European Society of Thoracic Surgeons

What European Society of Thoracic Surgeons does

The European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), founded in 1993 and registered as a nonprofit in Bristol, United Kingdom (Registered Number 10523525), is a continental professional medical society serving practicing thoracic surgeons globally. Its core member base comprises approximately 2,000 surgeons from 91 countries, governed by an elected Board of Directors and supported by committees on Finance, Learning Affairs, Membership, Database, and Nominating, among others.

ESTS operates a portfolio of clinical, educational, and research platforms. The ESTS Database is a clinical outcomes registry with formal unit leader registration, contributor accreditation, and published rules for reporting — a substrate for cross-institution quality improvement. The TEST Clinical Trials Platform coordinates multi-center thoracic surgery research. Educational delivery spans the ESTS School and Courses (with accreditation), a Video Library (textbook, meeting recordings, webinars), clinical guidelines, the EBTS Thoracic Examinations board certification pathway, and over 20 working groups covering subspecialty topics (robotic surgery, chest wall, thoracic infections, transplantation, women in thoracic surgery, and others). The Annual Conference is the flagship in-person event (record 1,943 delegates from 86 countries at the 2026 Athens edition), supplemented by fellowships in robotic surgery, biology research methodology, observerships, and a WGTS Mid-Career Fellowship in Surgical Oncology sponsored by AstraZeneca.

Economically, ESTS runs a membership-fee and event-based nonprofit model. Revenue is not publicly disclosed but is generated through member subscriptions, conference registration, industry sponsorship (named sponsors include Roche, Medtronic, CMR Surgical, and AstraZeneca), and a small event-management firm (Kenes) handling logistics. The society has 34 employees, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no public listing, and is governed independently from any industry partner despite commercially meaningful sponsor relationships.

Name

European Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Legal name

The European Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Website

https://ests.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) is a 1993-founded nonprofit professional medical society headquartered in Bristol, UK, serving approximately 2,000 thoracic surgeon members across 91 countries through education, certification, a clinical outcomes database, and a flagship annual conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Society Services

NAICS

Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Assessment Platforms & Computer-Based Testing Authorities (EDADAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory Submissions & Clinical Content Management (eCTD/Publishing) (HLACAOAN), EHR Implementation, Optimization, Training & Managed Services (HLACAAAL)

Keywords

• Thoracic surgery society
• Medical professional membership
• Surgical education training
• Clinical research trials
• Board certification examinations

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

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: ESTS generates revenue through membership subscriptions, with different membership rates and tiers for thoracic surgeons. Benefits include education, research support, professional networking, member-only access, and surgeon search visibility.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ESTS operates a clinical database registry, a TEST Clinical Trials Platform, an educational school with structured courses and accreditation, an online video library, EBTS board certification examinations, multiple fellowship programs, and an annual European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery. Members gain access to clinical guidelines, working groups covering subspecialties (robotic surgery, chest wall, transplantation, infections), and surgeon search functionality, all delivered through a membership-based professional society model.

Product overview

The European Society of Thoracic Surgeons operates as a professional medical society offering a unified platform of educational, research, and professional development services for thoracic surgeons globally. The core offerings include the ESTS Database for clinical data registry, the ESTS School and Courses for structured training with accreditation, the TEST Clinical Trials Platform for collaborative research, and the Annual Conference as the flagship networking and scientific event. Supporting products include the ESTS Video Library for on-demand education, multiple fellowship programs (Robotic School, Biology Club, WGTS Mid-Career), Working Groups for specialized topics, EBTS examinations, clinical guidelines, and a Patient Information resource. With approximately 2,000 members from 91 countries, the society connects thoracic surgery professionals through membership services, surgeon search functionality, and industry partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ESTS Database: Clinical database platform for thoracic surgery data collection and reporting
• ESTS School
• ESTS Video Library
• TEST Clinical Trials Platform
• ESTS WGTS Mid-Career Fellowship

Products and services

• ESTS Database Clinical database registry for thoracic surgery data collection, reporting, and quality improvement initiatives across member institutions, with a unit leader user registration system and contributor accreditation.
• ESTS School and Courses Educational platform providing structured training programs, accreditation, and professional development courses for thoracic surgeons, including subprograms such as the ESTS Robotic School and the ESTS Biology Club.
• ESTS Video Library Online educational resource containing surgical textbook content, annual meeting videos, and webinars for continuous medical education in thoracic surgery.
• TEST Clinical Trials Platform Platform for coordinating and conducting Thoracic European Surgical Trials, with a steering committee overseeing collaborative research initiatives in thoracic surgery.
• ESTS Working Groups Collaborative groups addressing specialized thoracic surgery topics including robotic surgery, chest wall, thoracic infections, transplantation, and professional development areas, with live activities and published output.
• Annual European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery Flagship annual international conference bringing together thoracic surgeons for scientific presentations, networking, prizes and awards, and certification opportunities; the 34th edition in Athens in June 2026 drew 1,943 delegates from 86 countries.
• EBTS Thoracic Examinations Board certification examinations for thoracic surgery with structured syllabus and curriculum, administered by ESTS.
• ESTS Clinical Guidelines Clinical guidelines and recommendations developed by the society for thoracic surgery best practices, including joint guidelines with ERS, ESTRO, ESR, and ESGE.
• ESTS Surveys Platform Platform for conducting, publishing, and archiving surveys on thoracic surgery practices and professional topics, with active, past, and published survey categories.
• ESTS WGTS Mid-Career Fellowship in Surgical Oncology Fellowship program supporting women in thoracic surgery in the first five years post-training, providing a €10,000 award for travel and accommodation to pursue thoracic oncology research at leading European institutions.
• ESTS Robotic School Fellowship Specialized fellowship program for training in robotic thoracic surgery techniques, delivered through the ESTS Robotic School.
• ESTS Biology Club Fellowship Fellowship focused on biology research methodology in thoracic surgery, supplemented by webinars on grant writing and research skills.
• ESTS Observership/Fellowship Observation and fellowship opportunities at member institutions for thoracic surgeons seeking professional development.
• Patient Information Resources Patient-centered resources including information on thoracic diseases (COPD, lung cancer, pneumothorax, chest trauma), surgical procedures, recovery guidance, and useful apps, provided through the Patient Centered Working Group.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CTSNet (Cardiothoracic Surgery Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTSNet is a partner in the Third World TOS Summit 2026, supporting the global thoracic surgery community through collaborative educational initiatives and knowledge sharing.
• Turkish Thoracic SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting the Third World TOS Summit 2026, contributing to international collaboration in thoracic surgery education and research.
• Arab Congress of Thoracic SurgerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for the Third World TOS Summit 2026, supporting regional collaboration and education in thoracic surgery across Arab countries.
• Smart Health TowerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Third World TOS Summit 2026, hosting the event at their facility in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
• RocheminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPharmaceutical company sponsor of ESTS, supporting educational activities and professional development programs.
• MedtronicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedical technology company sponsor of ESTS, supporting the society's educational and professional development initiatives.
• CMR SurgicalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSurgical robotics company sponsor of ESTS, supporting educational activities and robotic surgery training initiatives.
• AstraZenecaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPharmaceutical company supporter of the ESTS Women in Thoracic Surgery Committee's Mid-Career Fellowship in Surgical Oncology, providing funding for women surgeons' professional development.
• European Respiratory Society (ERS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the Academy of Thoracic Oncology educational event, combining respiratory and thoracic surgery expertise for multidisciplinary cancer care education.
• ESTRO (European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Academy of Thoracic Oncology educational initiative, providing radiotherapy expertise for comprehensive thoracic oncology education.
• ESR (European Society of Radiology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Academy of Thoracic Oncology and joint guidelines development, contributing radiology expertise to multidisciplinary thoracic cancer care.
• ESGE (European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in joint guidelines for endosonography in lung cancer diagnosis and staging, combining gastroenterology and thoracic surgery expertise.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• European Respiratory Society: Pan-European society for respiratory medicine with overlapping interest in thoracic oncology and lung disease. ESTS already partners with ERS on Academy of Thoracic Oncology, but ERS is also a competing convener for multidisciplinary thoracic clinicians.
• CTSNet (Cardiothoracic Surgery Network): Collaborative cardiothoracic surgery information portal and community partner of ESTS. Comparable as an educational content and community platform serving the same surgical audience, with overlapping video library and clinical resources.

Direct peers

• Society of Thoracic Surgeons: Largest US-based professional society for cardiothoracic surgeons with its own STS National Database, annual meeting, and board certification pathways. Directly comparable to ESTS in mission (education, credentialing, registry) and overlapping thoracic surgery audience.
• American Association for Thoracic Surgery: Long-established international thoracic surgery association holding the Annual Meeting and operating grant/fellowship programs. Closely comparable to ESTS as a peer medical society serving academic thoracic surgeons globally.
• International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer: Global multidisciplinary society dedicated to lung cancer research and education, including thoracic surgeons. Comparable to ESTS in its thoracic oncology focus, conference programming, and clinical guideline publishing.

Broad incumbents

• European Society for Medical Oncology: Leading European professional organization for medical oncology with conferences, guidelines, and fellowship programs. Adjacent peer in the same thoracic oncology ecosystem that ESTS addresses through joint educational events.
• Royal College of Surgeons of England: UK-based professional body and examining authority for surgeons with training, exams, and accreditation programs. Comparable to ESTS in credentialing and education delivery, though it covers all surgical specialties rather than thoracic alone.

Regional players

• British Thoracic Society: UK professional society for respiratory and thoracic clinicians, with overlapping interest in lung cancer, COPD, and pleural disease. Comparable to ESTS in mission and member-base, but UK-centric and respiratory-led rather than surgical.
• General Thoracic Surgery Club: US-based specialty club for general thoracic surgeons holding biannual meetings and collaborative research. Comparable to ESTS in serving academic general thoracic surgeons, but operates in a different geography.

Others

• European Society of Thoracic Imaging: European subspecialty society focused on thoracic imaging and radiology. Adjacent peer operating in the same multidisciplinary thoracic ecosystem where ESTS engages radiologists through ESR partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thoracic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@estsyoutubechannel3660
• Facebookfacebook.com/europeanthoracic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-society-thoracic-surgeons

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about European Society of Thoracic Surgeons