Dubrovnik will become a meeting point for the international systems engineering community in September. The international 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Systems Engineering (IEEE ISSE 2026) will be held from the 22nd to the 24th of September, hosted by the University of Dubrovnik. The event is an international professional gathering dedicated to advances in systems engineering across various disciplines dealing with the design, development and management of complex systems.
The symposium is conceived as an interactive forum for engineers, researchers, managers and educators, with an emphasis on the exchange of innovative ideas, practical experiences and research results. The programme covers topics including large-scale systems and systems of systems, systems architecture, resilience and reliability, risk management, digital twins, modelling and simulation, artificial intelligence, and technology transfer between academia and industry.
From Cybersecurity to Sustainable Energy Systems
Among the particularly interesting parts of the programme are keynote lectures by internationally recognised experts. Tugrul Daim from Portland State University will speak about cybersecurity technology road mapping from a systems perspective. The lecture will focus on the growing vulnerability of organisations, particularly smaller businesses and the public sector, as well as the role of artificial intelligence in the new security environment.
Vikas Kumar from the University of Portsmouth will address the design of resilient energy systems in the context of the green transition. The lecture will bring together artificial intelligence, digital supply chains, the circular economy, digital twins and data-driven decision-making, demonstrating how technology can contribute to more resilient and sustainable industrial ecosystems.
The programme is further enriched by special sessions dedicated to the resilience of electric power systems and the strategic management of complex and regulated systems. A panel on the future of energy systems will bring together Alfredo Vaccaro from the University of Sannio, Muhidin Din from DaNovo and Nenad Uzelac from G&W Electric. The session is organised by Srđan Skok from the University North in Varaždin, Renata Rubeša from HOPS (the Croatian Transmission System Operator), and Dubravko Sabolić from HOPS and the University of Zagreb.
Another special session, organised by Dubravko Sabolić and Murat Akpinar from JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Jyväskylä, will open a discussion on the strategic management of systems in which business decisions are strongly influenced by regulation, public policies and societal interests.
University of Dubrovnik as a Conference Hub
Of particular interest to business event organisers is the model of holding the conference across several locations within the University of Dubrovnik campus. The programme will begin at Akademis Academia, a student residence and hotel facility connected with the University, before continuing at the Faculty of Economics and Business building and the Villa Elisa campus on Lapad waterfront. The locations are approximately a 15-minute walk from one another, allowing participants to move easily between programme venues.
This format also demonstrates Dubrovnik's potential for hosting professional and academic gatherings that, alongside high-quality content, aim to offer participants an experience of the destination itself. The combination of university infrastructure, international accessibility and a distinctive Mediterranean setting makes Dubrovnik an attractive choice for conferences in the fields of technology, science and innovation.
