SFI History

The first edition of the event, born from the initiative of Jan Szumiec, a student of the Krakow University of Technology. The two-day festival gathered 11 speakers and over 300 IT enthusiasts, laying the foundations for a long-lasting tradition.

For the first time, the festival adopted the three-day format that continues to this day. A breakthrough moment was the visit of the first foreign guest – Professor Andrew S. Tanenbaum, creator of MINIX and author of fundamental academic textbooks.

This edition stood out with an impressive number of 21 speakers from around the world. It was also a symbolic moment, ending the period of visual identity based on the original event logo.

A new festival logo was presented, which became its recognizable symbol for years to come. Among the speakers was Joe Armstrong, an outstanding computer scientist and creator of the Erlang language.

The festival gained enormous popularity, attracting about 2000 participants. The special guest was Professor Ryszard Tadeusiewicz, three-time rector of AGH and an authority in automation and computer science.

The event returned to the Krakow University of Economics. Renewed cooperation with the university allowed for creating an inspiring atmosphere in a proven location.

The festival opened up to modern forms of communication, organizing the first video conference lecture in the event's history. It was delivered by Stephen Wolfram, introducing a new quality in knowledge sharing.

After years of exploring various spaces, SFI found its home in the prestigious interiors of Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonian University, attracting crowds of listeners and building a unique atmosphere.

This edition made history with the inauguration of the SeekFindInput competition. Participants had to find QR codes, which allowed combining knowledge acquisition with great fun and competition.

A jubilee edition, summarizing a decade of SFI activity. It was a time of celebrating ten years full of inspiration, innovation, and building a strong IT community.

The festival's debut on Instagram. On stage appeared, among others, space engineer Marcin Stolarski and Elixir language creator José Valim.

An edition focusing on prominent figures of the Polish IT and network security scene. Among those sharing their knowledge were Piotr Konieczny, creator of Niebezpiecznik, and Jakub 'unknow' Mrugalski.

An impressive lineup of guests: return of Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Paweł Sasko's lecture on game development (including The Witcher 3), and Thomas H. Cormen's talk, co-author of the legendary 'Introduction to Algorithms'.

Special guests were creators of key programming tools: Larry Wall (Perl) and Bram Moolenaar (Vim). The festival was enriched with a Hearthstone tournament and dedicated sweets.

Participants had the opportunity to listen to Håkon Wium Lie, creator of the CSS standard, and Borislav Slavov, composer of music for world-famous RPG games such as 'Baldur's Gate 3'.

Due to the pandemic, the festival moved to the virtual world. The online edition included remote lectures, workshops, and a podcast series, proving that SFI can adapt to the most difficult conditions.

The return to in-person format was highlighted by the presence of Cay Horstmann, author of world-renowned Java programming textbooks.

Among the speakers stood out Krzysztof M. Maj, a game researcher and lecturer who introduced participants to the secrets of building and designing open worlds in video games.

The edition during which the friendly SFIstak became the official mascot of the festival. Its image accompanied participants on commemorative stickers, building a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

At the special jubilee edition, many additional attractions appeared – participants could test their skills in Seek Find Input and CTF competitions, as well as compete in gaming tournaments. A Q&A zone was also opened, enabling free conversations with speakers.

Come and become part of the festival!