11th Workshop on Industrial Applications of Metaheuristics (IAM 2026)
Webpage: https://sites.google.com/view/iam-workshop/home
Description
Metaheuristics have been applied successfully to many aspects of applied Mathematics and Science, showing their capabilities to deal effectively with problems that are complex and otherwise difficult to solve. There are a number of factors that make the usage of metaheuristics in industrial applications more and more interesting. These factors include the flexibility of these techniques, the increased availability of high-performing algorithmic techniques, the increased knowledge of their particular strengths and weaknesses, the ever increasing computing power, and the adoption of computational methods in applications. In fact, metaheuristics have become a powerful tool to solve a large number of real-life optimization problems in different fields and, of course, also in many industrial applications such as production scheduling, distribution planning, inventory management and others.
This workshop proposes to present and debate about the current achievements of applying these techniques to solve real-world problems in industry and the future challenges, focusing on the (always) critical step from the laboratory to the shop floor. A special focus will be given to the discussion of which elements can be transferred from academic research to industrial applications and how industrial applications may open new ideas and directions for academic research.
As in the previous edition, the workshop together with the rest of the conference will be held in a hybrid mode promoting the participation.
Topic areas of IAM 2026 include (but are not restricted to):
- Success stories for industrial applications of metaheuristics
- Pitfalls of industrial applications of metaheuristics.
- Metaheuristics to optimize dynamic industrial problems.
- Multi-objective optimization in real-world industrial problems.
- Meta-heuristics in very constraint industrial optimization problems: assuring feasibility, constraint-handling techniques.
- Reduction of computing times through parameter tuning and surrogate modelling.
- Parallelism and/or distributed design to accelerate computations.
- Algorithm selection and configuration for complex problem solving.
- Advantages and disadvantages of metaheuristics when compared to other techniques such as integer programming or constraint programming.
- New research topics for academic research inspired by real (algorithmic) needs in industrial applications.
Submission
Authors can submit short contributions including Position Papers/Extended Abstracts of up to 4 pages and regular contributions or full papers of up to 8 pages following in each category the GECCO paper formatting guidelines. Software demonstrations will also be welcome. IAM will be a hybrid workshop, so papers can be presented onsite or online.
IMPORTANT Options to submit papers from this 2026 edition, two options aligned with previous rules of IAM:
- Full papers (8 pages + references) - Must cover the ACM Open APC (see GECCO page for more information)
- Extended Abstracts (up to 4 pages) - Are not eligible for APC, no fee paid by the authors. An Extended Abstract provides a summary of a work-in-progress, typically just enough for readers to understand the idea, scope, and potential impact. Often lacks full methodology, detailed results, or extensive references.
The submission deadlines will adhere to the standard GECCO schedule for workshops.
The workshop itself will be publicized through mailing lists and academic and industrial contacts of the organizers.
Submissions from industry will be especially welcome.
Submission format
Full papers and extended abstracts:
- Full papers (8 pages + references): Must cover the ACM Open APC (see below for more information)
- Extended Abstracts (up to 4 pages): Are not eligible for APC - no fee paid by the authors for ACM Open Access. An Extended Abstract provides a summary of a work-in-progress, typically just enough for readers to understand the idea, scope, and potential impact. It often lacks full methodology, detailed results, or extensive references.
Important dates
- Submission opening: February 2, 2026
- Submission deadline:
March 27, 2026April 03, 2026 - Notification: April 24, 2026
- Camera-ready: May 5, 2026
- Author's mandatory registration: May 11, 2026
ACMs new Open Access publishing model for 2026 ACM Conferences
Starting January 1, 2026, ACM will fully transition to Open Access. All ACM publications, including those from ACM-sponsored conferences, will be 100% Open Access. Authors will have two primary options for publishing Open Access articles with ACM: the ACM Open institutional model or by paying Article Processing Charges (APCs). With over 2,600 institutions already part of ACM Open, the majority of ACM-sponsored conference papers will not require APCs from authors or conferences (currently, around 76%).
Authors from institutions not participating in ACM Open will need to pay an APC to publish their papers, unless they qualify for a financial waiver. To find out whether an APC applies to your article, please consult the list of participating institutions in ACM Open and review the APC Waivers and Discounts Policy. Keep in mind that waivers are rare and are granted based on specific criteria set by ACM.
Understanding that this change could present financial challenges, ACM has approved a temporary subsidy for 2026 to ease the transition and allow more time for institutions to join ACM Open. The subsidy will offer:
- $250 APC for ACM/SIG members
- $350 for non-members
This represents a 65% discount, funded directly by ACM. Authors are encouraged to help advocate for their institutions to join ACM Open during this transition period.
This temporary subsidized pricing will apply to all conferences scheduled for 2026.
Additionally, SIGEVO will provide an additional subsidy of $125 to papers accepted to GECCO 2026 (and only for 2026) that are subject to APCs. This will make the final amounts to be paid:
- $125 (USD) for SIGEVO members
- $225 (USD) for non-members
It is IMPORTANT to mention that both forms of subsidy (by ACM and by SIGVO) only apply to GECCO 2026. Moreover, it is still to be determined how the SIGEVO subsidy will be implemented, either directly to the APC or in other forms.
Finally, we note that APC charges apply to accepted Full Papers, but Abstracts (1-2 pages), Extended Abstracts (1-4 pages) and Tutorials ARE NOT APC Eligible; i.e., an APC will not have to be paid for these types of contributions.
ACM Authorship and Peer Review Policies on Generative AI
GECCO follows the official ACM policies on authorship and peer review, including the use of generative AI tools.
Under ACM's Authorship policy, generative AI tools and technologies cannot be listed as authors of an ACM published Work. The use of generative AI tools and technologies for assistance must be fully disclosed in the manuscript's Acknowledgments section. Authors are fully accountable for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of all submitted material.
In accordance with ACM's Peer Review policy, reviewers must not upload or share submitted manuscripts or review materials with generative AI systems. Reviewers may use generative AI or tools with the sole purpose of improving the quality and readability of reviewer reports for the author.
ACM is actively developing tools to help identify improper AI use in submissions, and GECCO may employ available detection methods. Submissions found to violate ACM policies may be rejected.
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Organizers