CARS 2021: Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Proceedings of the 35th International Congress and Exhibition Munich, Germany, June 21–25, 2021

CARS 2021 and Rethinking the Hospital and OR of the FutureIn addition to the traditional CARS topics and presentations, this year's CARS Congress is revisiting and widening its scope towards both, the Digital Operating Room of the Future and the Hospital of the Future.This is expressed in the CARS 2021 overall theme: ''Rethinking the Hospital and OR''.In past CARS Congresses these themes have been addressed only as focused events, the ''Hospital of the Future'' as early as in 1995 [1] and the ''OR 2020-The Operating Room of the Future'' in CARS 2004 in close cooperation with Kevin Cleary and other colleagues in the USA [2], see Fig. 1.This resulted for example, also in the foundation of WG 24 DICOM in Surgery and the IHE Surgery domain.CARS being mainly concerned about the presence and future of the clinical domains of radiology and surgery recognizes, however, that fundamental developments in IT impact not only these two specific disciplines, but also the hospital of the future and even the healthcare system as a whole, in which radiology and surgery are expected to play a major role.Specifically, the goal of a newly established workshop for CARS 2021 ''OR 2030 and Beyond'' is to identify the clinical and technical requirements for the next generation operating room.OR 2030 is a sequel to OR 2020 [2] but also addressing themes of related developments.The next 10 years with the horizon of 2030 are selected as a target timeframe, but with a possible glance also at what might be expected beyond this period.Below are some of the proposed themes the OR 2030 initiative will focus on in corresponding four working groups:• Group 1: Surgical