https://doi.org/10.1007/s41781-025-00155-2
Editorial
SMARTHEP: Training PhD Students in Real-time Analysis at the LHC and in Industry
1
Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
2
IBM France, Paris, France
3
Sorbonne University, Paris, France
4
University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
5
University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
6
Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
7
Lund University, Lund, Sweden
8
University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
9
Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT, Lahti, Finland
10
NIKHEF, Amsterdam, Netherlands
11
VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
12
Verizon Connect, Florence, Italy
13
University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
14
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
a
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
b
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Received:
16
December
2025
Accepted:
19
December
2025
Published online:
19
February
2026
Abstract
In this Editorial, we describe the SMARTHEP Innovative Training Network funded via the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions between 2021 and 2025. SMARTHEP trained 12 PhD students to advance machine learning and real-time analysis in high-energy physics experiments and industrial applications. We present the perspective of students, supervisors, and external observers of the network, concerning the work done within the network, the added value compared to “typical” PhD positions, and the emerging themes and directions from our experiences in the past four years.
Key words: Doctoral training / Machine learning / Real-time analysis
© The Author(s) 2026
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
