The FCCN Conferences are the main annual meeting point of the various communities of managers and users of advanced collaboration, computing, communication and other digital services platforms provided by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through the FCCN.
In 2025, Coimbra hosts the initiative, which takes place at the Convent of São Francisco, between the 6th and 8th of May, and which has the close support of University of Coimbra and the Coimbra City Council.
The organization of this edition is directed by João Pagaime, area director of FCCN, the FCT's digital services unit, who, in a brief interview, shared his expectations for the event and some of the key moments.
How important is this initiative for the national Higher Education and Research community?
The FCCN Conferences are an excellent opportunity to present a range of highly relevant digital services to the Portuguese higher education and research communities. Furthermore, promote active participation in the evolution of these services, projects and initiatives.
The FCCN Conferences also highlight the latest technological advances and anticipate future trends, always with a strong focus in technological innovation and relevance for the Higher Education and Research sector.
How does the event contribute to strengthening FCT's digital services, developed by FCCN?
For the FCT-FCCN, this event, by being held in person, mobilizes the availability of participants in a special way and contributes significantly to establishing a very fruitful network of contacts between the demand and supply of digital services.
These meetings continue throughout the year and are important for listening to users and defining priorities for the development of digital services. The Conferences also provide an excellent channel for promoting digital services and reaching more users in the higher education and research communities in Portugal.
What will be on this year's schedule and what's new?
The event's program is designed to publicize and respond to the needs of digital service management, with a special focus on interaction with user communities. Furthermore, it seeks to integrate the contributions and suggestions received from participants throughout the editions. The program maintains a consolidated foundation, but with room for innovation and continuous improvement, which we strive to develop every year.
In this edition, We highlight the topic of Artificial Intelligence, a rapidly evolving area that promises to transform the way we work and interact with technology. We'll have a session dedicated to AI-related projects and initiatives, as well as another session where we'll share a pilot experience of applying AI algorithms in practice.
How is the Application Infrastructure Area, which João manages, reflected in this year's edition?
Most of the digital services provided by the FCT are reflected in the Conferences' programming. This year, the Application Infrastructures Area will feature a session dedicated to Advanced Computing, covering topics such as the exploration of the Deucalion and Marenostrum-5 supercomputers. Additionally, a session will be presented on the current status and evolution of the RCTS-VoIP (Voice over RCTS) project.
How important is the close support of the University of Coimbra and the Coimbra City Council for the event?
The Jornadas, in their current format, have grown significantly since their first edition in 2010, at the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering in Lisbon, where FCCN, the FCT's digital services provider, is headquartered. Despite the event's large size, with hundreds of participants and numerous sponsors, we strive to organize it in a decentralized manner, always in close collaboration with a welcoming institution that uses our digital services.
The collaboration between the University of Coimbra and the Coimbra City Council has been essential in ensuring a high-quality and cost-effective event, especially with regard to auditoriums, support facilities, and related services, as well as local networking and social events. The Jornadas attract participants from all over the country, and we believe it offers the host institution an opportunity to position itself as a dynamic and active entity within the national academic network.
Would you like to leave a message for anyone thinking of participating in the FCCN Conference for the first time?
If this is your first time participating in FCCN Jornadas, be sure to take advantage of the "zapping" sessions, which offer a quick and comprehensive overview of the digital services available. Furthermore, the social events are an excellent opportunity to networking and network with colleagues from other institutions, suppliers, and the FCCN team, FCT's digital services. Also, don't forget to attend sessions on the topics that interest you most, as scheduled.
We wish everyone an excellent participation in the 2025 Journeys!
To the registration for the event are now open. More information about the FCCN 2025 Conference will be released over the coming weeks. Follow everything on event website.
