Summit 2026 on Dec 2nd/3rd in Darmstadt

The Summit is the central event of the Software Campus to bring together all those involved in the program. All participants are invited - whether the project is just starting, is currently running or has already been completed. Our industry and research partners will be on site as well as representatives of the BMFTR and project management agency. All graduates will receive their degree certificates at this ceremony. Read more about what it was like last year here.

We are delighted that the Technische Universität Darmstadt will be our host this year!

Agenda

For information in German, please click here.

Registration is open until October 20th.

Project presentations: Science Slam and poster/demo

An important part of the Summit will be the presentations of the IT research projects.

Who presents: All those who have already finished their project or are about to do so. But also those who are just starting the project and would like to present it to get feedback are welcome to do so. In general, each participant should present their own project at least once at a summit.

Each project is presented twice, in two ways

• Science Slam: Everyone gives a 5-minute short talk about their microproject on December 2nd. You can work on your performance together with science slam coach Ingo Nordmann in individual virtual sessions (30 minutes). You can find more information here.
• Poster/ Demo: Additionally, participants are free to decide whether to do their project presentation on December 3rd with a poster or a demo.

• Event App: All speakers and projects are featured in an event app—previously, this was done in a printed booklet. In the event app, we now also have the option to publish links and profile pictures in addition to basic information about the project. We collect and manage the information displayed in the event app via the registration form. When registering, please have an English description of your project (max. 500 characters, including spaces), the project code, and the project duration ready. Feel free to take this opportunity to include your contact information as well. We’ll share the link to the app with you well in advance of the event.

Founders Pitch

At Software Campus we want to support not only careers in business and academia, but also those who want to found or already have. The Summit offers a great stage to present your founding idea or startup to potential cooperation partners, customers and supporters, we give out 3 slots of 5 minutes each. If you are interested: Write to susanne@softwarecampus.de why you should be on this stage!

Following: Event by the Alumni Association

After the Summit, the Software Campus Alumni Association invites you to a network event:

• Thursday, December 3rd, starting at 7 p.m. (dinner together)
• Friday, December 4th (Guided tour, lunch, general meeting, counseling services for Software Campus participants and alumni, dinner)
• Saturday, December 5th (Brunch, educational programs)

Current Software Campus participants can cover the participation fee for the event as part of their travel expenses. Further information can be found on the event page. When you register, your details (name, email address, day of participation) will be passed on to the alumni association.

Travel information

Financing the trip

If your IT research project is still running, you should bill your trip through it. This also includes participation in the alumni meeting that takes place beforehand, provided you take part in the consultation offer on Sunday. If this is not the case, please clarify the payment with your research partner via the framework project of your institution. If there are any problems, please contact us.

Hotel contingents at the Plaza Premium Hotel Darmstadt

The Plaza Premium Hotel Darmstadt is located near the event venue and the main train station. We have reserved 60 single-occupancy rooms at the hotel for the night of December 2–3, 2026.

Plaza Premium Hotel Darmstadt, Am Kavalleriesand 6, 64296 Darmstadt-West: €84.00 per room/night, including breakfast. Free cancellation is available up to 72 hours before December 3. You can book rooms using the keyword “Software Campus” until October 15, 2026. You can make reservations via phone at +49 (0)6151 737 750 0 or by email at reservierung@darmstadt.plazahotels.de.