Key takeaways from Impress workshop

What makes over 70 scientists, engineers, and technology experts pause their busy schedules on a Monday morning to join a two-hour online workshop? The answer became clear on April 13, 2026: a shared curiosity about where Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is heading - and a desire to help shape that future together. 

The online workshop “Automated TEM: Software, Data Management and Advanced Analysis”, held from 9:30 to 11:30 CET, brought together 73 participants from across the scientific and technical community. Researchers, microscope operators, industry representatives, IT specialists, and developers joined the session, reflecting the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of modern TEM. 

The programme featured contributions from Enzo Rotunno (CNR-Nano), Kristian Tveitstøl (Norwegian University of Science and Technology – NTNU), Alexander Clausen (Forschungszentrum Jülich – FZJ), and Ivan Pinto (ICN2) together with Marc Botifoll (FZJ). Their talks offered complementary perspectives on automation in TEM - from experimental workflows and scripting to data management solutions and advanced analysis pipelines. For a detailed overview of the agenda and topics, please visit the official workshop page.  

A space to share knowledge and gather feedback 

While the presentations showcased cutting-edge developments, the workshop’s real strength lay in its interactive nature: a space to share knowledge and openly discuss challenges with the community. 

A central theme that emerged was how to make automation both accessible and reliable in real-world laboratory settings. Participants expressed strong interest in automated workflows capable of running complex experiments over extended periods, improving reproducibility and efficiency. At the same time, discussions revealed different levels of confidence when it comes to scripting and automation, pointing to the need for tools that are not only powerful, but also user-friendly. 

Data management was another key focus. As experiments increasingly generate massive datasets, participants raised practical concerns about transferring, organizing, and accessing data across heterogeneous systems. The discussion highlighted a common bottleneck: even when advanced acquisition is possible, fragmented infrastructures can slow down or complicate the workflow. 

The session on digital twins and AI-driven analysis sparked particularly lively exchanges. Beyond the technical achievements, participants reflected on a broader challenge: how to build reliable AI workflows in a field where high-quality, expert-annotated data is essential but time-consuming to produce. Questions around trust, validation, and scalability showed that while AI holds great promise, its integration into everyday practice still requires careful consideration. 

From discussion to direction: addressing shared challenges 

The challenges raised during the workshop are not isolated but reflect broader needs across the field of electron microscopy. This is precisely where the IMPRESS project comes in.

IMPRESS aims to make TEM more flexible, interoperable, and accessible by developing a new generation of instrumentation and workflows based on open standards and modular design. By enabling different systems, tools, and datasets to work together seamlessly, the project addresses many of the challenges raised during the workshop, helping researchers move from isolated solutions to integrated, reproducible approaches. 

Events like this play a crucial role in advancing the field, creating a platform where users, developers, and infrastructure providers can exchange perspectives, identify shared challenges, and contribute to shaping future developments. 

More Impress training and community-focused events are already planned in the coming months, continuing this dialogue across the TEM community. 

The workshop was organized by Euro-BioImaging ERIC and CERIC-ERIC, with the support of Promoscience. 

Stay tuned for upcoming events and follow IMPRESS on LinkedIn to stay updated.