Santiago de Compostela hosts from June 3 to 6 the fifth edition of the International School 'High-performance and Disruptive Computing in Remote Sensing'. The event is organized by the High Performance and Disruptive Computing in Remote Sensing Working Group of the Earth Science Informatics Technical Committee (ESI TC) of GRSS, the IHPC Simulation and Data Lab Remote Sensing, and CiTIUS (Singular Research Center in Intelligent Technologies), under the leadership of CiTIUS senior researcher Dora Blanco Heras.

High performance and disruptive computing in remote sensing are two crucial areas for handling the immense volumes of data generated by modern remote sensing technologies. These advanced computing methods allow for the efficient processing, analysis, and interpretation of remote sensing data, which is vital for applications in areas with major challenges such as environmental monitoring, disaster management, or climate research.

The course attracted twenty-seven students from various countries worldwide, half of whom received partial funding from the IEEE GRSS to attend. The program also includes a guided tour of the Supercomputing Center of Galicia (CESGA), which houses the largest public quantum computer in southern Europe, as well as a tour of the city's historical areas.

The primary goal of this school is to familiarize participants with advances in parallel and scalable methods using state-of-the-art computing technologies in their application to remote sensing. Additionally, it provides an invaluable opportunity for students and young professionals to connect with established researchers in the field, thereby fostering interdisciplinary research collaboration in HDCRS.

The school curriculum will consist of different sessions organized into three main topics: the features offered by Google Earth Engine for Earth Observation, large-scale AI focused on Foundation Models and Large Language Models developed by NASA and IBM, and Quantum Computing for Geosciences and Remote Sensing. These presentations will be available a few weeks after the course through the IEEE GRSS YouTube channel.

A large number of distinguished speakers will participate in the school, including: Manil Maskey from NASA; Radha Pyari Sandhir, Albert García Fernández, Thomas Brunschwiler, and Johannes Jakubik from IBM Research; Gabriele Meoni and Alessandro Sebastianelli from ESA; Emma Izquierdo-Verdiguier and Eric Smit representing Google; Lois Orosa from CESGA; Gabriele Cavallaro from the University of Iceland and Jülich Supercomputing Centre; and Dora Blanco from CiTIUS.

More information about the course and its program is available at HDCRS Working Group.

About the HDCRS Working Group

High Performance and Disruptive Computing in Remote Sensing (HDCRS) is a working group of the Earth Science Informatics Technical Committee of IEEE GRSS, dedicated to advancing this field through collaborative research and cutting-edge technological applications.