The FCCN Days are the main annual meeting point for the various communities of managers and users of the advanced collaboration, computing and communication platforms and other digital services provided by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through the FCCN.
In 2025, Coimbra will host the initiative, which will take place at the Convento de São Francisco between May 6 and 8, with the close support of the University of Coimbra and Coimbra City Council.
The organization of this edition is headed by João Pagaime, area director of FCCN, 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 Days are an excellent opportunity to present the Higher Education and Research communities in Portugal with a set of digital services that are very relevant to these areas. They also promote active participation in the evolution of these services, projects and initiatives.
The FCCN Days also highlight the latest technological advances and anticipate future trends, always with a strong focus on technological innovation and relevance to the Higher Education and Research sector.
How does the event contribute to strengthening FCT's digital services, developed by FCCN?
For the FCCN, this event, which takes place in person, particularly mobilizes the availability of participants and contributes significantly to establishing a very fruitful network of contacts between the demand and supply of digital services.
These contacts continue throughout the year and are important for listening to users and defining priorities for the evolution of digital services. The Days are also an excellent channel for publicizing digital services and reaching more users in the higher education and research communities in Portugal.
What will be on the program this year and what's new?
The event's program is designed to disseminate and respond to the needs of digital service management, with a special focus on interaction with user communities. It also seeks to integrate the contributions and suggestions received from participants throughout the editions. The program maintains a consolidated base, but with room for innovation and continuous improvement, which we work to develop every year.
In this edition, we're highlighting the topic of Artificial Intelligence, a rapidly evolving area that promises to transform the way we work and interact with technology. We will have a session dedicated to projects and initiatives related to AI, as well as another session where we will share a pilot experience of the practical application of AI algorithms.
How is the Area of Application Infrastructures, which João heads, reflected in this year's edition?
Most of the digital services provided by FCT are reflected in the Jornadas program. This year, the Area of Application Infrastructures will feature a session dedicated to Advanced Computing, covering topics such as the exploitation of the Deucalion and Marenostrum-5 supercomputers. There will also be a session on the current status and evolution of the RCTS-VoIP (Voice over RCTS) project.
How is the close support of the University of Coimbra and Coimbra City Council important for the event?
The Conference, in its current format, has grown significantly since its first edition in 2010 at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory in Lisbon, where FCCN's digital services, is based. Despite the large size of the event, with hundreds of participants and several sponsors, we try to organize it in a decentralized way, always in close collaboration with a host institution that uses our digital services.
The collaboration of the University of Coimbra and Coimbra City Council has been essential in ensuring a high-quality event with controlled costs, especially in terms of auditoriums, support facilities and related services, as well as local contacts and social events. The Jornadas attract participants from all over the country and we think it offers the host institution an opportunity to position itself as a dynamic and active entity in the national academic network.
Would you like to leave a message for those who are planning to take part in the FCCN Days for the first time?
If this is your first time at the FCCN Days, be sure to take advantage of the "zapping" sessions, which offer a quick and comprehensive overview of the digital services available. In addition, the social events are an excellent opportunity to network and establish contacts with colleagues from other institutions, suppliers and the FCCN team, FCT's digital services. Don't forget to attend the sessions on the topics that interest you the most, according to the program.
We wish you all an excellent participation in Jornadas 2025!
Registration for the event is now open. Over the next few weeks, more news will be released about the FCCN 2025 Conference. Follow everything on the event website.
