ECSS is Europe's only forum dedicated to addressing timely strategic issues in Informatics research and education. Open to all and typically gathering 100–150 participants each year, it brings together department heads, deans, and other academic and industry leaders who drive the connection between Informatics research, education, and policy in Europe.
Since 2005, ECSS has built a reputation for high-level dialogue, influential speakers, and meaningful community impact. Unlike a traditional scientific conference, ECSS focuses on the strategic and managerial challenges facing Informatics institutions today, providing a unique arena for reflection, exchange, and collective action at institutional and policy levels.
Participants benefit from thought-provoking discussions, practical insights, and valuable networking with peers from across Europe and beyond.
Take a look at the 2025 closing statements (here) and save the date for ECSS 2026 in Porto, Portugal, from 26-28 October. We are working on a fantastic program for you!
Why attend ECSS
Speakers
ECSS speakers are among the world`s most distinguished academics, industry leaders, and decision-makers in the field. The event never fails to inform, inspire and engage its audience.
Workshops
Learn directly from your peers, by sharing best practices, common challenges, and proven strategies to enhance the quality of Informatics research and education at the ECSS workshops.
Network
Foster strategic connections with leaders and researchers across academia and industry to address strategic challenges and advance Informatics in Europe.
A common goal
Bridge research, teaching and policy to turn shared challenges into collective progress.
ECSS, from 2005 to date
The European Informatics Leaders Summit - ECSS (named European Computer Science Summit until 2023) has been organised annually by Informatics Europe since 2005. In fact, the origins of Informatics Europe date back to the first ECSS held at ETH Zurich in 2005, when for the first time, heads of Informatics departments throughout Europe met to discuss critical issues and common concerns related to their discipline. Informatics Europe continues to organise the summit since then.
Today, ECSS still gathers deans, department chairs, and heads of research groups of leading European Computer Science and Informatics faculties, departments as well as public and private research institutes. Additional workshops and sessions in recent years have broadened the scope of the discussions to include all leaders and decision-makers in Informatics in Europe, both from academia and industrial research labs.
The Summit is devoted to all aspects of Informatics education and research: funding, entrepreneurship, management, career development, and policies.
The high calibre of the speakers, since the very first Summit in 2005, has established the ECSS as one of the most prominent meetings of the European Informatics community.
Purpose of ECSS
- Debate the future of informatics, its role and influence in both academy and society.
- Expand the international network of deans, heads of departments, and group-leading researchers in informatics.
- Provide a forum for discussion and exchange of solutions and best practices on common issues.
- Examine ways in which deans, department heads, and group-leading researchers in informatics can work together to improve teaching and research, implement the Bologna process, can influence the policies of their universities, governments, and the EU, and take joint initiatives on common issues.
- Provide opportunities for liaisons with other groups pursuing common interests.
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