As Milan hosts the 62nd European Association for the Study of Diabetes, Eli Lilly uses public initiatives, including a restored tram and pop-up installations, to make cardiometabolic health more accessible and connect medical advances with everyday life.
As Milan prepares to host the 62nd Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes from 28 September to 2 October 2026, the city is becoming a stage for a broader conversation about cardiometabolic health, a term that brings together obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The congress at Allianz MiCo will draw thousands of clinicians, researchers and allied health professionals, with a programme spanning diabetes prevention, treatment and care, alongside sessions on obesity, GLP-1 and incretin therapies, and cardiovascular and renal outcomes.
Against that backdrop, Eli Lilly is using the congress as a reason to push the discussion beyond the conference halls and into public spaces. The company says it wants to make the science feel less remote and more relevant to everyday life, arguing that cardiometabolic health is shaped not only by medicine but also by how people eat, move and relate to one another. Its Italian hub has described the initiative as an effort to bring medical themes into places where people already live, travel and meet.
One of the most visible elements is a restored Milan tram, running from 28 September to 2 October on routes that begin at Piazza Castello and pass through parts of the city centre. The tram links two anniversaries: the first Milan tram line dates to 1876, the same year Eli Lilly and Company was founded. On board, a bilingual guide leads passengers through a story that connects the city’s transport history with milestones in diabetes care and the wider evolution of medicine. The ride is free, and the company has framed the message around the idea that medicine is about health as much as illness.
Lilly is also staging a pop-up installation in Piazza Tre Torri, called Fuori Congresso, a reference to Milan’s well-known Fuori Salone model of taking cultural events out into the city. Designed as a public-facing space, it is meant to serve both visitors and delegates attending the diabetes meeting. The installation includes light and walking-based features, with a red signal projected at Central Station and a route of totems linking MiCo with Piazza Tre Torri, while other areas invite people to pause, move, cook or simply explore the subject through interactive displays.
Inside the installation, the company has scheduled a series of activities under the banner “Connecting Experiences”. These include panel discussions with journalists and specialists, a practical session on everyday nutrition, community runs organised with fitness media, and an interactive game developed with patient groups including FAND, Diabete Italia, Amici Oltre il Peso, La Mattina Dopo and Conacuore. Lilly has also built in spaces focused on relaxation, the heartbeat and the company’s own 150-year history, using immersive displays to tie its past to current debates around cardiometabolic disease.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
