Penta ID Network Meeting (PIM)

The Penta ID Network meeting (PIM) is a hybrid meeting held every two years to strengthen connections between the Penta ID Network and collaborating institutions, industries, and international organizations. The PIM (previously known as the Penta Investigator’s Meeting) has been held in several location across Italy over the last 25 years. These meetings have been an excellent opportunity to foster valuable interactions between Network Members, researchers, leading worldwide experts in paediatric infectious diseases and representatives from regulators and pharmaceutical companies. More than 200 people from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia attend each meeting in-person to discuss relevant scientific topics, proposals for new studies and clinical issues related to the use of anti-infective therapies in children. The outcome of these meeting has been very positive and resulted in many new collaborative projects.

The 16^th PIM is being held this year in Palermo. Sicily to provide an opportunity to discuss important topics around infectious disease, including; anti-microbial resistance, fungal and respiratory infections, HIV and bloodborne viruses, preparing for pandemics, approaches to research capacity strengthening, new research methods, designs and approaches. Central to the PIM is collaboration and interactivity, and the meeting format focuses on lectures, debates and discussion forums between clinicians, scientists, researchers and companies. 

At Penta, we also organise scientific meetings twice a year in June and December to support Penta’s activiites and future planning. The December meetings are focused on the Penta working groups; their activities and opportunities for the future, whereas the June meetings are broader in scope for horizon scanning and discussing new opportunities. 

These face to face meetings are not the only way to keep informed with Penta activities and engage with the Penta ID Network. To find out more and to keep up-to-date you can:

• Review our annual report
• Join the live Penta Aperitivo webinars to stay informed on the latest updates in infectious disease 
• Subscribe to our monthly Penta Newsletter to hear the latest on all Penta’s activities
• Are you an early career researcher (ECR)? You can attend our Penta Café and our ECR learning hub sessions held every 2 months, an opportunity for ECRs across the globe to connect, share knowledge and strengthen their skills. 

The PIM is coordinated by the Penta Network, Education & Training Team who oversee organisational aspects of the meeting and develop the scientific programme, in collaboration with the Scientific Steering Committee Chairs.

The Penta ID Network has expanded substantially over the years, and we do our best to invite as many people as possible to attend in person. We ensure we have representation from our membership across geographical regions and disease areas. Those participating in key Penta groups are invited to attend, such as; Board of Directors, Scientific Steering Committee, Network Engagement Committee, representatives from Working Group,  as well as lead Penta investigators, Clinical Trial Unit representatives and representatives from collaborating organizations and research groups (e.g. ESPID, IMPAACT, NIH, WHO, EMA, IVAI etc).

Collaboration and interaction is central to the PIM. We expect our PIM participants to actively engage in discussions, contribute their ideas, opinions and expertise, and ask questions. Participants should be accommodating of different viewpoints, and we encourage networking and for collaborations to be formed. Following the PIM, we ask participants to reflect on the discussions and outcomes from the meeting, and to take the opportunity to reach out to those they have connected with. Additionally, participants are expected to provide feedback to support the Penta Team in the development of future meetings. 

PIM is an excellent opportunity to hear from senior and world-leading clincians, researchers and scientists in the area of paediatric infectious disease. PIM provides the opportunity to build relationships, expand contacts and potentially uncover new opportunities. Here’s some tips to help you get started:

• Check out the overview of speakers and chairs which will be avaliable on our website.
• Engage in meeting discussions and activities, demonstrate your expertise and willingness to contribute. 
• Actively listen to other’s perspectives, experiences and challenges, this can provide valuable insights into their needs and interests. 

Penta Network Members who are not invited to attend PIM in person are still important to us and we still want to collaborate and engage with you. We encourage you to register to attend PIM 2026 online, so you can listen and be part of the discussions.