The 18th edition of the Conference of High Performance Computing Users (KUKDM 2026) reached a record number of 220 participants. Above all, it succeeded in bringing together different communities: science, business, and public administration.
Rich scientific programme
As part of the peer‑reviewed section, the conference featured 31 presentations and 12 poster sessions. Speakers represented various research institutions and scientific disciplines, united by their use of the Polish PLGrid infrastructure coordinated by ACC Cyfronet AGH. In this way, the conference created a genuine forum for scientific exchange.
In addition, several guest lectures were organised, covering both scientific topics (including the development of a virtual twin of the human organism and protein folding) and modern tools and work environments supporting research activities.
Presentation of new tools and capabilities
The conference provided an appropriate setting for the premiere of several cutting‑edge technological solutions supporting research and development:
- VeloxQ – an advanced optimisation solver offering top performance in solving large‑scale QUBO and HUBO problems;
- LokAI – an AI virtual assistant developed as part of the LAIF Service Center project, fully integrated with the PLGrid environment and operating within Cyfronet’s closed, secure infrastructure;
- PLGrid LLM Forge – a platform enabling the use of large language models tailored to diverse needs such as data analysis, modelling, and automation of research processes.
Two new Bielik AI models (Bielik‑PL‑11B‑v3.0‑Instruct and Bielik‑PL‑Minitron‑7B‑v3.0‑Instruct) also premiered at the conference, equipped with a new tokenizer optimised for the Polish language.
The programme also presented opportunities to apply for and use the European EuroHPC JU infrastructure, with particular emphasis on LUMI, LUMI AIF, LUMI‑Q, as well as the infrastructures under development in Poland: PIAST AIF and Gaia AIF. One session was devoted to activities within the EPICURE project, under which users can receive free support in optimising and scaling their codes for larger HPC systems.
The event successfully achieved its goal of popularising the use of state‑of‑the‑art technologies, including supercomputers, software, and artificial intelligence algorithms, in the development of Polish and European science.
Training and consultations
An important part of KUKDM were three intensive training sessions, enabling participants to acquire and develop skills related to efficient computing on supercomputers and the use of generative artificial intelligence. Thanks to the presence of PLGrid support specialists from Cyfronet, numerous on‑site consultations were held, leading to more effective use of allocated computing resources.
These meetings also worked in both directions: through direct conversations with users, the Cyfronet team gathered feedback on the functioning of PLGrid and gained valuable insight into researchers’ current computational needs, allowing for better preparation of knowledge bases, training, and other services.
Important topics beyond science
The programme was complemented by panel discussions. The first, moderated by Rafał Duczmal, involved representatives of other HPC centres (PLGrid infrastructure partners and the National Competence Centre for Computing). The second, moderated by Pamela Krzypkowska, brought together partners of the Gaia AI Factory consortium and representatives of Bielik.AI.
Cyfronet representatives also conducted a Cybersecurity Panel for higher‑education institutions with members of the Conference of Rectors of Kraków Universities, and additional discussions were held on AI factories in Poland.
The programme also included presentations by conference sponsors and Cyfronet’s technology partners, offering insight into the rapidly evolving landscape of technological innovation.
One conference - many stakeholders
This year’s conference welcomed representatives of 74 different organisations, including universities and research institutes, companies (both SMEs and multinational corporations), foundations, and public administration units.
The prestige of the Conference of High Performance Computing Users was underscored by honorary patronage from the Minister of Science and Higher Education Marcin Kulasek, the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Development and Technology, and the Małopolska Voivode Krzysztof Jan Klęczar.
KUKDM continues to strengthen its position as an interdisciplinary platform connecting scientific, technological, business, and administrative communities.
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