Members of our group participated in the reNEW Early Career Researcher (ECR) Retreat held in Scheveningen. This event brought together researchers from all three reNEW nodes — Copenhagen, Leiden, and Melbourne — providing a valuable platform for scientific exchange, collaboration, and community-building. The program featured a series of short presentations, flash talks, and poster sessions, fostering vibrant scientific discussions. Alongside the academic sessions, social activities such as a BBQ at the beach and team games helped build connections in an informal setting. Several group members presented their latest research. Winnie delivered a talk on using hiPSC-derived inner ear organoids to study genetic hearing loss. George gave a flash talk on developing functional assays for hiPSC-derived corneal endothelium. Amy presented a poster on ototoxicity studies using inner ear organoid models. Athina presented a poster on generating a high-throughput platform for hiPSC-derived spiral ganglion neurons. Esther presented a poster on USH2A and DFNA9-related inner ear organoids and the application of antisense oligonucleotide therapy. We are grateful to the organizers for a stimulating and well-organized event and look forward to future collaboration across the reNEW network!