NGT summer students showcase their projects at the 2026 CERN openlab Lightning Talks

On 17 and 18 August 2026, this year’s 47 CERN openlab Summer Students presented their projects at the annual Summer Student Lightning Talks. Selected from almost 6,000 applicants worldwide, the students shared the work they had carried out during their time at CERN.

The Next Generation Triggers (NGT) project had a particularly strong presence this year, with 20 summer students contributing to NGT-related projects. Across their placements, the students worked alongside CERN teams on challenges connected to the future of computing, data processing and analysis for the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC).

The NGT students worked on a wide range of topics throughout the summer, including machine learning, real-time data processing, high-performance computing, trigger systems and software development. Their projects gave them the opportunity to work on real technical challenges and contribute to ongoing research and development at CERN.

Across two afternoons, the students were given just five minutes each to present their projects, outlining the challenges they had tackled, the approaches they had taken and the results they had achieved. The short format offered a dynamic snapshot of the work carried out during the summer and showcased the variety of expertise and ideas brought together through the programme.

The students’ experience extended well beyond their individual projects. As part of the CERN openlab Summer Student Programme, they also took part in a programme of expert lectures, networking and collaborative activities, while becoming part of an international community of students and researchers at CERN. The programme concluded with a certificate ceremony and reception at the Glassbox, bringing the summer programme to a celebratory close.

A full list of this year’s Lightning Talk presentations, including the NGT student presentations, is available on Indico. Explore the presentations from Day 1 and Day 2.