Call for Papers & Submission
The 10th Collaborative European Research Conference.
CERC 2026 : Digital Transformation and AI Across Disciplines
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Date of Conference
Friday – Saturday, 16–17 October 2026
Important Dates
Submission Deadline : 31 May 2026 (Deadline extensions possible on request. Please contact: info@cerc-conf.eu)
Submission deadline
31 May 2026
Deadline extensions possible on request. Please contact: info@cerc-conf.eu.
Notification of decisions
15 July 2026
Final version deadline
31 August 2026
Final acceptance notification
11 September 2026
Venue
ATU Wellpark Road Campus, Galway, Ireland
For more information visit our »Venue Page«.
The central theme of CERC 2026
The 2026 edition is themed »Digital Transformation and AI Across Disciplines«, reflecting one of the most significant structural shifts of our time. Artificial intelligence and digital transformation are reshaping every sector of society. The European Commission's Digital Decade 2030 policy programme (European Commission, 2023) sets ambitious targets for digital infrastructure in Europe, while the OECD's Artificial Intelligence in Society report (OECD, 2019) highlights both the transformative potential and the governance challenges AI presents across disciplines. UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (UNESCO, 2021) further underlines the urgent need for interdisciplinary, human-centred research that places people, values, and equity at the centre of technological change.
CERC 2026 invites researchers to engage critically, empirically, and creatively with these issues, whether your work addresses the technical dimensions of AI systems, their social and ethical implications, their application in creative practice, or the organisational transformations they drive. We are particularly committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment for early-stage researchers, PhD candidates and Master's by Research students. Contributions accepted for presentation in all categories are welcomed across seven thematic tracks, detailed below.
Submission
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Submission Categories
Authors are invited to submit their contributions in one of three categories: full papers, extended abstracts or posters. All submissions will undergo double-blind peer review by members of the Conference Scientific Committee.
1. Full Paper
A Full Paper presents original, unpublished research with a clear research question, methodology, results, and discussion. Contributions may be empirical, theoretical or systematic reviews. Full Papers are eligible for the Best Paper Award and will be published in the CERC 2026 proceedings. All accepted submissions must be presented at the conference by at least one registered author to appear in the proceedings.
- Size : maximum 10 pages / 4500 words, including references, tables and figures.
- Presentation : 20-minute slot (15 min. presentation + 5 min. Q&A).
2. Extended Abstract
An extended abstract is suitable for work in progress, preliminary findings, practice-based innovations, or emerging research ideas not yet ready for a full paper. It provides a structured extended abstract of sufficient depth to enable peer review.
- Size : maximum 2 pages / 1000 words, including references, tables and figures.
- Presentation : 15-minute slot (10 min. presentation + 5 min. Q&A).
3. Poster
Posters are an interactive format suited to early-stage research, practice-based projects, industry case studies or work where visual communication is central. Accepted posters will be displayed throughout the conference, and authors will present informally during a dedicated Poster Session. Posters are eligible for the Best Poster Award.
- Poster format : A1 portrait. Printing is the responsibility of the author/s.
Submission Notes
- Language : English only.
- Templates : Submission templates and formatting guidelines will be available soon. Manuscripts must not include author names, affiliations, or other identifying information. Author details are entered separately via the submission portal.
- Submission portal : Submission is electronic, via the conference management system EasyChair : https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=cerc2026
Submission via EasyChair
Please use the following link : https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=cerc2026.
Template
To download the template for your paper, please use the following link : Word Template.
(We only accept submissions in PDF format that use this template.)
Help for Submission via EasyChair
If you need help submitting via EasyChair, please use our »Help Page«.
Publication
Full Papers accepted and presented at CERC 2026 will be published in the CERC 2026 Conference Proceedings with an ISBN and DOI number; Extended Abstracts and Posters will be listed in the conference programme, but are not included in the full proceedings.
Authors of accepted high-quality full papers will be invited to develop extended manuscripts for publication in selected peer-reviewed journals.
Registration Fees
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Postgraduate / PhD Student / MSc student
€ 100
Academic / Professional (attendee, author, presenter)
€ 200
Conference Tracks
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CERC 2026 welcomes submissions across seven thematic tracks, listed below alongside examples of research topics; however, this is not an exhaustive list. Contributions that span multiple tracks or address emerging cross-disciplinary topics are encouraged. Authors should select the track that best reflects the primary focus of their work.
Planned Tracks
1. Business, Society and Digital Innovation
Digital transformation in business and public services, entrepreneurship, sustainable and circular business models, the digital-green transition, AI and societal change, innovation ecosystems.
2. Education, Digital Learning and AI
AI in teaching and learning, digital pedagogy, academic integrity in the age of AI, professional development.
3. Cybersecurity, Privacy and Digital Trust
Cyber threats and resilience, data privacy, IT governance, GDPR compliance, ethics and trust in digital systems.
4. Robotics, Automation and Intelligent Systems
Industrial robotics, human-robot interaction, autonomous systems, AI/ML engineering, automation.
5. AI in Health, Bioscience and Medical Technologies
Artificial intelligence in clinical decision-making, medical devices, bioinformatics, genomics, eHealth systems, precision medicine.
6. Smart Mobility and Connected Systems
Smart transport, connected infrastructure, electric mobility, mobility planning, mobility policy.
7. Creative Practice in a Digital Age: Arts, Design and Culture
AI-generated and AI-assisted creative work, interactive media, cultural heritage and digitalisation, the digitalisation of creative industries.
Programme Committee
(The program committee will be formed over the next few weeks.)
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Afli, Haithem – Munster Technological University, Ireland
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Bleimann, Udo – Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany
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Breitsameter, Sabine – Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany
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Curtin, Celine – Atlantic Technological University, Galway, Ireland
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Furnell, Steven – University of Nottingham, UK
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Gliga, Gabriela – Atlantic Technological University, Galway, Ireland
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Loew, Robert – Centre for Applied Informatics z.a.i. Darmstadt and Berufsbildungswerk Südhessen gGmbH, Germany
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Lorenzon Carrer, Filippo – University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Italia
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Montgomery, Therese – Atlantic Technological University, Galway, Ireland
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Stengel, Ingo – Hochschule Karlsruhe, University of Applied Sciences, Germany
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Contact
For all enquiries regarding submissions, registration, or sponsorship, please contact the conference team at info@cerc-conf.eu.
