Join us for an inspiring and engaging event where experts, researchers and enthusiasts come together to explore advancements in large language models (LLMs) for Germanic languages. Over the course of three days, you’ll have the opportunity to connect, collaborate and contribute to shaping the future of LLMs.
Please note that this event is exclusively open to members of the TrustLLM consortium and their invited guests. If you are not part of the consortium but are interested in participating, please get in touch with us to discuss your involvement.
Stay tuned for the announcement of our keynote speakers, and get ready for a mix of insightful presentations, interactive workshops, and unique Icelandic experiences. We look forward to your active participation!
Programme
Please note that the programme is subject to change. We will update the schedule as needed.
Day 0: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
- Open social dinner (optional, self-paid, Food Hall: Hafnartorg Gallery food hall)
Day 1: Wednesday, 11 June 2025 – The bigger picture: Inspiration and collaboration
Morning session (open to the public): An event with focus on the bigger picture of LLMs in the EU. Will we make it or break it?
Venue: Veröld Auditorium
08:30: Coffee and registration
09:00 – 09:30: Welcome and introduction
- Opening remarks by project coordinators Fredrik Heintz and Tohid Ardeshiri
- Opening address by Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, former Minister of Tourism, Trade and Culture in Iceland
- Overview of TrustLLM objectives and milestones: Fredrik Heintz, Tohid Ardeshiri
09:30 – 11:00: Keynote presentations
- 09:30 – 10:15: “Power in unity: Iceland’s Language Tech Journey”
Speaker: Lilja Dögg Jónsdóttir, CEO at Almannarómur (Icelandic Centre for Language Technology) - 10:15 – 10:30: Coffee break
- 10:30 – 11:15: Connections between TrustLLM and ALT-EDIC’s projects
Speaker: Edouard Geoffrois, director of ALT-EDIC (The Alliance for Language Technologies)
11:15 – 12:00: Panel discussion: “Challenges and opportunities in underrepresented language AI”
Featuring keynote speakers, project leaders, such as:
Þorvaldur Páll Helgason, CTO at Miðeind (a leading software company in the field of language technology and artificial intelligence for Icelandic)
Steinþór Steingrímsson, research assistant professor at The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
Morris Riedel, Head of IHPC (National Competence Center for HPC & AI in Iceland).
Afternoon: Icelandic adventure
12:00 – 13:00: Participants organise their own lunch.
Nearby options: Háma (university canteen), Studentakjallarin (university pub), Plantan Bistro (vegan café at the Nordic House), and Eiriksdóttir (restaurant on campus)
13:00 – 22:00: Day trip to Reykjadalur
The bus leaves at 13:30 from Hallgrímskirkja, hike and social dinner at The Greenhouse food hall in Hveragerði (participants pay for themselves). The bus will start to drive back to Reykjavík around 21:15. To ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience on our day trip, please make sure to bring the appropriate clothing and essentials. For detailed information on what to bring, please visit our Practical Information page.
Day 2: Thursday, 12 June 2025 – Deep dive into research and development
Venue: Háskólatorg, H101
Morning session
09:00 – 10:30: Presentations by PhD students and researchers
- 09.00-09.20 “Aligning Germanic LLMs”
Annika Simonsen (University of Iceland), - 09.20-09.40 “Is Synthetic Alignment Data for the Germanic Languages Viable?”
Mathias Stenlund (University of Iceland) - 09.40-10.00 “Transforming Pretrained LLMs into AI Assistants”
Hoda Fakharzadehjahromy (Linköping University) - 10.00-10.20 “Data Collection and Evaluation for Faroese”
Iben Nyholm Debess (University of the Faroe Islands)
10:30 – 11:00: Coffee break
11:00 – 12:00: Panel discussions by work package leaders focusing on the second half of the project
Afternoon session
12:00 – 13:00: Lunch outside conference room, buffet-style
13:00 – 14:30: General assembly
Setting priorities for the next phase of the project.
Lead by: Tohid Ardeshiri and Fredrik Heintz
14:30 – 15:00: Coffee break
15:00 – 16:00: Interactive workshop (WP8): “Bridging the gap between academia and industry”
Collaborative session on practical applications of TrustLLM research
16:00 – 17:30 Guided walking tour of Reykjavik and stop at a social event
19:00 – 21:00: Conference dinner at Kopar
Day 3: Friday, 13 June 2025 – Charting the path forward
Venue: Háskólatorg, H101
Morning session
09:00 – 10:30: Presentations by PhD students and researchers
- 09.00-09.20 “Language Adapters”
Romina Oji (Linköping University), - 09.20-09.40 “Diffusion-Based Approaches to Pixel Language Modeling”
Ingo Ziegler (University of Copenhagen), - 09.40-10.00 “Exploring the Attention Mechanism Design Space”
Marcus Lång (Linköping University) - 10.00-10.20 “Dynamic Tokenization and Multilingual Fairness”
Garðar Ingvarsson and Haukur Barri Símonarson (Miðeind)
10:30 – 11:00: Coffee break
11:00 – 12:00: Focused discussion groups
- Data management and privacy in LLM development
Danila Petrelli, Senior Data Manager at AI Sweden (National center for applied artificial intelligence) - Scaling TrustLLM: From research to real-world applications
Saskia Lensink, consultant and business manager at TNO (an independent research organisation in the Netherlands) - Ethical AI: Ensuring fairness and inclusivity in Germanic language models
Hafsteinn Einarsson, Associate Professor at University of Iceland
Afternoon session
12:00 – 13:00: Lunch at Studentakjallarinn
13:00 – 14:00: Plenary Session: “The road ahead for TrustLLM”
Lead by Fredrik Heintz
- Roadmap for the second half of the TrustLLM project
- Collaboration opportunities with other projects
- Recap of key takeaways
- Closing remarks and action items
- Assigning responsibilities and next steps
Optional afternoon programme on Friday 13 June
14:00 – 15:30: Optional workshop sessions and meetings in smaller groups
- Hands-on tutorials on TrustLLM tools and resources
- One-on-one meetings with project leaders and collaborators
- WP9 Communication, Dissemination and Stakeholder Management
Lead by Mariel Svensson
15:30-17:00: PhD student networking sessions and presentations
Lead by Annika Simonsen
19:00 onwards: Farewell dinner (optional, self-paid at food hall)
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- Venue: Pósthús Mathöll
- Opportunity for final networking and informal discussions
Activities in Iceland
Make the most of your free time during the conference. From must-see attractions to delicious food and drink experiences, there’s plenty to explore. Check out our curated list of activities to enhance your stay.
Explore Iceland’s must-see attractions and culinary delights