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Maastricht will host the 2026 World Conference on Computational Intelligence

In 2026, three major conferences on computational intelligence will convene in Maastricht simultaneously. The IEEE World Conference on Computational Intelligence (IEEE WCCI) will be the world's largest technical event in computer science, focusing on applications such as artificial intelligence. IEEE WCCS will be held at the MECC Maastricht conference centre from June 21 to 26, 2026.

“When visiting the IEEE WCCI 2022 in Padua, my first trip after Corona, I told some colleagues that it felt so good to physically meet people again and that I would love to organise the conference in Maastricht. They kept reminding me of my remark until we won the bid to host the conference”, says Anna Wilbik, who will chair the IEEE WCCI 2026. She is a professor in Data Fusion and Intelligent Interaction at the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences at Maastricht University.

Technological developments

During the conference, about 1500 scientists from around the world will focus on the technology behind applications that are critical to our modern society, such as health care, energy management, and industry. The scientists will discuss topics on the explainability of artificial intelligence and large language models, as well as technological developments in neural-networks, evolutionary computing, and fuzzy systems. These are all topics needed to optimise and innovate techniques like artificial intelligence. The 2026 edition in Maastricht also features innovative new items, such as an industry day, bringing together industry and academics. 

The biannual conference joins the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society’s three flagship conferences: the International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), the IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems (FUZZ-IEEE), and the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation.

organisers of the 2026 IEEE WCCI world conference - photo by Jonathan Vos
The 2026 IEEE-WCCI organising committee - Photo: Jonathan Vos

Department of Advanced Computing Sciences

The scientific component of the IEEE WCCI 2026 will be organised by Maastricht University’s Department of Advanced Computing Sciences (DACS). Established in 1987, DACS is one of the oldest Dutch computing research departments. DACS offers two bachelor's and two master's programmes in areas such as computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, and quantum computing. The department has over 100 researchers and PhD candidates, as well as over 1200 students. DACS is part of Maastricht University's Faculty of Science and Engineering. The university is located in the heart of Europe, about 2-6 hours by train from major cities such as Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, London, and Berlin. 

Synergy through local collaboration

Hosting the IEEE WCCI in the city of Maastricht marks a significant event for both the city and the global computational intelligence community. All partners, being DACS, the Maastricht Convention Bureau, venue MECC Maastricht and congress organiser Klinkhamer Group, will do their utmost best to ensure the 2026 IEEE WCCI will be a resounding success. "We are especially pleased to have secured such a remarkable conference in the emerging sector of data science, in collaboration with the Maastricht University Faculty of Science and Engineering," says Jurgen Moors, managing director of the Maastricht Convention Bureau. "Data science is crucial to our daily lives, with developments advancing rapidly. The exchange of knowledge between peers, academia and industry is more important than ever. This conference brings tremendous added value to the continued development of this expertise and to our knowledge region as a whole."

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