Successful RSE Day Hamburg 2025 at Science City Bahrenfeld

17 July 2025, by Janis-Marie Paul

Photo: Janis-Marie Paul

On July 16, 2025, the Hub of Computing and Data Science (HCDS) hosted the first-ever RSE Day Hamburg – a new platform for exchange, visibility, and networking in the field of Research Software Engineering (RSE). 

• Venue: Science City Bahrenfeld 
• 86 participants from research, software development, and infrastructure - 36 institutions 
• 42 poster presentations
• 17 lightning talks & 2 keynotes 

Research Needs Software – and People Who Build It 

Research Software Engineers (RSEs) specialize in developing and maintaining software for scientific research. They combine technical programming skills with an understanding of research methods and deep knowledge of specific disciplines – from the natural and life sciences to the humanities and computer science.

RSEs play a critical role in bridging the gap between advanced data processing and domain-specific research, ensuring that digital tools remain reliable, transparent, and sustainable over time. 

Strengthening the Community Through Exchange 

The goal of RSE Day was to provide a space for the growing RSE community in the Hamburg metropolitan region to meet, present their work, and explore new impulses for collaboration. 

A poster session featuring 42 contributions highlighted the diversity of RSE in action – from sustainable software architecture to machine learning frameworks and citizen science applications. 

The program was complemented by two inspiring keynotes and 17 lightning talks that offered hands-on insights into new tools, methodologies, and lessons learned – concise, practical, and forward-looking. 

A Strong Start – with More to Come 

The high level of participation and interest clearly showed: there is a strong need for exchange, visibility, and structural support for RSE work. HCDS is proud to act as a convener and catalyst and will continue building on this momentum together with partners from research and infrastructure. 

We thank all presenters, participants, and supporters for making this kick-off a success – and look forward to what’s next!