APAN62 celebrated digital research ideas, infrastructure and impact

APAN62 brought the Asia-Pacific research and education community together in Auckland for five days of ideas, infrastructure and collaboration.

From 10–14 August 2026, REANNZ proudly hosted APAN62 in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, bringing the Asia-Pacific research and education network community together for a week of bold ideas, technical exchange and regional collaboration.

Across five days of keynote talks, working groups, technical sessions, workshops and community meetings, delegates explored the advanced digital infrastructure that supports modern research and education, while strengthening the partnerships and human connections that help turn ideas into impact.

Big ideas across science and technology

More than 200 experts gathered in Auckland to discuss topics spanning artificial intelligence, cyber security, high-performance computing, cloud technologies, advanced networking, genomics, environmental monitoring, agriculture and resilient systems.

From satellites that can support fisheries management, to wireless sensors for food production in a changing climate, to genomics research opening new possibilities in cancer treatment, the programme reflected the breadth of science and innovation enabled by research and education networks.

A highlight of the week was APANConf’26, the 4th International Conference on Advanced Network Technologies and Applications, held as part of APAN62. The one-day conference brought together original research across AI, HPC and resilient systems, with technical talks exploring semantic search, large language models, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cyber security.

Building capability for a changing digital future

Trust, privacy and responsible digital infrastructure were central themes. Keynote speaker Klaas Wierenga, creator of eduroam and Chief Services Officer at GÉANT, spoke about the importance of building privacy into systems from the start, rather than treating it as something to add later.

As artificial intelligence accelerates and more of our lives move online, APAN62 provided an important forum for considering not only what digital systems can do, but how they can be designed to support trust, mobility and international collaboration.

The final keynote, delivered by Nicole Ferguson of OpenStar Technologies, offered a powerful close to the week. OpenStar’s work in fusion energy is ambitious, deeply collaborative and data-intensive, with potential future benefits ranging from cleaner energy and greater resilience to new possibilities for cancer treatment.

It was a fitting reminder of what becomes possible when bold science, advanced infrastructure and strong partnerships come together.

Connections that continue beyond the programme

For REANNZ, hosting APAN62 was an opportunity to showcase Aotearoa New Zealand’s research and innovation community, while strengthening the connections that enable knowledge to move across disciplines, institutions and borders.

The event also reflected the concept of kaitiaki: the responsibility to care for something of value, strengthen it, protect it and leave it better for those who follow.

Across APAN62, that spirit was evident in the expertise shared, the challenges explored and the commitments made. The true impact of the week will continue to unfold as conversations become projects, ideas become action and collaborations deepen across the region.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to APAN62 in Auckland, including speakers, delegates, sponsors, organisers, volunteers and the wider APAN community. REANNZ looks forward to seeing this work continue, and to gathering again at APAN63 in Singapore in February 2027.