We are proud to include the following high-profile keynotes into our program this year:

Abstract: Robot swarms promise scalable and resilient solutions for applications such as environmental monitoring, search and rescue, and logistics, yet their adoption remains limited by poor controllability. Fully self-organizing swarms achieve robustness and scalability through decentralized coordination and simple local interactions, but this comes at the cost of limited observability and difficulty in shaping global behavior. Conversely, centralized approaches offer ease of control but suffer from scalability issues and single points of failure.

In this talk, I present the Self-Organizing Nervous System for Robot Swarms (SoNS), a middleware framework that enables robots to dynamically form adaptive hierarchical structures. SoNS bridges centralized and decentralized paradigms by supporting functionally centralized coordination of sensing, actuation, and decision-making, while preserving the scalability, flexibility, and fault tolerance of self-organizing systems.

Abstract: Quantum computing promises computational capabilities that extend beyond the representational and computational limits of classical systems. It is widely regarded as a candidate technology for addressing scalability and tractability challenges in domains such as molecular simulation, optimization, and artificial intelligence. However, classical high-performance computing (HPC) systems continue to play a crucial role in the quantum computing ecosystem. Classical computers are essential for tasks such as quantum device calibration, quantum state preparation, error mitigation, and data pre- and post-processing.

In this talk, we critically examine the role of classical computing in conjunction with quantum systems. We revisit early misconceptions about quantum advantage, discuss key lessons learned from the first generation of hybrid quantum–classical systems, and highlight current research directions. Particular attention is given to state-of-the-art hybrid algorithms, including the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) and the Variational Quantum Algorithms (VQA), as well as emerging concepts for tighter integration between classical and quantum infrastructures. We conclude by exploring novel interaction paradigms, such as digital shadows and their practical implementations, which may shape the next generation of hybrid computing systems.

Abstract: coming soon.

Abstract: In 2020 I wrote a book titled “Being a Researcher— An Informatics Perspective”, in which I tried to share what I learned in my long journey through research, targeting especially young scientists and telling them what I wish I knew when I embarked on the journey. This talk reflects on what happened since.

After less than a decade, the research landscape is undergoing a paradigm change, in the Kuhnian sense, mainly due to the advances in our own discipline, and in particular, the AI revolution. This has generated radical changes in the way research is performed, in all fields. But technological disruption is not only a methodological challenge; it is above all an ethical and institutional one. The way society and individuals are affected by our research, and the responsibilities we have as researchers have in fact scaled up to unprecedented levels. Academic institutions need to rethink their role in the new world we are building.

The talk reflects on our role and responsibility as researchers and educators in the new world— and on whether our institutions are ready for it.