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Czech Experts to Feature in the EOSC Symposium 2026 Programme. In Florence, They Will Present Experience with the EOSC Node, Sensitive Data and AI
Representatives of the EOSC CZ initiative will take part in the expert programme of the EOSC Symposium 2026, which will take place on 14–16 October in Florence. Their proposals were selected through the open call for programme contributions and cover several key topics in the current development of EOSC, ranging from building the national EOSC Node Czechia and semantic interoperability to working with sensitive genomic data and the use of AI in data science.
This year’s symposium is centred on the theme Connecting users, data, and services and places the EOSC Federation, which is expected to formally enter its operational phase this year, at the heart of the programme. The programme is divided into three main thematic tracks focusing on EOSC collaboration and future opportunities, best practices and user experience, and the operationalisation of the EOSC Federation.
Luděk Matyska (Masaryk University, CESNET) will speak in the session EOSC Federation Nodes in Production: Lessons Learnt and Next Steps. He will present the Czech experience of building a national EOSC Node on the foundations of e-INFRA CZ, from the establishment of the EOSC CZ initiative and the National Data Infrastructure to the Czech Node’s acceptance into the next wave of the EOSC Federation.
The topic of interoperability will be represented in a panel discussion by Michal Med (CESNET), who will focus on semantic interoperability across the EOSC Federation. His contribution builds on recommendations for ensuring that data and metadata can not only be transferred between different systems, but also interpreted unambiguously and processed by machines.
Vojtěch Bystrý (CEITEC MU) will present the Czech OmiCZ repository for sensitive human omics data in the session EOSC and ERICs/ESFRIs. He will introduce a model in which data remain within a secure environment while computational tools “come to the data”. His contribution will also address the role of cooperation between EOSC CZ and ELIXIR CZ and the development of federated analyses across Europe.
The Czech contribution will be further complemented by Martin Golasowski (IT4Innovations), who will take part in the panel discussion Capacity Building on Using AI Tools for Data Science. The session will focus on developing the skills, infrastructure and supporting environment needed for the wider use of AI tools in research and data science.
The successful inclusion of Czech contributions in the programme demonstrates that the experience gained within EOSC CZ also has an important place in discussions about the future direction of the European environment for FAIR research data.
In addition to participating in the expert programme, EOSC Node Czechia will also be represented in the symposium’s exhibition area, with its own booth dedicated to presenting the Czech Node and its activities.
