SLICES Summer School 2026

About the Event

Dear SLICES research community,

The SLICES-RI Summer School 2026 will take place in Madrid, June 9-11, hosted by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). As a showcase event for SLICES-RI, a major European exprimentation platform in digital reseach, this summer school represents a strategic investment in both people and innovation. Now in its 5th edition, the school reinforces its role as the agora where SLICES-RI research and innovation are promoted and implemented.

Designed as an intensive, immersive experience, the event brings together talented students, early-career researchers, practitioners, and leading experts from Europe and North America. The goal is to foster collaboration at the intersection of networking, cloud computing, IoT, data, artificial intelligence, and wireless technologies.

Core Pillars of the 2026 Program

Student Networking and Community Building

• Professional Connections: Carefully structured activities—including collaborative training, mentoring sessions, and informal social events—encourage participants to build strong professional connections across institutions, disciplines, and countries.
• Long-term Collaboration: These interactions lay the foundations for research collaborations and career opportunities within the European innovation landscape.
• Community Engagement: Participants engage directly with influential researchers, innovators, and SLICES-RI decision-makers through panels and dedicated networking sessions.

Training of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)

• Next-Generation Partners: The school plays a key role in training graduate students who represent the next generation of SLICES-RI partners.
• Technical & Practical Skills: Through advanced lectures and hands-on labs led by leading academics and industry experts, participants gain deep technical knowledge and practical skills.
• Vertical Services: Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship, equipping attendees to contribute to technology-driven organizations.

New for 2026: Beta Testing Phase

• Technology Maturation: For the first time, the school will initiate the SLICES-RI minimum viable product (MVP) beta testing phase.
• Recruitment: SLICES-RI is recruiting 10 participants (outside the node implementers) to test, validate, and refine SLICES-RI Blueprints (BPs) and data management tools.
• Student Experience: This initiative gives students and researchers valuable experience in product development, experimentation, and translational research.
• Support & Incentives: To facilitate this engagement, selected beta testers will receive a flat travel grant in recognition of their participation and contribution.

Scientific Program and Themes

The school will run for 3 full days, featuring two keynotes and invited distinguished speakers. The training program will cover all topics within the SLICES Minimum Viable Product to be launched in September 2026:

• Basic Infrastructure (BI): Training on how to access SLICES and basic infrastructure services.
• Post 5G Blueprint: System designs based on O-RAN and OAI principles.
• Cloud-Edge Blueprint: Seamless integration for vertical services.
• Federated AI: Distributed intelligence across the network.
• Quantum Networking: Emerging research in quantum systems.
• Data and Reproducibility Management: Best practices for reproducibility with FAIR principles for data access

Venue and Logistics: UC3M

The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) is a prestigious Spanish public university known for its commitment to research, innovation, and internationalization. Established in 1989, UC3M has a strong reputation in digital technology and offers an ideal collaborative ecosystem for this event.

Facilities: The venue provides plenary session rooms with remote access, parallel training rooms with high-speed Internet, and dedicated spaces for mentoring.

Format: The school is in-person for students and researchers, with the potential for remote keynotes and presenters.

Organizing Committee

• General Chair: Antonio de la Oliva (UC3M)
• Technical Program Committee (TPC):
  • Brecht Vermeulen (BE) – Access/Federated AI
  • Nikos Makris (UTH) – Architecture
  • Armir Bujari (UGE) – Cloud-edge
  • Sebastian Gallenmüller (TUM) – Reproducibility
  • Panayiotis Andreou (ULAN) – Data
  • Remous-Aris Koutsiamanis (IMT) – Cloud

Programme

Day 1 – 9th June

09:00 – 09:30	Opening and plans/goals for the week
09:30 – 10:30	Keynote #1: Christian Esteve Rothenberg on experimentation with P4 switches
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:00	Keynote #2: TBC
12:00 – 13:00	Overview of the SLICES architecture and goals
13:00 – 14:00	Lunch Break
14:00 – 15:30	Training 1: Experimentation with the Basic Infrastructure Service
15:30 – 17:00	Training 2: Experimentation with the Federated AI Service
18:00 – 20:00	Students event

Day 2 – 10th June

09:00 – 09:30	Opening recap of day 1 (take home from the keynotes and training, Q&A)
09:30 – 11:00	Invited lecture: Malaga center for experimentation and NTN – Raquel Barco or Sergio Fortes
11:00 – 11:30	Coffee Break
11:30 – 13:30	Training 3: Data management  and POSE (Panayiotis/Marios/Sebastian) -> Confirmed
13:30 – 14:30	Lunch Break
14:30 – 16:30 (Parallel session)	Training 4: Experimentation with the Post 5G service OR Training 5: Greendigit, how to make your research more sustainable
16:30 – 17:00	Q&A
19:00 – 23:00	Social Event

Day 3 – 11th June

09:00 – 09:30	Opening recap of day 2 (take home the training, Q&A)
09:30 – 11:30	Training 5: Experimentation with the Core-edge Service
11:30 – 13:00	Training 6: Experimentation with the Quantum Service (TBC)
13:00 – 14:30	Lunch Break
14:30 – 16:00	Open session on all BPs and meeting with the beta testers

Registration

The official registration guide for the SLICES Summer School is now available. You can access it by clicking the button below.

We will be honoured by your interest and participation in the school, and we look forward to the possibility of welcoming you to Madrid you as contributors to our leading edge European scientific instrument in digital research.

How to reach UC3M´s Leganés Campus

From Adolfo Suarez Madrid Barajas Airport passing through Atocha Station to Leganés

At the airport, take Line C10 or C1 of the cercanias railway towards Principe Pio, and get off at Atocha station, last stop (5 stops). Then take Line C5 towards Humanes, and get off at Leganés Central station (7 stops). Finally we reach Leganés.

From Leganés Central station to UC3M

From Leganés Central station, we reach the campus on foot with a 7-minute walk.

More info on how to get to the UC3M: https://www.uc3m.es/about-uc3m/how-to-get-here/leganes-campus

RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN LEGANÉS

HOTEL AR PARQUESUR (****)
Avda. Gran Bretaña, (no number)
Parquesur Shopping Center, 28916 Leganés, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 688 2600
Fax: +34 91 688 4970
Email: hotelparquesur.com
FREE WIFI

HOTEL NH LEGANÉS (***)
Esteban Terradas 13 Pol. Ind. Ntra Sra de Butarque
28914, Leganés, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 398 46 39
Fax: +34 91 481 10 91
Email: nhleganes@nh-hotels.com
FREE WIFI

HOTEL AVENIDA LEGANÉS (**)
Calle El Charco, 6, 28911 Leganés, Madrid
Tel: +34 916 931 993 
Fax: +34 628 009 043
Email: reservas@hotelavenidaleganes.com
FREE WIFI

RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN MADRID

RAFAELHOTELES ATOCHA (****)
Calle de Méndez Álvaro, 30, 28045 Madrid
Tel +34 914 68 81 00
Fax +34 91 468 81 20
Email: rafaelhoteles@rafaelhoteles.com
FREE WIFI

HOTEL VINCCI SOHO (****)
C/ Prado 18, 28014, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 141 41 00
Fax: +34 91 141 41 01
Email: soho@vinccihoteles.com
FREE WIFI

HOTEL TRYP ATOCHA (****)
Calle de Atocha, 83, 28012, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 330 0500
Fax: +34 91 420 1560
E-mail: tryp.atocha@solmelia.com
FREE WIFI

Contact:

If you need more information, please contact: daniel.lorenzo@networks.imdea.org