Source: Own Illustration
From September 21 to 23, 2026, the first SciCoCo.nrw – Science, Compute, Connect took place at the IT Center. Organized by HPC.nrw, the event brought together four scientific computing communities: High Performance Computing (HPC), Research Software Engineering (RSE), Research Data Management (RDM), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The three-day event provided a space to share knowledge, learn about new approaches, exchange experiences, and engage in dialogue with one another.
Sharing Knowledge and Trying Out New Things
The SciCoCo.nrw program offered numerous opportunities to explore current developments in scientific computing. In addition to presentations and keynote speeches, the program featured primarily hands-on workshops. Participants were not only able to learn about new concepts but also to apply various methods and tools directly themselves.
Topics covered included an introduction to the HPC infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) as well as the development of high-performance and reliable software using Rust. Other workshops addressed the optimization of Python applications, container technologies using Singularity and Apptainer, and the creation of reproducible software environments with Pixi. Research data and FAIR principles, Coscine, deep learning on HPC systems, and the use of large language models were also part of the program.
A Space for Discussion and Exchange
The focus was on mutual exchange—not only in the workshops but also in the community and Birds-of-a-Feather sessions. The various formats provided an opportunity to share personal experiences, discuss questions, and learn about different perspectives.
Topics addressed included, among others, the digital sovereignty of universities, reproducible research, and the handling of sensitive data. The Women in HPC community also used the event for networking and exchange. It was precisely these open formats that complemented the traditional lecture program and created space for conversations that went beyond individual technical topics.
Insights Into Current Projects
The presentation of current projects was also an important part of SciCoCo.nrw. During the event, participants were able to explore numerous posters from various fields of scientific computing. Among other things, current research projects, technical developments, and concrete application scenarios were presented.
The poster session not only provided an overview of different topics and projects but also served as a starting point for many discussions. Interested attendees could discuss directly with the authors, ask questions, and exchange views on the presented work.
Source: Own Illustration
Source: Own Illustration
A Successful Start
The first SciCoCo.nrw combined different formats and subject areas and brought together contributors from the various scientific computing communities. In addition to new technical insights, the event primarily offered an opportunity to deepen existing contacts, exchange ideas, and build new connections within the community.
This has given rise to a new event format in NRW that promotes exchange between the fields of HPC, research software, research data, and AI. In the future, SciCoCo.nrw will take place regularly at rotating locations within HPC.nrw.
Further information about SciCoCo.nrw can be found on the HPC.nrw website.
Responsible for the content of this article are Lena Lange and Hannah Loock.
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