Austrian 3RDays 2026 in Vienna

From 28 to 30 April 2026, the Austrian 3Rdays took place at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna – an event organised by the RepRefRed Society – which focused on the exchange of knowledge regarding the replacement of animal experiments, reducing the number of animals used in experiments, and improving animal welfare in such experiments. The society was founded by Birgit Reininger-Gutmann and Beate Rinner at the Medical University of Graz. Since then, the RepRefRed Society has established itself as a national networking and knowledge transfer platform centred on the 3Rs (Replace – Reduce – Refine). In 2019, the Society was commissioned by the then Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research to establish and manage the national 3R Centre (Austrian 3R Centre). This is currently based at the Department of Biomedical Research at the Medical University of Graz. 

Thanks to the strong ties between the Department of Biomedical Research and the RepRefRed Society / Austrian 3R Centre, and thanks to the ongoing support of the Medical University of Graz, it was a particular honour for the Society that Vice-Rector Akos Heinemann, together with Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner of the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research and Vice-Rector Martina Marchetti-Deschmann, Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine, to open the Austrian 3Rdays 2026.

Under the motto “Building Bridges – Bursting Bubbles: Spotlights on 3Rs & NAMs”, this congress brought together 280 experts from academia, industry, politics and practice to examine all aspects of the 3R principles across twelve sessions. The topics of artificial intelligence, as well as science communication and transparency, rounded off the event. In addition, networking within this 3R community was successfully promoted through workshops and organised meetings of interest groups such as laboratory animal care staff, laboratory veterinarians and animal welfare committees. 

The next Austrian 3Rdays will take place in 2028 at the Medical University of Graz.