The International Conference on Parallel Problem Solving From Nature (PPSN) is a biannual open forum fostering the study of natural models, iterative optimization heuristics, machine learning, and other artificial intelligence approaches. PPSN was originally designed to bring together researchers and practitioners in the field of Natural Computing, the study of computing approaches that are gleaned from natural models. Today, the conference series has evolved and welcomes works on all types of iterative optimization heuristics. Notably, we also welcome submissions on connections between search heuristics and machine learning or other artificial intelligence approaches. Submissions covering the entire spectrum of work, ranging from rigorously derived mathematical results to carefully crafted empirical studies, are invited.

All information regarding the conference organization, call for papers/tutorials/workshops, submission, registration, venue, etc. will be provided and constantly updated on this website and on our social media channels.

In case of any additional inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at ppsn2026@unitn.it.

See you soon in Trento, Italy!

Giovanni Iacca, PPSN 2026 Conference Chair

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference.

Papers must be submitted as PDF files in Springer LNCS style through the conference submission portal. The page limit is 14 pages, excluding references.

Authors' names need not be hidden for the reviewing process. Springer's instructions for authors of proceedings in computer science (which includes LNCS) are available here.

Springer's proceedings LaTeX templates are available on Overleaf. If authors wish to include supplementary material, we suggest they host a separate document online (e.g., Zenodo) and cite it appropriately within the paper.

We encourage authors to select the appropriate paper category in the submission tool and not overuse the "other" category.

We draw the attention of contributing authors to Springer's Code of Conduct and AI Authorship Policy.

Submission link to be announced.

Paper Presentation and Publishing

Following PPSN's unique tradition, all accepted papers will be presented during the poster sessions and will be included in the proceedings.

For this purpose, please prepare a poster in DIN A0 portrait format once your full paper has been accepted.

The proceedings will be published in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series by Springer.

The PPSN 2026 Organizing Committee invites proposals for workshops to be held in conjunction with PPSN 2026. The workshops should be forums for presenting and discussing new emerging approaches or for critical reflections within a subfield. They provide an excellent opportunity to meet people with similar interests, to be exposed to cutting-edge research and to exchange ideas in an informal setting. We particularly encourage the proposal of industrial-related workshops.

The organizers of an accepted workshop are responsible for its coordination, publicity (i.e., for sending out the call for papers/abstracts, invitation of participants and speakers), and maintaining a webpage providing a list of accepted talks. Paper submission and reviewing (if applicable) is to be organized by workshop organizers. Please note that workshop papers will not appear in the PPSN proceedings.

Moreover, organizers can decide on setting up a half-day or full-day workshop. A half-day is approximately 2.5 hours and the full day is approximately 5 hours. We will also consider shorter-form workshops (e.g. 1.5-2 hours) if appropriate. The workshop format is up to the organizers. However, we encourage interactive sessions that foster discussion and active exchange of ideas. We suggest soliciting concept papers or abstracts of not more than a few pages' length, instead of full papers.

Submission Details

Prospective workshop organizers are cordially invited to submit a plain-text workshop proposal by email to Sarah Thomson (s.thomson4@napier.ac.uk) with a message header following the format WPPSN26: [workshop's title], including the following information:

• The title of the workshop.
• A brief description of the workshop topic (roughly half a page).
• A description of potential target participants and audience.
• The planned time format (half day, full day).
• An approximate number of participants.
• An estimate of the number of talks (considering the time format).
• Contact details and a short CV of each organizer.

The PPSN 2026 Organizing Committee invites proposals for tutorials to be held in conjunction with PPSN 2026. The tutorial topic should enjoy broad interest within the community, ranging from an established or emerging research topic within the field itself, or a related field, to an interesting application area. The proposed topic should facilitate a gentle introduction to the research area, but it should also cover the most important contributions in depth. The planned duration of each tutorial is 90 minutes. We strongly encourage interactive sessions including, e.g., demos of tools and discussions of research perspectives in the presented domains.

Submission Guidelines

Prospective tutorial organizers are cordially invited to submit a plain-text tutorial proposal by email to Yuri Lavinas (yuri.lavinas@ut-capitole.fr) with a message header following the format TPPSN26: [tutorial's title], with the following information:

• An abstract (of no more than 400 words) and up to 4 keywords.
• A tutorial description of max. 2 pages.
• Classification of your tutorial as "introductory" or "advanced".
• Contact details and a short CV of the organizer(s).
• Potential target audience.
• Expected number of participants.
• Details on previously held versions of the proposed tutorial including venues.

We are looking for sponsors to support and partner with this core A-rank conference. By sponsoring PPSN, your organization will gain visibility within the international research community and contribute to shaping one of the leading events in the field. For sponsorship opportunities and details, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to discuss this further and provide all needed information.

For sponsorship opportunities and details, contact us at ppsn2026@unitn.it. We will be happy to discuss this further and provide all needed information.

We are proud to announce that our proceedings will be published as part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). Free access to the conference publications will be provided right before the conference.

"The series Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS), including its subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics (LNBI), has established itself as a medium for the publication of new developments in computer science and information technology research and teaching. The cornerstone of LNCS's editorial policy is its unwavering commitment to report the latest results from all areas of computer science and information technology research, development, and education.

LNCS has always enjoyed close cooperation with the computer science R & D community, with numerous renowned academics, and with prestigious institutes and learned societies. Our mission is to serve this community by providing an invaluable publication service.

LNCS commenced publication in 1973 and rapidly attracted attention, not least because of its unprecedented publication turnaround times. In the late 1990s we developed a systematic approach to providing LNCS in a full-text electronic version, in parallel to the printed books. Another new feature introduced in the late 1990s was the conceptualization of a couple of color-cover sublines. Still, original research results reported in proceedings and post proceedings remain the core of LNCS."

Registration link and prices to be announced.

PPSN 2026 will be hosted at the University of Trento. Located in the middle of one of the most beautiful mountain regions in northern Italy, Trento is a medium-sized city, just a few kilometers away from the Dolomites and the Garda Lake, famous for its cultural and sports activities. In the last decade, Trento has established itself as an internationally recognised center for AI, offering a rich ecosystem of research institutions and R&D companies, and hosting an ELLIS Unit.

Traveling — How to get to Trento?

European Flights ✈️

Via Verona Airport
Bus (see the website for further informations) to "Verona Porta Nuova" train station, then direct trains to Trento. Italian trains website
Via Bergamo Airport
Bus (see the website for further informations) to "Verona Porta Nuova" train station, then direct trains to Trento. Italian trains website

Intercontinental Flights 🌍

Via Malpensa Airport
Train from airport to Milan Central Station. From there, high-speed or regular trains to Verona or Trento. Italian trains website
Via Venice Airport
Bus to "Venezia Mestre" train station. From there, high-speed or regular trains to Verona or Trento. Italian trains website

Trains 🚆

Trento is served by Italian railways and Austrian railways.

Flixbus 🚌

Trento is served by Flixbus, there are some direct buses, usually from Austria, that will stop in Trento.

Accommodation 🏨

A list of hotels with active agreements with the University of Trento can be found on the dedicated page. To receive further information about other accommodations in Trento, visit the accommodation page of the Azienda per il turismo Trento e Monte Bondone.

Please contact the chosen accommodation directly to make a reservation.

Booking.com or other websites can obviously be a further source for accommodation.

Social Event Venues 🎉

TBD