ECCE 2026 - European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics - 15-18 September 2026, Siena, Italy

20.02.26

Call for papers for the upcoming European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics (ECCE) and announce of the outstanding keynote speakers who will be in attendance

The theme of this year's conference focuses on a sustainable and peaceful alliance between technology and humanity, prioritising ethical design, inclusivity, and ecological responsibility.

Topics

The main, though not exclusive, topics of the conference are the following:

Keynote Speakers

At ECCE 2026, leading voices from across the field come together to share their vision for the future. Our keynote speakers will take the stage in Siena to present bold ideas, pioneering research, and powerful insights that spark innovation and collaboration.

Patrizia Marti is Associate Professor of Experience Design at the University of Siena, Italy. She has extensive research experience in designing technological systems in sectors such as health and inclusion, cultural heritage, and food. She studies the impact of these technologies on humans, society and the environment.

Harry Witchel is Discipline Leader of Physiology on the University of Sussex campus of Brighton and Sussex Medical School (UK). His main research focuses on the interplay between cognitive engagement and human movement for mitigating the effects of boredom and mind wandering in order to improve work performance and study.

Agnieszka Wykowska leads the unit S4HRI Social Cognition in Human-Robot Interaction at the Italian Institute of Technology (Genoa, Italy). In her research, she combines cognitive neuroscience methods with human-robot interaction in order to understand the human brain mechanisms in interaction with natural and artificial agents.

Further information on Keynote speakers can be found at: https://ecce2026.unisi.it/

Paper submission and important dates

The conference invites high-quality long papers, short papers, and work-in-progress submissions that present original research and practical insights. Research papers will appear in the Proceedings of ECCE 2026, which will be published in the ACM Digital Library. Eventual multimedia materials will be published as source material in the ACM Digital Library. A list of proceedings can be found here: https://dl.acm.org/conference/ecce/proceedings

Deadlines

Publications

The proceedings will collect all papers accepted through a rigorous peer-review process and will be published and indexed in the ACM Digital Library. In addition, a selection of the six most relevant papers will be featured in the journal Behaviour and Information Technology -BIT- further expanding the visibility and dissemination of the work. All accepted long and short papers will also be indexed in Scopus and WoS.

Registration

In addition to the standard registration options, which will be published shortly on the conference website, discounted registration rates are available, as specified below.

1)All students whether enrolled in a Bachelor's programme, a Master's programme, or a PhD are eligible to participate in the conference and submit their work. If accepted, their papers will be presented and published in the conference proceedings. They all can register at half the regular registration fee.

2)Early Career Researchers defined as those who have obtained their PhD no more than five years ago are also eligible to participate in the conference and submit their work. If accepted, their papers will be presented and published in the conference proceedings at half the regular registration fee.

Finally, we offer a specific opportunity for PhD students to participate in the

3) Doctoral Consortium This is structured as a dedicated track in which a doctoral student submits a single-authored paper. If the paper is accepted (a maximum of five papers will be selected), it will be discussed on the first morning of the conference with two senior supervisors. The paper will then be briefly presented during the conference and published in the proceedings. The most outstanding paper will receive a Best Doctoral Paper mention. Participants in the Doctoral Consortium will be able to attend the conference free of charge.

Designathon

We invite designers, developers, researchers, and creative minds to join a Designathon focused on games that bring positive change. Participants, in teams of 3 to 5 persons, will prototype games that benefit society, the environment, and well-being. During this collaborative event, teams will explore how game design can promote social inclusion, environmental awareness, and personal growth.

The theme is Play with purpose, design for change The most outstanding project will be recognized with a special award. Further information can be found on the conference website: https://ecce2026.unisi.it/

General Organizers

Stefano Guidi, Paola Palmitesta, Oronzo Parlangeli

Venue

Università di Siena, Palazzo San Niccolo, Via Roma 56, Siena, Italy