International participation, awards and new impulses for research and practice
Third edition of the conference on Modern Technologies in Spa Industry organised by the Institute of Spa and Balnoology in Karlovy Vary was held on 15 April 2025.
More thantwo hundred experts from research institutions, universities and spa facilities from the Czech Republic and abroad gathered to learn about the innovations and discuss the challenges of the future.
The conference programme focused on modern technologies that can make diagnostics more efficient, support the personalisation of spa care and strengthen its research base. Research results in the field of physical therapy, balneological analyses and the use of virtual reality in rehabilitation were presented.
The conference was held under the auspices of Ing. Petr Kulhánek, Minister for Regional Development, Mgr. Jana Mračková Vildumetzová, Governor of the Karlovy Vary Region, and Ing. Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová, MBA, Mayor of Karlovy Vary.
One of the keynote speakers was Ms. Csilla Mezosi, Secretary General of the European Spa Association (ESPA), who emphasised the potential of European cooperation and the importance of evidence-based approaches. Eduard Bláha, M.D., President of the Medical Spa Association, addressed the current challenges of the Czech spa industry and Prof. Ing. Martin Fusek, CSc. from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i., and IOCB Tech s.r.o., presented the possibilities of knowledge transfer from the research environment to practice.
During the conference, Lázně Kynžvart Spa was awarded for long-term and beneficial cooperation in the field of education and research.
After the event organisers have concluded:
»We are pleased that the conference has become not only a professional forum, but also a space for new contacts and inspiration across disciplines. Next year we plan to open up more topics, expand international participation and continue to promote dialogue between science and practice.«