The 13th edition of IBERGRID, the conference celebrating Iberian cooperation in scientific computing, took place this year at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, from October 28 to 30. The event brought together researchers, engineers, and professionals from Portugal and Spain to explore the latest innovations in distributed computing infrastructure, digital twins, and open science.
The program began with a welcome session, followed by presentations on Digital Twins applied to geophysical extremes, highlighting the role of the DT-GEO project in forecasting and analyzing natural risks like earthquakes and tsunamis. This session explored advances in the use of real-time data, AI, and high-performance computing (HPC) simulations to respond to natural disasters.
The afternoon marked the official opening of the conference, led by notable figures such as Isabel Campos, CSIC representative and IBERGRID’s representative in Spain; Jorge Gomes from LIP, the Portuguese counterpart; Francisco Santos, Vice-President of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FCT); and Altamiro da Costa Pereira, Director of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP). The distinguished panel emphasized the importance of Iberian collaboration in science and technology. Following this, presentations focused on computing infrastructure highlighted the progress of datacenter networks in Portugal and Spain.
Over the following days, participants explored topics such as the role of EuroHPC in industry, application development for the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), and the impact of AI in fields such as healthcare and environmental modeling. Tutorials on Kubernetes and quantum computing were also highlights of the event, attracting both beginners and experienced professionals.
During the event, a survey was conducted, allowing attendees to evaluate their experience. IBERGRID received a rating of 4.76 out of 5 stars, confirming the success of the conference and the relevance of the discussions held.
At the closing session, Isabel Campos and Jorge Gomes reflected on the shared advancements and reiterated the value of partnerships in scientific innovation. With the next edition already confirmed for Spain, participants left with new perspectives on advanced computing and a clear sense that collaboration will continue to drive progress forward.