The strategic cooperation between the NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine and Semmelweis University reached another significant milestone in 2026, as the NATO Emergency Management of Battlefield Injuries (EMBI) Course was jointly delivered for the third consecutive year between 4 and 8 May 2026 in Budapest. Over the years, the course has evolved into one of the most distinguished international military medical training programmes within the domain of combat casualty management, whilst simultaneously serving as a highly respected professional platform for the integration of operational lessons identified, technological innovation, and contemporary educational methodologies in modern battlefield medicine. Since its inception, the EMBI Course has further benefited from the close and continuous cooperation of Val-de-Grâce, the institution responsible for providing medical support to the French Armed Forces, which has remained an integral partner in both the development and delivery of the programme. 

The 2026 iteration possessed particular significance, as it marked the first occasion on which the EMBI Course was conducted within the recently inaugurated National Centre for Medical Education and Innovation (NOIKK). The newly established complex constitutes a state-of-the-art educational environment specifically designed to satisfy the highest standards of contemporary medical education and advanced simulation-based training. Equipped with sophisticated infrastructure and cutting-edge technological capabilities, the facility provides an exceptional platform not only for the continued advancement of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, but also for the implementation of international military and civilian healthcare training activities. The integration of advanced simulation assets, modern educational technologies, and highly specialised practical training facilities substantially enhanced both the realism and the pedagogical value of the programme. 

The course once again attracted considerable international interest, with applications reaching almost twice the available training capacity. Ultimately, fifty participants representing eighteen nations were selected to attend, thereby further reinforcing the programme’s international prestige and NATO-wide relevance. The composition of the faculty similarly reflected the multinational character of the course, bringing together subject matter experts from the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Israel, the Netherlands, and Norway. The EMBI Course retains its NATO-approved status whilst also being formally accredited by Semmelweis University, thereby ensuring compliance with both military operational requirements and rigorous academic standards. 

The practical training component continued to constitute one of the defining pillars of the EMBI Course. During the dedicated practical training day, eight rotating teams progressed through a series of highly specialised workshops designed to address the most critical interventions in contemporary combat casualty care. The cadaveric training modules enabled participants to perform advanced life-saving procedures, including clamshell thoracotomy, multiple forms of surgical airway management, thoracic decompression techniques, and fasciotomy procedures, all under expert supervision. 

Additional skill stations utilising advanced simulation manikins focused extensively upon battlefield haemorrhage control techniques and associated devices, as well as upon a broad spectrum of airway management procedures ranging from supraglottic airway devices to videolaryngoscopy and fibre-optic airway management solutions. Particular emphasis was further placed upon intraosseous and intrasternal procedures, together with resuscitative fluid administration techniques, both of which have assumed increasing operational significance within contemporary tactical medical practice. In line with the ongoing commitment of the NATO MILMED COE to technological innovation and capability development, the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) workshop was once again delivered within a fully immersive virtual reality environment, thereby demonstrating the expanding operational and educational relevance of VR-based medical training solutions. 

Now delivered annually for seventeen consecutive years, the EMBI Course has consistently adapted to the evolving requirements of international military medicine and contemporary operational healthcare environments. The programme continues to integrate dynamically emerging clinical practices, technological advancements, and doctrinal developments derived from multinational operational experience and current battlefield realities. The 2026 course once again reaffirmed that EMBI represents substantially more than a conventional training activity; rather, it constitutes a recognised international professional forum that actively contributes to the advancement of military medicine, the strengthening of multinational interoperability, and the preparation of future generations of healthcare professionals operating within increasingly complex operational environments.