, the council set up a small sub-committee in November 2001, comprising Etienne Schacht, Luigi Ambrosio, Antonio Merolli and Joost de Bruijn to take this matter forward.

Scientific achievements awards

• The George Winter Award is handed out on the Society Annual Meeting to recognize research contributions. George D. Winter was the first President of the Society. is established by the European Society for Biomaterials to recognize, encourage and stimulate outstanding research contributions to the field of biomaterials. The nominee must have contributed significantly to the knowledge in the field of biomaterials through basic, experimental and/or clinical research. The award will be presented annually during the ESB conference. The nominee needs neither to be a member of the European Society for Biomaterials nor a citizen of a European country. Posthumous nominations are not considered. Winners of the International Award are not eligible for the Georg Winter award (and vice versa).
• The International Award is a prestigious recognition by the ESB of scientists who have generally spent their career outside Europe, who have been internationally recognised, have a high scientific profile, and have made major contributions to the field of biomaterials. Strong evidence of collaborations with members of our scientific community in Europe throughout their career is expected.
• The Jean Leray award is established by the European Society for Biomaterials to recognize, encourage and stimulate outstanding research contributions to the field of biomaterials by early-career scientists. The nominee must have contributed significantly to the knowledge in the field of biomaterials through basic, experimental and/or clinical research. The award will be presented annually during the ESB conference. The nominee should not be older than 40 years and should not have more than eight years of post-doctoral experience at the close of nomination. The nominee needs neither to be a member of the European Society for Biomaterials nor a citizen of a European country. Posthumous nominations are not considered. Jean Leray was the first Vice-President of the Society.
• The Klaas de Groot award is a prestigious recognition by the European Society for Biomaterials of scientists who have shown a distinct ability to provide excellent mentorship and guidance to young researchers, helping them to establish their own independent career. We look for colleagues who have nurtured young talent, and who have selflessly invested in this talent, creating a next generation biomaterials scientists in Europe. The award will be presented annually during the ESB conference. The nominee needs neither to be a member of the European Society for Biomaterials nor a citizen of a European country. Posthumous nominations are not considered.

Translation award

This award is attributed to a postdoctoral scientist presenting the best contribution in translational research at the Biomaterials conference of the Society. Winner is notified during the closing ceremony of the annual ESB conference. The nominee need not be a member of the European Society for Biomaterials nor a citizen of a European country.

Education awards

• The Julia Polak European Doctorate Award is given by the ESB council and presented annually during the Biomaterials conference of the Society. The ESB council will announce these awards during the Young Scientist Forum session. The nominee needs neither to be a member of the European Society for Biomaterials nor a citizen of a European country.
• The Racquel LeGeros Award is given to two graduate students per year who would like to pursue their research in International or European academic laboratories or companies dedicated to biomaterials and regenerative medicine with the aim to increase their knowledge in a specific topic and /or a technology.

As a way to encourage the presence of young researchers at the conference the Society also hands out:

• Student Travel Awards: The Society supports student participation at their conferences through the travel award scheme. Applications for consideration must be submitted at the time of registration.
• Student Prizes: The Society award prizes for the best student poster and oral presentation made during any particular Society conference.