The U-SPACE 2026 Workshop invites researchers, industry experts, policymakers, and practitioners to submit original contributions advancing the safe, secure, and scalable integration of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) into low-altitude urban airspace. As unmanned aircraft systems are poised to become ubiquitous in cities—supporting mobility, logistics, emergency response, environmental monitoring, and public services—there is an urgent need to establish robust frameworks that ensure societal acceptance, operational dependability, and long-term sustainability.

The workshop will serve as a platform to explore technical innovation, regulatory evolution, and socio-technical approaches critical for the successful deployment of U-Space/UTM (Uncrewed Traffic Management) concepts. We welcome research that spans communications infrastructure, safety and security of cyber physical systems, policy and governance, real-world deployment experiences, and future-looking visions for city-scale drone ecosystems. Special emphasis will be placed on rigorous validation methods, assurance tooling, autonomy and AI-driven traffic management, swarm coordination, and resilient communication and navigation technologies.               

By bringing together diverse perspectives, U-SPACE 2026 aims to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue and build a shared understanding of how UAV operations can be integrated safely, responsibly, and effectively into the fabric of urban life.

Topics of Interest

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

U-Space Framework, Policy, and Integration

• Regulatory and governance models
• Airspace integration and interoperability
• Ethical, societal, and public acceptance considerations

Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance

• Reliable C2 link technologies
• GNSS-denied navigation solutions
• Situational awareness and cooperative sensing

Dependability, Safety, Security, and Risk Management

• Safety assurance and certification approaches
• Secure communication, authentication, and cyber resilience
• Operational risk assessment and hazard analysis

Validation, Autonomy, and Applications

• Verification and validation toolchains
• Swarm intelligence and AI-based traffic management
• Urban air mobility, BVLOS logistics, emergency response, and other city services

Full details and updates are available on the workshop website:

https://uspace-workshop.github.io/2026/callforpaper.html   

Paper Selection

Submitted papers will be evaluated by a program committee of domain experts. Each submission will receive three independent reviews. Submissions will be judged on originality, significance, correctness, and impact. It is anticipated that the conference proceedings will be managed by the Conference Publishing Services (CPS) and submitted to Xplore and the CSDL.

Submitted papers must be written in English and adhere to the CPS (IEEE) camera-ready two-column format. Submissions must be a maximum of 8 pages in length. Pages must be numbered. Templates and further details can be found here.

At least one author of accepted papers must register for the main conference to attend and present their work. Remote presentation will be considered in exceptional circumstances but requires conference registration. Registration details can be found here:

https://www.cs.kent.ac.uk/EDCC2026/registration    

Important Dates

• Paper submission opens: November 17, 2025
• Paper submission deadline: January 19, 2026
• Author notification: February 24, 2026
• Camera-ready deadline (hard): March 05, 2026
• Workshop date: April 07, 2026

We look forward to your contributions and to advancing the future of safe, secure, and sustainable UAV operations in urban environments.