At the beginning of September, CORPUS hosted FPL 2025, the 35th International Conference on Field-Programmable Logic and Applications. For five days, the international academic elite in the field of configurable chip development gathered in the bright and spacious conference facilities of the CORPUS Congress Center. Nele Mentens, Professor of Applied Cryptography and Data Security at the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), looks back with pride on a successful edition: "The location was perfect for what this conference is all about: sharing knowledge and meeting each other."
A global community brought together
From Monday 1 to Friday 5 September, Leiden University hosted the 35thInternational Conference on Field Programmable Logic and Applications, an annual academic conference held in a different European country each year. Researchers from North America, Asia, and across Europe traveled to the Netherlands to present their latest insights. The academic program was preceded by an extensive selection process. ‘Researchers could submit papers, after which our program committee selected the most promising ones,’ explains Nele Mentens. ‘These papers were presented during the conference atthe CORPUS Congress Center.’
Five days of workshops, knowledge sharing, and networking
The 35th edition of the FPL Conference attracted nearly 200 unique registrations, supplemented by participants who registered on site. These visitors were treated to a carefully structured week. Monday and Tuesday were devoted to in-depth workshops, mostly organized by companies or universities. "These workshops were sessions on very specific themes, fitting within the broader topic of the conference. Some participants came specifically for these workshops, while others only took part in the plenary program in the second half of the week or stayed for the entire program," says Nele Mentens. The plenary program started on Wednesday, with paper presentations, demonstrations, and networking activities. The demo night on Wednesday evening in particular proved to be an unexpected crowd-puller: "It was such a success that CORPUS even let us continue for more than an hour longer than planned. They were very flexible in that regard."
CORPUS as a location that encourages interaction
CORPUS was no stranger to Leiden University. The organization had previously organized events there to everyone's satisfaction. "So we already knew that it was a great location for an academic event," says Nele Mentens. ‘For us, it is very important that, in addition to facilities for the various presentations, there is also a pleasant space for networking. The CORPUS lounge is light, open, and inviting. The fact that all parts of the event could take place on the same floor was a major added value. We used both a plenary hall for 200 participants and various configurable smaller rooms for 50-100 people for the workshops in the first few days."
Collaboration that works: flexible, transparent, and personal
Nele Mentens speaks highly of the collaboration with the CORPUS team. "Everything went very smoothly. We visited them once to discuss things, and from that moment on, the team actively contributed ideas. They were flexible, transparent about prices and options, and very pleasant to communicate with." During the event, support was available at all times. "There were always people from CORPUS around—technical staff, catering staff, or someone you could call directly. That inspires a lot of confidence."
Hospitality and catering: completely taken care of
The participants were well looked after for five days. CORPUS provided all lunches, coffee breaks, and continuous coffee, tea, and water. "It was nice that participants could grab a coffee right away upon arrival," says Nele Mentens. In addition, there were several receptions, including an opening reception with a walking dinner on the evening before the plenary programandan extra reception with snacks during the popular demo night on Wednesday. On Thursday evening, the group dined together at an external location so that they could also enjoy the center of Leiden.
Many compliments for the organization
The responses from participants were unanimously positive. "We received many compliments about the organization," says Nele Mentens. "The combination of the program, the atmosphere, and the location made it a very successful edition." CORPUS offers exactly what an international academic conference needs: space, hospitality, and the ideal setting for conversation.
Text: Mahlee Plekker
Photos: PhD student Roozbeh Siyadatzadeh