HMC Conference 2026

28.04.2026, 09:00 → 30.04.2026, 13:30 Europe/Berlin

Communication Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg)

HMC Conference 2026 – Metadata in Action

How does better metadata drive better science? The Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC) Conference 2026, held 28–30 April 2026 in Heidelberg, invites you to explore how metadata creates scientific impact across disciplines and infrastructures.

Under the theme “Metadata in Action,” this conference is where diverse perspectives meet. Infrastructure providers, data stewards, researchers, and centre operators come together to exchange ideas, showcase solutions, and discuss how metadata acts towards shaping data quality, interoperability, and innovation in research.

Whether you design infrastructures, manage data, or conduct research, this is your opportunity to see how improved metadata practices lead to better science. Join us to explore how metadata is not just managed - but making a difference.

 

Our Keynote Speakers

		Marta Teperek is an open science and data stewardship expert with a background in molecular biology (University of Cambridge). She is widely recognised for advancing FAIR data practices, metadata quality, and sustainable research data strategies across international research institutions.
		Jan Portisch is a data science and knowledge graph expert at SAP SE. As Head of Content Infrastructure, he leads the development of enterprise-scale knowledge graphs and AI-driven content infrastructures, bridging semantic technologies and machine learning in industrial contexts.
		Oliver Stegle is a computational genomics and research infrastructure expert at DKFZ Heidelberg. As Director and Co-Spokesperson of the German Human Genome-Phenome Archive (GHGA), he advances secure, FAIR-aligned access to human genomic and phenomic data.

 

Registration is open

 

The Call for Contributions (Abstracts & Pre-Conference Workshops) is closed.

 

Stay Connected

Be part of the conversation! Follow the latest updates, share your insights, and connect with fellow participants using our official conference hashtag: #HMCConference2026

And follow us on:

• Bluesky: @helmholtzhmc.bsky.social 
• LinkedIn @helmholtz-metadata-collaboration-hmc 
• Mastodon: @helmholtz_hmc

 

Explore the HMC Conference 2025

Curious about what you can expect this year? Explore highlights from our last in-person HMC Conference 2025 – because context matters... in Cologne, including the full Book of Abstracts, the conference website, and a conference newspost from the event.

 

 

With the kind support of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)

 

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HMC-Conference-2026_Terms-and-Conditions.pdf

Di., 28. April

09:00 → 10:30 WORKSHOPS

10:30 → 11:00 COFFEE

11:00 → 12:30 WORKSHOPS

12:30 → 13:30 LUNCH

13:30 → 14:00 WELCOME

14:00 → 15:00 KEYNOTE: Dr. Marta Teperek - TBA

15:00 → 15:30 COFFEE

15:30 → 17:00 TALK SESSION: Metadata in Action: Embedding Quality and Context into Research Infrastructures

17:00 → 19:00 POSTER & DEMOS

19:00 → 21:00 NETWORKING

Mi., 29. April

09:00 → 10:30 TALK SESSION: Software Interoperability for (Meta)data Acquisition

10:30 → 11:00 COFFEE

11:00 → 12:30 TALK SESSION: Ontology-Driven Metadata Harmonization: Closing Semantic Gaps

12:30 → 13:30 LUNCH

13:30 → 14:30 KEYNOTE: Dr. Jan Portisch - TBA

14:30 → 17:00 POSTER & DEMOS (with Coffee)

18:00 → 22:00 SOCIAL EVENT

Do., 30. April

09:00 → 10:00 KEYNOTE: Prof. Dr. Oliver Stegle - TBA

10:00 → 10:30 COFFEE

10:30 → 12:00 TALK SESSION: Human-Machine Collaboration in (Meta)data Acquisition

12:00 → 12:30 WRAP UP

12:30 → 13:30 LIGHT LUNCH