European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

What European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery does

The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) is a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity No. 1140274), founded in 1986 and headquartered at EACTS House, Windsor, UK. It operates as the principal European professional association for cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgeons, with a stated membership exceeding 3,000–4,000 professionals globally and an annual meeting that drew 5,000+ delegates from 103 countries at its 2024 edition. EACTS is organized through three wholly-owned subsidiaries: EACTS Publishing Ltd (journals), EACTS Trading Co. Ltd (commercial operations), and the European Academy for Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery Ltd (education).

The association's core product portfolio spans peer-reviewed publications — the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS), the open-access Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS), and the Multimedia Manual of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (MMCTS), all distributed via Oxford University Press — alongside the EACTS Academy (courses, the Francis Fontan Fund fellowship, the Innovation Hub, and hands-on training such as the Robotics Revascularisation Training at €765–€865), the annual flagship meeting (Copenhagen 2025, Barcelona 2026), clinical practice guidelines developed jointly with bodies such as the ESC, and quality improvement infrastructure including the EACTS Adult Cardiac Database, EUROMACS mechanical circulatory support registry, and EBCTS certification exams delivered through BTL/Surpass.

Revenue is generated through individual membership subscriptions, paid course and event registrations, journal publication royalties, and annual meeting sponsorship/registration. The organization is volunteer-driven with a lean professional staff of 1–10 employees, does not publicly disclose financials, and pursues a community-led go-to-market model centered on member recruitment, academic publishing, and the convening power of its annual meeting. Strategic alliances include data-sharing and co-administration with the US-based Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS), CardioThoracic Surgery Network (CTSNET), the European Board of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EBCTS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), and Oxford University Press.

Name

European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

Legal name

The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

Website

https://eacts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EACTS is a UK-registered charity and the principal European professional association for cardiothoracic surgeons, serving over 4,000 members globally through peer-reviewed journals, the EACTS Academy, annual meetings, clinical practice guidelines, and quality improvement registries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ), Specialized/Single-Purpose Accreditors (e.g., seminaries, arts conservatories) (EDADACAD)

Keywords

• Cardiothoracic surgery education
• Surgical professional association
• Medical journal publishing
• Clinical practice guidelines
• Surgical conference events

Headquarters

HQ city

Windsor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees providing access to journals, networking, education, and member-exclusive rates for events and publications.
2. Educational Courses and Training: Fees charged for academy courses, workshops, and training programs such as the Robotics Revascularisation Training course (Members: €765, Non-Members: €865 inclusive of VAT).
3. Annual Meeting Registration: Registration fees for the annual meeting providing access to scientific programs, exhibitions, and networking opportunities.
4. Publications: Revenue from publishing the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, and Multimedia Manual of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EACTS is a non-profit professional association that supports the global cardiothoracic surgical community through membership-based education, peer-reviewed journals, an annual scientific meeting, clinical guidelines, quality improvement databases, certification programs, and training resources for surgeons, residents, nurses, and allied health professionals.

Product overview

EACTS is a professional medical association serving the global cardiothoracic surgical community, offering a unified portfolio of educational, publication, and quality improvement services. The core offering consists of three peer-reviewed journals (EJCTS, ICVTS, and MMCTS), the EACTS Academy providing courses and the Francis Fontan Fund fellowship, and the Annual Meeting as the world's largest cardiothoracic surgical conference. Supporting services include the European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery (EBCTS) certification exams, the Training Management System, Clinical Practice Guidelines development, Quality Improvement databases (Adult Cardiac Database and EUROMACS for mechanical circulatory support), webinars, and the A Cut Above Podcast. These products work together to advance education, promote research, and improve patient outcomes in cardiothoracic surgery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EACTS Academy: EACTS education and training division providing courses, events, and the Francis Fontan Fund for fellowship support.
• EACTS Innovation Hub
• European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS)
• Interdisciplinary CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS)
• Multimedia Manual of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (MMCTS)
• European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery (EBCTS)
• A Cut Above Podcast

Products and services

• European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS)

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% success rate of pulmonary vein isolation at three months (from Pulse Biosciences clinical data presented at EACTS meeting)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEACTS shares member data with STS (based in the US) to administer membership benefits, as part of their collaborative relationship serving the cardiothoracic surgical community.
• CardioThoracic Surgery Network (CTSNET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEACTS shares member details with CTSNET (based in the US) for membership administration and collaborative services to the cardiothoracic surgery community.
• European Board of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EBCTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEACTS works with EBCTS to administer the European Board of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Exams and related certification processes.
• European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS)coreOthersEACTS publishes the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, distributing content through Oxford University Press platforms.
• Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS)coreOthersEACTS publishes the fully open-access Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery journal dedicated to multidisciplinary teams.
• KU LeuvencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKU Leuven serves as the location and institutional partner for the Robotics Revascularisation Training course, with W. Oosterlinck as Course Director.
• American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint award initiative - EACTS/AATS Foundation Academic Excellence Award distributed at EACTS Annual Meeting, supporting innovation and research in cardiothoracic surgery.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Heart Federation (WHF): A Geneva-based global NGO convening cardiovascular societies, advocacy, and World Heart Day campaigns. Comparable as a membership- and mission-driven cardiovascular organization operating at global scale, though focused on advocacy and prevention rather than surgical education.
• European Society of Cardiology (ESC): The largest European professional society in cardiovascular medicine, producing the ESC/EACTS joint valvular heart disease guidelines. Comparable in scale, guideline authorship, journals, congresses, and continuing education, but with a cardiology (rather than surgical) primary focus.
• European Respiratory Society (ERS): A major European professional society in respiratory medicine with annual congress, the European Respiratory Journal, and continuing education programs. Comparable in scale, non-profit association model, and journal/congress-driven revenue, but focused on pulmonary medicine rather than surgery.

Direct peers

• American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS): The leading American association for thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons, hosting its own annual meeting, journals, and training grants. Direct peer in cardiothoracic surgery education and research, and an explicit partner via the joint EACTS/AATS Foundation Academic Excellence Award.
• Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS): The principal US-based professional association for cardiothoracic surgeons, operating the Annals of Thoracic Surgery journal, the STS Annual Meeting, and the STS National Database. Directly comparable in mission, membership model, publications, and quality improvement registries, and explicitly partnered with EACTS for member data exchange.
• International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT): A global multidisciplinary professional society covering heart and lung transplantation and mechanical circulatory support, with journals, registries (IMACS), and an annual meeting. Directly comparable to EACTS in cardiothoracic education, research, and registry operations, with significant overlap in EUROMACS-relevant content.

Regional players

• Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland (SCTS): The UK and Ireland national society for cardiothoracic surgery, hosting an annual meeting, the SCTS Annual Audit, and education programs. Comparable in member-based education and audit/database activities, but geographically focused on the British Isles rather than pan-European like EACTS.
• Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS): The leading cardiothoracic surgery society serving Asia, organizing its own annual meeting and education programs. Comparable in mission and membership structure, but primarily serves Asian geographies in contrast to EACTS' European core.

Emerging players

• European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS): European society for vascular surgeons offering annual meetings, the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and clinical practice guidelines. Comparable as an adjacent European surgical society with similar membership, journal, and guideline-driven model, but focused on vascular rather than cardiac/thoracic surgery.

Others

• Cardiothoracic Surgery Network (CTSNet): The leading international online community and content platform for cardiothoracic surgeons, co-founded by EACTS, STS, and AATS. Comparable as a digital channel for cardiothoracic surgical content and community, and an explicit EACTS partner for member administration and content distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eacts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EACTS
• Facebookfacebook.com/europeanassociationcardiothoracicsurgery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-association-for-cardio-thoracic-surgery
• Instagraminstagram.com/eactsofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery