Webinar: MS Azure and OCRE - How The Swiss Data Science Center and FCCN are using Azure to empower research

Starts 14 Jan 2026, 12:00

Ends 14 Jan 2026, 13:00

(Timezone - UTC)

Virtually Hosted ( https://geant.zoom.us/j/67789547178?pwd=ILESICt51Toxbobrc4T0uQ7GVELiCn.1&from=addon Meeting ID: 677 8954 7178 Passcode: 298876 )

In this Webinar, The Swiss Data Center (SDC) and FCCN will be sharing how they have used MS Azure services including  Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI to develop services for their Research and Education users.

Agenda

• Intro from Deepa Shinde - Senior Director, Industry Advisor - Research & Innovation (EMEA) at  Microsoft (10m)
• Swiss Success Story – Renku(20m)
• Portuguese Success Story FCNN - (20m)
• Q&A (10m)

Swiss Success Story

• Renku
• Speaker :Rok  Roskar <rok.roskar@sdsc.ethz.ch>
• BIO: Rok is the Chief Systems Scientist and Head of Engineering at the Swiss Data Science Center. He leads the team behind Renku, an open-source collaborative data science platform. Previously, he tackled big data challenges at ETH Zürich's Scientific IT Services. A physicist by training, Rok holds a PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics (University of Washington) and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Zürich before pivoting to research software engineering. 

 

 Synopsis : Renku is an open-source (Apache 2.0) data science platform from the Swiss Data Science Center. It allows researchers to build collaborative and fully reproducible projects by acting as a connecting hub for data, code, and compute resources which can come from a variety of providers and infrastructures. Users can add project members for collaboration, manage group research assets, and use the platform to showcase interactive demos of their data or models.  In this presentation, we will discuss the current state of the project and illustrate its potential with success stories from the crossroads of academia and industry.

Portuguese Success Story

• FCNN
• Speaker :  Fábio Cosme & Diogo Matos
• BIO: Fábio Cosme is a Systems Administrator at FCCN, the digital services unit of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Since 2018, he has worked in the Advanced Infrastructure / Corporate ICT Services area, focusing on AI solution configuration, Active Directory administration, workstation management, and VoIP systems. He has contributed to key projects such as the VoIP infrastructure renewal and the IAedu initiative. Known for an analytical, calm, and problem‑solving mindset, he brings a practical, innovation‑driven approach to maintaining and improving critical national research and education digital services.
• BIO: Diogo Matos. Passionate about technology from an early age, Diogo always knew this was the field he wanted to pursue. He enjoys tackling challenges and finding solutions, regardless of the tools or technologies involved. He is currently part of the IAedu project team and collaborates on other initiatives at FCCN, maintaining a strong focus on innovation and problem-solving.

  Synopsis : FCCN’s IAedu portal is a national AI platform built on Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI, designed to empower Portuguese universities and research institutions with secure, multimodal AI capabilities for education and research. The solution integrates GPT models, API Management, and Content Safety, ensuring privacy, compliance, and responsible AI practices while supporting interoperability with local LLMs like Amália. Phase 1 is complete, enabling pilot use cases and scaling capacity for broader adoption, marking a milestone in Portugal’s digital transformation, and setting a benchmark for academic AI innovation across Europe.