Showcasing Innovation: NGT Summer Students at the CERN openlab Lightning Talks

2025 NGT Summer students, part of the CERN openlab summer student program. Picture: Alex Lasa Lamarca

On 11 and 12 August 2025, the CERN openlab Summer Student Lightning Talks brought together this year’s cohort of 37 talented students from 31 nationalities, selected from more than 3,800 applicants worldwide, to present the results of their nine weeks at CERN.

This year marked a milestone for the Next Generation Triggers (NGT) project, with 11 of these students contributing directly to NGT-related work across ATLAS, CMS, the IT Department, and the Theory (TH) Department. Their projects addressed diverse challenges in data acquisition, real-time processing, high-performance computing, and theoretical modelling for the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC).

CERN openlab
Lightning talks
Pictures: Mariana Velho

The range of topics showcased during the Lightning Talks reflected the breadth of the NGT programme. Students worked on everything from exploring Binary Neural Networks for real-time particle identification on FPGAs in ATLAS, to designing interfaces for GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo event generators in the Theory Department, to studying the first data from machine learning-based anomaly detection triggers. These projects exemplified the hands-on, cutting-edge research environment that CERN and NGT provide to young scientists.

Over two afternoons, each student had five minutes to introduce their objectives, methods, and results. The sessions offered a fast-paced overview of work spanning software optimisation, firmware integration, and novel data-handling techniques, with the NGT cohort demonstrating both technical skill and creative problem-solving.

Beyond their individual contributions, the NGT summer students benefited from the full breadth of the CERN openlab programme: expert lectures, collaborative discussions, and a vibrant international community. The programme concluded with a certificate ceremony and celebratory reception, a fitting close to an intense and inspiring summer.

A full list of this year’s Lightning Talk presentations, including those from NGT students, is available on Indico. Click to see Day 1 and Day 2 presentations.