Pietrasanta, Italy and online · 21–25 September 2026
Five days to build, connect, and ship—together.
Photo: Codas / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
The AiiDAlab coding retreat brings developers and researchers together for an intensive week of focused work, shared learning, and open-source collaboration. Bring a project that would benefit from uninterrupted time and close collaboration.
Participants are invited to share the projects and objectives they plan to work on during the retreat. The list will be updated as contributions are proposed.
Empa
The program is intentionally flexible. Coding topics and working groups can be adjusted during the daily kickoff according to progress and priorities.
| 07:30–08:30 | Breakfast |
|---|---|
| 09:00–09:30 | Welcome, introductions, and connection with remote participants |
| 09:30–10:30 | Presentation of proposed topics and objectives |
| 10:30–10:45 | Coffee break |
| 10:45–12:30 | Define working groups, priorities, and expected outcomes |
| 12:30–14:00 | Lunch break |
| 14:00–14:45 | Technical discussion and coordination |
| 14:45–16:00 | Focused coding and pair work |
| 16:00–16:15 | Coffee break |
| 16:15–17:30 | Coding, issue triage, and preparation of pull requests |
| 17:30–18:00 | Daily wrap-up and planning for Tuesday |
| 07:30–08:30 | Breakfast |
|---|---|
| 09:00–10:00 | Focused coding and continuation of ongoing tasks |
| 10:00–10:30 | Daily synchronization with remote participants: progress, blockers, and plans |
| 10:30–10:45 | Coffee break |
| 10:45–12:30 | Coding, pair programming, testing, and documentation |
| 12:30–14:00 | Lunch break |
| 14:00–14:45 | Technical discussion, short demo, or design session |
| 14:45–16:00 | Focused coding and collaborative work |
| 16:00–16:15 | Coffee break |
| 16:15–17:30 | Code review, testing, and preparation of pull requests |
| 17:30–18:00 | Daily wrap-up and planning for the next day |
| 07:30–08:30 | Breakfast |
|---|---|
| 09:00–09:30 | Daily synchronization and identification of remaining priorities |
| 09:30–10:30 | Final coding and documentation |
| 10:30–10:45 | Coffee break |
| 10:45–12:30 | Testing, code review, and completion of pull requests |
| 12:30–14:00 | Lunch break |
| 14:00–15:30 | Final demonstrations and presentation of results |
| 15:30–15:45 | Coffee break |
| 15:45–16:30 | Review of outcomes and remaining tasks |
| 16:30–17:00 | Agree on responsibilities and follow-up actions |
| 17:00 | Closing of the retreat |
Remote participants are especially encouraged to join the daily synchronization and technical discussion sessions. Links for online participation will be shared with registered participants before the retreat.
The retreat's objectives, daily progress, pull requests, and outcomes will be documented collaboratively on HackMD.
Working notes and daily progressPietrasanta has a railway station within walking distance of the town centre. Train schedules and tickets are available from the Trenitalia website and the Trenitalia app.
Take the PisaMover from the airport to Pisa Centrale. The journey takes approximately five minutes. From Pisa Centrale, direct regional trains to Pietrasanta typically take approximately 25–40 minutes.
Take tram line T2 from the airport to Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station; the tram journey takes approximately 20 minutes. From Firenze Santa Maria Novella, continue by train to Pietrasanta. Depending on the connection, the train journey takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Alternatively, a taxi from the airport to Firenze Rifredi station may be convenient when it connects with a suitable train. Many trains towards Pietrasanta stop at Firenze Rifredi, but please check the departure station and timetable carefully.
Genoa Airport is a possible alternative, although the onward journey is longer than from Pisa. The Airlink bus connects the airport with Genova Sestri Ponente Aeroporto railway station; alternatively, the Volabus connects the airport with Genova Piazza Principe and Genova Brignole stations. From Genoa, continue by train towards La Spezia and Pietrasanta. The journey normally takes approximately 2–3 hours and may require a change.
The journey from Milano Centrale is relatively long. Current connections to Pietrasanta take approximately 3 hours 45 minutes or longer and require at least one change. Some long-distance trains stop at Massa Centro, which can be a useful alternative when a pickup has been arranged. From Massa Centro, Pietrasanta can also be reached by regional train or taxi.
Some trains do not stop in Pietrasanta but do stop in Viareggio. Viareggio is approximately ten minutes from Pietrasanta by car, and regional trains connect Viareggio and Pietrasanta approximately every 30 minutes.
To request a place, email Carlo Pignedoli. Please state whether you plan to participate on site or remotely and briefly describe your intended project or focus.
Write to carlo.pignedoli@empa.chYour place is confirmed only after you receive a reply.