Over 100 participants from across Europe gathered at the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre in Kraków, Poland, for the eighth LEAPS Plenary Meeting. The two-day event highlighted the ongoing growth, achievements, and impact of the LEAPS community.
The 8th plenary meeting opened by Prof. Jakub Szlachetko Director of Solaris National Synchrotron Radiation Centre and current Chair of LEAPS with a dynamic program focused on current LEAPS activities. All LEAPS Working Groups (WGs) and both Strategy Groups (SGs) met in person and online to discuss their collaborations, recent achievements, long-term outlooks, and future plans. They later shared their updates with the full LEAPS community, followed by an open Q&A session.
A major part of the first day agenda was dedicated to discussing how AI is shaping the future of research infrastructures. Presentations and discussion covered:
• integrating AI tools into long-term research infrastructure development plans,
• developing AI strategies and policies,
• results of a preliminary AI survey conducted by IT staff in LEAPS facilities (prepared by WG3),
• and a SWOT analysis on adopting AI within research infrastructures.
The first day concluded with a tour of the National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS, followed by an enjoyable evening dinner in the heart of Kraków’s historic Kazimierz district.
The second day of the 8th LEAPS Plenary Meeting at the SOLARIS Synchrotron opened with welcome remarks from the LEAPS Chair, Jakub Szlachetko. This was followed by the LEAPS Report 2025, an overview of plans for 2026 presented by Prof. Thomas Feurer
A memorable moment of the morning program was the handover of the LEAPS chairmanship baton, marking the official transition of leadership from Jakub Szlachetko to the incoming Chair Prof Thomas Feurer.
Due to the Prof. Thomas Feurer absence, the baton was passed to Prof. Dr. Serguei Molodtsov XFLT.
The agenda then moved to strategic discussions inspired by the latest work of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD, focusing on the evolving role of research infrastructures in a rapidly changing global environment.
In the final open session, LEAPS welcomed several prominent external speakers: Amal Kasry (Unesco Basic Science, Research, Innovation and Engineering Section, University of Groningen, Agnieszka Chłoń Domińczak SHARE-ERIC, Warsaw School of Economics, Andrea Lausi Seame Scientific Director, Caterina Biscari Alba Director, Frederic Sgard The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and moderator Bernd Rech, the Scientific Director of HZB Berlin who offered perspectives on science in a changing world, emphasizing cooperation, solidarity, and the importance of research infrastructures in supporting global scientific progress.
The day concluded with a stimulating roundtable discussion on how LEAPS members can strengthen collaboration to address global challenges. Key topics included:
• keeping research infrastructures open to users worldwide despite conflicts,
• building trust in science through better communication and education,
• fostering interdisciplinary cooperation and resource sharing,
• and maintaining a unified direction to preserve science as a universal language.
The two-day event ended with a closing lunch and official remarks from the LEAPS Chairs and the host of the 8th Plenary Meeting, marking the conclusion of a productive and inspiring gathering for the LEAPS community.
