Future research in the digital world requires a new kind of infrastructure—digital libraries, access to networks and dataspaces, adequate communications bandwidth, large-scale supercomputers, and various support FAIR-enabled services. These services are becoming cheaper and more widely available daily, but they will not provide themselves. 

The Nordic e-Infrastructure Collaboration (NeIC) facilitates the development and operation of high-quality e-Infrastructure solutions in areas of joint Nordic interest. NeIC is a distributed organization consisting of technical experts from academic institutions across the Nordic countries. NeIC's activities work to improve e-infrastructure and enable better research in the Nordic-Baltic region. The NeIC collaboration is steered by the Nordic e-Infrastructure providers in the Nordic countries and Estonia. The NeIC 2024 conference theme is “Nordic e-Infrastructure Tomorrow”. The aim is to bring together e-Intrastructure experts, researchers, policymakers, funders, and national e-infrastructure providers from the Nordics and beyond to create an opportunity for people in the e-Infrastructure field to connect and collaborate with colleagues across the Nordics and to enable them to share knowledge and expertise.

We welcome submissions from researchers, practitioners, educators, and policymakers across the Nordic region and beyond. Accepted submissions will be presented at the conference and included in the proceedings. The conference proceedings will be published by Springer Nature Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS). All Accepted papers will be publicly accessible with "Open Access"

Submission Guidelines:

Submitted papers must be written in English, following the Springer LNCS Style for conference proceedings. Authors are requested to first register their submissions and then submit their manuscripts in PDF format on the Easychair page. All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The following paper categories are welcome:

- Full papers should be structured as technical papers (10-15 pages). Submitted papers must represent original unpublished research that is not currently under review for any other conference or journal. The submission is open to academic as well as industrial authors.
- Short papers We encourage submissions on innovative solutions and applications mainly related to Nordic or EU-funded e-Infrastructure projects. Project paper submissions can be 4-8 pages. Camera-ready versions of accepted project papers need to be at least 4 pages in length to be included in the proceedings and be indexed.

All submitted manuscripts should include author names and affiliations. Authors of accepted papers will be requested to provide source files.

List of Topics:

NeIC identified the following future focus areas for e-Infrastructure Collaboration. The submission tracks include but are not limited to:

1. FAIR Data Stewardship: This track is dedicated to exploring the principles and practices of managing data in a manner that is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). As the volume and diversity of data generated across disciplines continue to grow, ensuring that data is managed in accordance with FAIR principles becomes crucial for enabling its effective discovery, access, and reuse. This track invites submissions that address various aspects of FAIR data stewardship, including but not limited to metadata standards, data curation, data provenance, data integration, data interoperability, and data sharing policies. We welcome contributions from researchers, data stewards, data managers, and policymakers that present novel methodologies, tools, case studies, and best practices for implementing FAIR data principles in different contexts. Additionally, we encourage submissions that explore challenges and opportunities associated with FAIR data stewardship, such as incentivizing data sharing, ensuring data quality, addressing privacy concerns, and fostering collaborative data ecosystems. Through this track, we aim to foster discussions and collaborations aimed at advancing the adoption of FAIR data practices across scientific domains, thereby maximizing the value and impact of research data.

2. FAIR Data Management at the Technology Level: The main focus of this track is the role of technological solutions in promoting the principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR) within data management frameworks. As the volume and complexity of data continue to grow exponentially across various domains, ensuring that data are FAIR becomes imperative for driving scientific reproducibility, collaboration, and innovation. This track invites submissions that explore cutting-edge technologies, architectures, standards, and methodologies aimed at facilitating FAIR data management practices. Topics of interest include metadata standards and ontologies, data integration and interoperability frameworks, data repositories and data management platforms, data discovery and access mechanisms, as well as data citation and provenance tracking mechanisms. We welcome contributions from researchers, practitioners, and industry experts that present novel approaches, case studies, best practices, and challenges encountered in implementing FAIR data management solutions at the technology level. Additionally, we encourage submissions that address the scalability, sustainability, and usability aspects of FAIR data technologies, fostering a deeper understanding of the technical underpinnings required to realize the FAIR principles effectively.

3. Competence Building and Collaboration Environments in e-Infrastructure: This track focuses on the critical elements of fostering expertise and collaboration within the realm of electronic infrastructures. As e-Infrastructures evolve to support increasingly complex research and innovation endeavors, the development of competencies among users and administrators alike becomes essential. This track invites submissions that explore various aspects of competence building, including training programs, skill development initiatives, community engagement strategies, and best practices for maximizing the utilization of e-Infrastructures. The focus is on how to establish an efficient framework for competence building and training of e-Infrastructure staff, in addition to the establishment of repositories for sharing Portable workflows/tools e.g. as libraries/containers. Additionally, we welcome contributions that examine collaboration environments within e-Infrastructures, encompassing tools, platforms, methodologies, and experiences that facilitate interdisciplinary teamwork and knowledge exchange. We encourage submissions from researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers, presenting insights, case studies, lessons learned, and innovative approaches to cultivate competence and foster collaboration in diverse e-Infrastructure ecosystems, ultimately advancing scientific discovery and societal impact. 

4. Sensitive Data Management and HPC: This track focusses on e-Infrastructure for computing, storage, long-term preservation, and archiving of data with restricted access. As HPC systems become increasingly integral to processing large-scale datasets across various domains, the need to safeguard sensitive information, including personal, proprietary, and confidential data, becomes paramount. This track invites submissions that explore the unique challenges, methodologies, and solutions related to sensitive data management in HPC environments, covering aspects such as data privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and compliance with regulatory frameworks. Interesting questions include: How to leverage the experience from existing sensitive data archiving federation services, e.g. Federated EGA (European Genome-phenome Archive), and complement this with processing sensitive data on large-scale HPC clusters, e.g. EuroHPC Supercomputers. We welcome contributions from researchers, practitioners, and industry experts that propose novel techniques, algorithms, architectures, and best practices for securely handling sensitive data in HPC workflows. Additionally, we encourage submissions that discuss case studies, lessons learned, and practical experiences in mitigating risks and ensuring data protection within HPC ecosystems, fostering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between computational performance and data security.       

5. Federated Resource Management: This track aims to explore the evolving landscape of distributed resource management in federated electronic infrastructures, with on how to manage cross-border access to both compute and storage resources. Federated environments bring together diverse resources, including computing, storage, networking, and data services, across multiple administrative domains to support collaborative research and innovation. This track welcomes submissions that address the complexities and opportunities inherent in federated resource management, including but not limited to resource allocation, scheduling, provisioning, monitoring, accounting, and security. We invite contributions from researchers, practitioners, e-Infrastructure providers, and industry experts that propose novel approaches, frameworks, algorithms, architectures, and tools to enhance the efficiency, scalability, interoperability, and sustainability of federated e-infrastructures. Additionally, we encourage submissions that explore use cases, best practices, lessons learned, and case studies highlighting successful deployments and challenges encountered in federated resource management across diverse scientific, academic, and industrial domains. 

6. AI/Machine-Learning: This track aims to explore the pivotal role of advanced electronic infrastructure in driving breakthroughs and advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) domains. As AI and ML applications proliferate across various sectors, the demand for robust, scalable, and efficient e-infrastructures becomes increasingly apparent. This track invites submissions that delve into the latest developments, challenges, and opportunities in leveraging e-infrastructures to support AI and ML workflows. Topics of interest include but are not limited to distributed computing platforms, cloud computing architectures, high-performance computing (HPC) systems, data storage and management solutions, networking technologies, and security frameworks tailored for AI and ML applications. We welcome contributions from researchers, practitioners, and industry experts that offer insights, methodologies, case studies, and best practices to foster the convergence of e-infrastructure and AI/ML technologies, ultimately enabling transformative innovation across diverse domains. 

7. Quantum Computing: This track is dedicated to exploring the critical role of electronic infrastructure in advancing the field of quantum computing. E-infrastructure for quantum computing is developing rapidly, with evermore qubits being available. The question being tackled here is how to make a high quality quantum computing service available. Focus on the providing software environments for quantum computing, enabling integration to existing HPC clusters, e.g. EuroHPC supercomputers, and providing end-to-end management of authentication and authorization, as well as allocation of resources to quantum computers. This track invites submissions that explore various facets of quantum computing e-Infrastructure, including hardware and software architectures, resource provisioning, programming models, simulation environments, and middleware frameworks. We welcome contributions from researchers, engineers, and practitioners, addressing challenges and proposing solutions to enable efficient utilization, management, and orchestration of quantum computing resources within e-Infrastructure environments. Additionally, we encourage submissions showcasing novel applications, use cases, and collaborative efforts leveraging quantum computing e-Infrastructure to advance scientific research, industrial innovation, and societal impact.

8. e-Infrastructure Scientific Use Cases: This track invites submissions that present compelling use cases, exemplifying how e-Infrastructures facilitate breakthroughs in fields such as physics, biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, social sciences, and beyond. We welcome contributions that demonstrate the unique capabilities of e-Infrastructures in enabling large-scale simulations, data-driven discoveries, collaborative research endeavors, and innovative solutions to real-world problems. Submissions may include case studies, research findings, methodologies, best practices, and lessons learned, offering insights into the transformative impact of e-Infrastructures on scientific exploration and knowledge dissemination. Researchers, practitioners, and domain experts are encouraged to share their experiences and insights, inspiring the broader community to harness the full potential of e-Infrastructures for scientific advancement.


Paper Presentation:

One of the authors, ideally the first author, of each accepted paper must present the paper at the conference. If the paper is not presented, it will not be included in the conference proceeding. There is an online registration and attendance option, and authors may present their papers remotely in case onsite attendance is not possible.  


Program Committee:

- Anne Sofie Fink Kjeldgaard, Danish e-Infrastructure Consortium (DeiC), DK
- Ebba Þóra Hvannberg, University of Iceland, IS
- Anders Sjöström, LUNARC, SE
- Maria Francesca Iozzi, Sigma2 AS, NO
- Sebastian Von Alfthan, CSC - IT Center for Science, FI
- Kristina Lillemets, University of Tartu, EE
- Oxana Smirnova, CERN, SE
- Bodil Aurstad, NordForsk, NO
- Josva Kleist, NORDUnet, DK

- Chair: Abdulrahman Azab, NeIC & University of Oslo, NO    
- Co-Chair: Tomasz Malkiewicz, NeIC & CSC - IT Center for Science, FI

Organizing Committee:

- Anders Sjöströms, Lunds University, SE
- Jarno Laitinen, CSC - IT Center for Science, FI
- Maiken Pedersen, University of Oslo, NO
- Antti Valkonen, Aalto University, FI
- Lene Krøl Andersen, DTU Computerome, DK
- Anne Fouilloux, Simula Reserach Laboratory, NO
- Russel Gene Wolff, University of Oslo, NO
- Vilma Häkkinen, NeIC, FI
- Mattias Wadenstein, HPC2N, SE

- Chair: Ave Ploomipuu ETAIS, EE
- Co-Chair: Ülar Allas, ETAIS, EE

Publication:
The proceeding of NeIC2024 will be published by Springer Nature Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS). CCIS is indexed by: Conference Proceedings Citation Index (CPCI), ACM Digital Library, DBLP, Google Scholar, IO-Port, MathSciNet, Scopus, and Zentralblatt MATH

The proceedings will appear as post-conference proceedings. The idea behind post-conference proceedings is that they give the authors the flexibility to adjust their contributions slightly based on the feedback given during the conference.

Venue:
The conference will be held in Park Inn by Radisson Meriton Conference & Spa Hotel Tallinn

Contact:
All questions about submissions should be emailed to 

tomasz.malkiewicz@csc.fi
abdulrahman.azab@uio.no