We are pleased to announce a half-day event “Sustainable Software in HEP”, which will be held virtually on July 22, 2020. This virtual mini-workshop is a Blueprint meeting of the Institute for Research and Innovation for Software in High-Energy Physics (IRIS-HEP). The IRIS-HEP Blueprint process is designed to develop and evolve the strategic vision of the Institute in key areas, such as the topic of this workshop, and engage with other communities.
Given that HL-LHC and other facilities of the 2020s will be relevant through at least the 2030s, it is not only desirable but necessary that the related software efforts include a strong element of sustainability to enable their adaptability to new challenges, longevity and efficiency. This will help ensure that the software will be easier to develop and maintain so that it remains available in the future on new platforms, meets new needs, and is as reusable as possible. Such practices could lead to new collaborations, including elements of HEP software being of direct use outside the field, and HEP developers contributing to software developed outside the field rather than reinventing it, as has happened more frequently in recent years. This will also give our software developers an important skill that is essential to careers in the realm of software, inside or outside HEP. The goal of this workshop is to bring together experts from our own community as well as those from outside to share their experiences and practices, and to articulate a vision that helps IRIS-HEP in creating a work plan to implement elements of software sustainability.
A final report on the workshop is available at https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.05102
