e-IRG Workshop under Polish EU Presidency

Starts
Ends
(Timezone - Europe/Brussels)
Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center (Centrum Badawcze Polskiego Internetu Optycznego / Polish Optical Internet Research Center Street Jana Pawła II 10 61-139 Poznan 1) How to reach PSNC: - https://www.psnc.pl/how-to-reach-us/cbpio/ 2) List of recommended hotels: https://www.psnc.pl/how-to-reach-us/base-of-hotels/ )

Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center

Centrum Badawcze Polskiego Internetu Optycznego / Polish Optical Internet Research Center Street Jana Pawła II 10 61-139 Poznan 1) How to reach PSNC: - https://www.psnc.pl/how-to-reach-us/cbpio/ 2) List of recommended hotels: https://www.psnc.pl/how-to-reach-us/base-of-hotels/
Norbert Meyer (PSNC), Stefan Hanslik (BMBWF)
Description

Note: The venue location and detailed logistics are at the bottom of this page! Registration is now open

The e-Infrastructure Reflection Group (e-IRG) organises two open workshops every year, each under the auspices of the corresponding presidency of the EU Council. The Polish EU Presidency e-IRG Workshop is organised as a hybrid event hosted by PSNC, and will bring together e-Infrastructure stakeholders in Poznan, Poland, as well as online and worldwide. 

The event's overarching theme is "e-Infrastructure activities in the new European Research Area (ERA)", with its opportunities and challenges including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity. It is reminded that Research Infrastructures, including e-Infrastructures (referred to also as eRIs or digital infrastructures), as well as EOSC, are considered as "ERA structural policies", i.e. long-term policies that are well integrated with national and EU policies.   

A set of sub-topics was developed by the Programme Committee, composed of e-IRG delegations and e-Infrastructure Assembly members, namely: 

  1. Artificial Intelligence in Research and Science, in particular, the role of e-Infrastructures in AI, including the recently awarded AI factories by EuroHPC. 
    • The EU and the Member States/Associated Countries are heavily investing in national and European e-Infrastructures, including High-Performance Computing and AI-facilities. These investments support cutting-edge research and science, reinforcing Europe’s role in global Research Infrastructures. Maintaining the financial, operational, and environmental sustainability of such Research Infrastructures is crucial. This includes investments in energy-efficient infrastructures, ongoing modernisation of systems, and ensuring long-term viability. A new key initiative in this area is the EU Competitiveness Compass, and a set of related Acts and initiatives, which will be presented and discussed.
    • Under this topic developments at EU and national levels will be reviewed, both success stories (e.g. good practices) and also challenges faced, and how these were overcome or not.
  2. Cybersecurity for society and in particular for Research and Science including Research Infrastructures.
    • Security, in all its dimensions, including Information, i.e. Cybersecurity, is one of the Polish EU Presidency's priorities. Horizon Europe is divided into pillars, one of which is Excellent Science, where Research Infrastructures are funded, and another one is Global Challenges, where Civil Security for Society is one of the clusters. Cybersecurity measures are encompassed in this area, and funding for cybersecurity research is run by the EC European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC). Furthermore, the NIS-2 directive establishes a unified legal framework to increase cybersecurity in critical sectors across the EU. "It calls on Member States to define national cybersecurity strategies and collaborate with the EU for cross-border reaction and enforcement". The updates on Cybersecurity and NIS-2 will be discussed during the workshop.
    • Under this topic developments at EU and national levels will be reviewed, both success stories (e.g. good practices) and also challenges faced, and how these were overcome or not.
       
  3. EU Data Spaces and EOSC: Preparation for a broader interoperable data ecosystem.
    • Common European Data Spaces will make more data across different thematic fields available for access and reuse in a trustworthy, interoperable and secure environment, building the single market for data, for the benefit not only of researchers, but mainly of EU businesses and citizens. The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), which is the Data Space for Research and Science, is progressing, enrolling a set of nodes, starting from the EU node, to build up the EOSC federation. The session will discuss the developments of the EU Data Spaces, and in particular the work towards an interoperable data ecosystem. News from the recent EU Data Spaces Symposium will also be reported. 
      Under this topic developments at the EU level across several EU Data Spaces will be reported, focusing on interoperability and the link with EOSC and Open Science, which is another structural policy of the next ERA Policy Agenda (2025-2027) besides Research Infrastructures.

Tuesday 24 June 2025, 14:00-18:00

Session 1:  Artificial Intelligence in Research and Science

Session 2 : Cybersecurity for society and in particular for Research and Science

Note: A site visit to PSNC HPC and EOSC data centres will follow

Wednesday 25 June 2024, 09:00-13:30

Session 2: cont'd

Session 3: EU Data Spaces and EOSC: Preparation for a broader interoperable data ecosystem.

 

Looking forward to a fruitful workshop!

Stefan Hanslik, e-IRG Chair

Nortber Meyer, e-IRG co-Chair

Fotis Karayannis, Michael Maragakis, Bernd Saurugger, Jan Wiebelitz, e-IRG Support Project

e-IRG (@eirgeu) / X (twitter.com)

#eirg - Search / X (twitter.com)

 

 

Participants
e-IRG Secretariat
    • Session 1 - Artificial Intelligence in Research and Science: Introduction and Generic (horizontal) aspects - Infrastructures and Policies

      Session 1 - Artificial Intelligence in Research and Science, in particular, the role of e-Infrastructures in AI, including the recently awarded AI factories by EuroHPC.
      The EU and the Member States/Associated Countries are heavily investing in national and European e-Infrastructures, including High-Performance Computing and AI-facilities. These investments support cutting-edge research and science, reinforcing Europe’s role in global Research Infrastructures. Maintaining the financial, operational, and environmental sustainability of such research infrastructures is crucial. This includes investments in energy-efficient infrastructures, ongoing modernisation of systems, and ensuring long-term viability. A new key initiative in this area is the EU Competitiveness Compass, and a set of related Acts and initiatives, which will be presented and discussed.
      Under this topic developments at EU and national levels will be reviewed, both success stories (e.g. good practices) and also challenges faced, and how these were overcome or not in specific countries/regions

    • 15:10
      Coffee break
    • Session 1 - Artificial Intelligence in Research and Science: Thematic (vertical) AI needs and views

      Session 1 - Artificial Intelligence in Research and Science, in particular, the role of e-Infrastructures in AI, including the recently awarded AI factories by EuroHPC.
      The EU and the Member States/Associated Countries are heavily investing in national and European e-Infrastructures, including High-Performance Computing and AI-facilities. These investments support cutting-edge research and science, reinforcing Europe’s role in global Research Infrastructures. Maintaining the financial, operational, and environmental sustainability of such research infrastructures is crucial. This includes investments in energy-efficient infrastructures, ongoing modernisation of systems, and ensuring long-term viability. A new key initiative in this area is the EU Competitiveness Compass, and a set of related Acts and initiatives, which will be presented and discussed.
      Under this topic developments at EU and national levels will be reviewed, both success stories (e.g. good practices) and also challenges faced, and how these were overcome or not in specific countries/regions

      • 5
        International vision on AI from the Humanities/Cultural heritage perspective

        The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the scientific and GLAM sectors requires a globally collaborative and inclusive approach that centres on their unique needs. To fully unlock the potential of AI in these environments, there is a growing demand for tailored tools and services that support the access, management, and (re)use of digitized and digitally born content. Moreover, GLAM institutions play a crucial role in AI model development by providing valuable data for training, testing and research.
        Central to this transformation is the establishment of secure, trustworthy, and scalable AI infrastructures, supported by long-term investment in sustainable cross-domain systems. This includes comprehensive strategies for education and capacity building, the preservation of data and models, and effective storage and processing solutions. Equally important is the cultivation of a culture grounded in collaboration, innovation, and open knowledge exchange to ensure that AI technologies are adopted in ways that are both ethical and impactful. To responsibly and effectively implement AI across the cultural and scientific landscape, we must advocate for policies, frameworks, and partnerships that promote transparency, inclusivity, and reliability—laying the groundwork for an AI-powered future that serves the public good.

        Associate Professor Dr. Ines Vodopivec holds the position of Vice Dean at Nova University, she is a Management Board Member of the Europeana Network Association and a Secretary General of the AI4LAM (Artificial Intelligence for Libraries, Archives, and Museums).

        Speaker: Ines Vodopivec (Artificial Intelligence in Libraries, Archives, and Museums (AI4LAM))
      • 6
        European Multilingualism, the use of AI and Large Language Models across Europe; the OpenEuroLLM perspective

        Jan Hajič is a professor of Computational Linguistics at the Institute of Formal and Applied Linguistics, School of Computer Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia. His interests span fundamental formal linguistic problems, machine translation, deep language understanding, and applications. He has built resources for many languages with rich linguistic annotation; he is currently leading a multi-institutional research infrastructure on open language resources in Czechia, LINDAT/CLARIAH-CZ, and coordinating two EU projects on building LLMs, HPLT and OpenEuroLLM. His work experience includes both industrial research (IBM Research Yorktown Heights, NY, USA) and academia (Charles University, Prague, Czechia, Johns Hopkins University and University of Colorado, USA, Fellow of the Centre for Advanced Studies at the Norway Academy of Sciences, and others). He has published more than 200 papers with about 16,000 citations. He is a chair or member of many international and national boards and committees.

        Speaker: Jan Hajic (Charles University)
      • 7
        AI Needs in Compute/Data Intensive Research from High-Energy Physics and Radio Astronomy: The SPECTRUM Project perspective

        Sergio Andreozzi is Head of Strategy, Innovation and Communications of the EGI Foundation. In his role, Sergio contributes to strategic planning and execution, governance, and business models. Other responsibilities comprise contributing to developing project proposals to implement the EGI strategy or innovative ideas, leading activities in projects, authoring external communication messages as well as organising and participating in meetings, forums and conferences. Sergio is also member of the EC Open Science Policy Platform.

        He holds an Executive Master in Management of Research Infrastructures (University of Milano-Bicocca), a PhD in Computer Science (University of Bologna) and a MSc in Computer Science Engineering (University of Pisa).

        Speaker: Sergio Andreozzi (EGI.eu)
      • 8
        Panel Discussion
    • 16:45
      Break between sessions
    • Session 2 - Cybersecurity for society and in particular for Research and Science, including Research Infrastructures: Cybersecurity Day 1

      Session 2 - Cybersecurity for society and in particular for Research and Science, including Research Infrastructures.
      Security, in all its dimensions, including Information, i.e. Cybersecurity is one of the Polish EU Presidency priorities. Horizon Europe is divided into pillars, one of which is Excellent Science (where RIs are funded) and another one being Global Challenges, where Civil Security for Society is one of the clusters. Cybersecurity measures are encompassed in this area, and funding for cybersecurity research is run by the EC European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC). Furthermore, the NIS-2 directive establishes a unified legal framework to increase cybersecurity in critical sectors across the EU. "It calls on Member States to define national cybersecurity strategies and collaborate with the EU for cross-border reaction and enforcement". The updates on Cybersecurity and NIS-2 will be discussed during the workshop.
      Under this topic developments at EU and national levels will be reviewed, both success stories (e.g. good practices) and also challenges faced, and how these were overcome or not in specific countries/regions.

      • 9
        Welcome and Introduction

        Cybersecurity for society and in particular for Research and Science including Research Infrastructures.
        Security, in all its dimensions, including Information, i.e. Cybersecurity, is one of the Polish EU Presidency's priorities. Horizon Europe is divided into pillars, one of which is Excellent Science, where Research Infrastructures are funded, and another one is Global Challenges, where Civil Security for Society is one of the clusters. Cybersecurity measures are encompassed in this area, and funding for cybersecurity research is run by the EC European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC). Furthermore, the NIS-2 directive establishes a unified legal framework to increase cybersecurity in critical sectors across the EU. "It calls on Member States to define national cybersecurity strategies and collaborate with the EU for cross-border reaction and enforcement". The updates on Cybersecurity and NIS-2 will be discussed during the workshop.
        Under this topic developments at EU and national levels will be reviewed, both success stories (e.g. good practices) and also challenges faced, and how these were overcome or not.

        Speaker: Norbert Meyer (PSNC)
      • 10
        The European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC): The ECCC role in strengthening the EU Cybersecurity Ecosystem

        The ECCC Role in Strengthening the EU Cybersecurity Ecosystem
        The presentation will provide insights into the scope and activities of the ECCC which aims to increase Europe’s cybersecurity capacities and competitiveness

        Luca Tagliaretti, ECCC Executive Director
        Luca has more than 20 years of experience working with European Institutions and International Organisations, specialising in the domains of digital transformation, cybersecurity, and research and development.
        Before joining the ECCC as Executive Director in 2024, he held the roles of Deputy Executive Director and Interim Executive Director of eu-LISA, the European Union Agency for the management of large-scale IT systems. Prior to that he served as head of the Global Technical Centre of the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group at the European Central Bank.
        Luca's academic achievements include an Engineering Degree from the Polytechnic University of Milan, a Master's Degree from the School of Management of the Polytechnic of Milan (MIP), and an MBA from Oxford Brookes University. He has completed the Advanced Leadership and Management Programme (OALMP) at Saïd Business School, Oxford University, as well as the Program on Negotiation (PON) at Harvard University.

        About the ECCC
        The European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), together with the Network of National Coordination Centres (NCCs), is Europe’s new framework to support innovation and industrial policy in cybersecurity. This ecosystem will strengthen the capacities of the cybersecurity technology Community, shield our economy and society from cyberattacks, maintain research excellence and reinforce the competitiveness of EU industry in this field.
        The ECCC, which will be located in Bucharest, will develop and implement, with Member States, industry and the cybersecurity technology Community, a common agenda for technology development and for its wide deployment in areas of public interest and in businesses, in particular SMEs.
        The Centre and the Network together will enhance our technological sovereignty through joint investment in strategic cybersecurity projects.

        Speaker: Luca Tagliaretti (ECCC)
      • 11
        Updates on the NIS-2 directive - EU level

        Updates on the NIS-2 directive - EU level: The GÉANT paradigm

        Alf Moens holds the position of Senior Information Security Officer in GÉANT.

        Speaker: Alf Moens
        • a) EU level - The GÉANT paradigm
          Speaker: Alf Moens (GÉANT)
      • 12
        Updates on the NIS-2 directive - National level

        Updates on the NIS-2 directive - National level: The PSNC paradigm

        Maciej Miłostan is a cybersecurity analyst at the Poznan University of Technology and PSNC

        Speaker: Maciej Miłostan
        • a) National level - The PSNC paradigm (Poland)
          Speaker: Maciej Milostan (PSNC)
    • 18:10
      Preparation for PSNC site visit
    • 18:20
      Site visit to PSNC HPC systems
    • 20:00
      Dinner (timing to be confirmed) TBC

      TBC

  • Wednesday, 25 June
    • Session 2 - Cybersecurity for society and in particular for Research and Science, including Research Infrastructures: Cybersecurity day 2

      Session 2 - Cybersecurity for society and in particular for Research and Science, including Research Infrastructures.
      Security, in all its dimensions, including Information, i.e. Cybersecurity is one of the Polish EU Presidency priorities. Horizon Europe is divided into pillars, one of which is Excellent Science (where RIs are funded) and another one being Global Challenges, where Civil Security for Society is one of the clusters. Cybersecurity measures are encompassed in this area, and funding for cybersecurity research is run by the EC European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC). Furthermore, the NIS-2 directive establishes a unified legal framework to increase cybersecurity in critical sectors across the EU. "It calls on Member States to define national cybersecurity strategies and collaborate with the EU for cross-border reaction and enforcement". The updates on Cybersecurity and NIS-2 will be discussed during the workshop.
      Under this topic developments at EU and national levels will be reviewed, both success stories (e.g. good practices) and also challenges faced, and how these were overcome or not in specific countries/regions.

    • 10:00
      Coffee break
    • Session 3 - EU Data Spaces and EOSC: Preparation for a broader interoperable data ecosystem: Sub-session 1 - General (horizontal) talks

      Session 3 - EU Data Spaces and EOSC: Preparation for a broader interoperable data ecosystem
      Common European Data Spaces will make more data across different fields available for access and reuse in a trustworthy, interoperable and secure environment building the single market for data, for the benefit not only of researchers, but mainly of EU businesses and citizens. The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), which is the Data Space for Research and Science, is progressing enrolling a set of nodes, starting from the EU node, to build up the EOSC federation. The session will discuss the developments of the EU Data Spaces, and in particular the work towards an interoperable data ecosystem. News from the recent EU Data Spaces Symposium will also be reported.
      Under this topic, developments at the EU level across several EU Data Spaces will be reported, focusing on interoperability and the link with EOSC and Open Science, which is another structural policy.

      • 16
        Welcome and Introduction

        Common European Data Spaces will make more data across different thematic fields available for access and reuse in a trustworthy, interoperable, and secure environment, building the single market for data, for the benefit not only of researchers but mainly of EU businesses and citizens. The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), which is the Data Space for Research and Science, is progressing, enrolling a set of nodes, starting from the EU node, to build up the EOSC federation. The session will discuss the developments of the EU Data Spaces, and in particular, the work towards an interoperable data ecosystem. News from the recent EU Data Spaces Symposium will also be reported.
        Under this topic, developments at the EU level across several EU Data Spaces will be reported, focusing on interoperability and the link with EOSC and Open Science, which is another structural policy of the next ERA Policy Agenda (2025-2027) besides Research Infrastructures.

        Chris de Loof, who is the Session Chair, is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO). He focuses on digital strategies for Scientific Research and Cultural Heritage. He has been a long-time advocate for open and FAIR data.

        Speaker: Chris De Loof (BELSPO, BELNET)
      • 17
        Data Spaces and EOSC

        Data Spaces and EOSC

        Olivier Rouchon is a Research Data Officer at CNRS. He is currently the head of the Digital Preservation Department at the CINES, a French national data centre for higher education and research. In addition to his management duties, he is actively involved in the French PIN (Pérennisation des Informations Numériques) working group as a coordinator, and have published papers relating the long term preservation of digital objects.

        Speaker: Olivier Rouchon (CNRS)
      • 18
        The Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC) and its intersections with the European research community

        This presentation will introduce the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC), outlining its vision, objectives, and core offerings (including the Blueprint for data spaces) to the evolving Data Spaces landscape, and its role in fostering a vibrant, collaborative Network of Stakeholders. Special emphasis will be placed on the intersections between the DSSC and the research community, highlighting already established connections and next opportunities for engagement, knowledge exchange, and co-creation to advance data spaces and the reuse of data across sectors, fostering innovation and sustainable development.

        Savvas Rogotis is a Senior Data Ecosystem Project Manager for BDVA/DAIRO with a strong focus on identifying and establishing an effective collaboration with relevant stakeholders at European, International and National/regional level, thus, contributing to the development of a Community of Practice for Data Sharing in Europe. He has a proven track record in the IT sector, having worked across multiple verticals—including Agriculture, Tourism, Security & Surveillance and e-Governance. In his current role, he plays a key part in the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC), where he contributes to the support centre's stakeholder engagement activities, being part of the team that leads efforts in building a robust Network of Stakeholders.

        Speaker: Savvas Rogotis (BDVA and DSSC)
      • 19
        Data Spaces and the Simpl state of play

        Data Spaces and the Simpl state of play

        Valentina Staveris, IT Project Officer – DG CNECT Cloud and Software unit - European Commission

        Speaker: Valentina STAVERIS
      • 20
        The EOSC-A view on Data Spaces and the European Health Data Space paradigm

        The EOSC-A view on Data Spaces and the European Health Data Space paradigm

        Ignacio Blanquer is full professor at the Universitat Politècnica de València and member of the Board of Directors in the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) Association. He has extensively worked in e-Science, Research Infrastructures, and biomedical imaging, being the Spanish delegate of the e-IRG, Ignacio Blanquer has coordinated several European projects focused on cloud computing for scientific research. His leadership in EOSC-SYNERGY, CHAIMELEON and EUCAIM has foster the adoption of FAIR data principles and collaboration across scientific disciplines. He is currently the technical coordinator of the central hub in the European Cancer Imaging Federation.

        Speaker: Ignacio Blanquer (UPV and EOSC-A)
    • 11:45
      Break between sessions
    • Session 3 - EU Data Spaces and EOSC: Preparation for a broader interoperable data ecosystem: Sub-session 2 - Thematic (vertical) talks and panel

      Session 3 - EU Data Spaces and EOSC: Preparation for a broader interoperable data ecosystem
      Common European Data Spaces will make more data across different fields available for access and reuse in a trustworthy, interoperable and secure environment building the single market for data, for the benefit not only of researchers, but mainly of EU businesses and citizens. The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), which is the Data Space for Research and Science, is progressing enrolling a set of nodes, starting from the EU node, to build up the EOSC federation. The session will discuss the developments of the EU Data Spaces, and in particular the work towards an interoperable data ecosystem. News from the recent EU Data Spaces Symposium will also be reported.
      Under this topic, developments at the EU level across several EU Data Spaces will be reported, focusing on interoperability and the link with EOSC and Open Science, which is another structural policy.

    • 13:30
      Lunch