2026 Winter Simulation Conference
(WSC 2026)
December 6-9, 2026
Scottish Event Campus Ltd & Crowne Plaza
Glasgow, Scotland
Simulation for Climate Resilience
The 2026 Winter Simulation Conference will focus on one of the most pressing challenges confronting humanity – Building resilience in the face of climate change.
Rising global temperatures, driven by climate change, pose increasing risks to both natural and human systems. Climate resilience refers to the capacity of a system to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the adverse impacts of climate change. Such systems include social and institutional structures, as well as operational networks such as transportation infrastructure, healthcare systems, and supply chains, all of which are increasingly vulnerable to climate-related hazards such as extreme weather events, flooding, heatwaves and droughts. Simulation provides a powerful means of modeling complex systems under future climate scenarios, enabling researchers and practitioners to test adaptive strategies, assess system vulnerabilities, and plan for effective response and recovery.
The 2026 Winter Simulation Conference invites papers highlighting the latest advances in simulation theory and applications that showcase the current state-of-the-art, including novel research with a focus on climate resilience. We particularly encourage submissions that demonstrate simulation excellence across a wide range of domains, including but not limited to aviation, disaster response, education, energy, finance, healthcare, infrastructure, manufacturing, national security and supply chains. Next to the traditional conference tracks the conference will feature a special track on “Simulation for Climate Resilience”, dedicated to papers that explore innovative uses of simulation to understand, assess, and enhance the resilience of systems facing climate-related challenges.
The 2026 Winter Simulation Conference will continue the tradition of including pre-conference workshops, introductory and advanced tutorials, industry case studies, poster sessions, and the Ph.D. Colloquium. WSC 2026 will include an online only participation option through the Simulation around the World track, which brings together remotely delivered presentations from all parts of the globe, as well as limited access to other tracks. The conference will also host the 22nd International Conference on Modeling & Analysis of Semiconductor Manufacturing (MASM). WSC 2026 will include professional development opportunities delivered through a dedicated track.
Paper and Abstract Deadlines and Requirements
| Full Papers | Extended Abstracts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Case Studies & Poster Sessions |
Ph.D. Colloquium | ||
| Submission Length | ≤12 pages 15 pages for tutorials and panel sessions |
≤2 pages | ≤2 pages |
| Submission Deadline | April 5: Contributed April 24: Invited |
July 31 | August 28 |
| Notification of Acceptance/ Reviewer Comments | May 25 | August 31 | September 14 |
| Final Submission | June 26 | September 11 | September 25 |
| Appears in ACM/IEEE Digital Proceedings? | Yes | No | No |
| Appears in I-Sim Archives of WSC? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
All submissions will be peer reviewed. Accepted full papers will be published in the digital version of the conference proceedings archived in IEEE and ACM repositories. All papers must be presented at the conference for the paper to be fully published, copyrighted, and disseminated. Instructions, information, submission forms and procedures are available on the WSC website.
Each accepted paper must have a separate, paid registration. Only under highly unusual circumstances, and at the discretion of the conference leadership, will an author be allowed to present more than one paper on a single registration. Authors wishing to do so must contact the Program Chair by September 1, clearly describing which papers the authors wish to present under the single registration, and why an exception to the conference policy is warranted. Unless permission is granted, an author planning to present two papers will be required to pay for two registrations.
Full Paper Submission Deadlines
Authors may electronically submit papers not previously published or presented. Each submission must use the Word or LaTeX template on the Authors Kit. The page size in the proceedings is 8.5 by 11 inches (21.6 cm by 27.9 cm). Papers should be at most 12 pages, including an abstract of not more than 150 words, except for introductory tutorials, advanced tutorials, and panel sessions, for which the limit is 15 pages. Submission implies that an author will attend 2026 WSC and present the paper, and all clearances required for publication of the paper will be obtained by July 14, 2026. Submissions must be made through the WSC website.
- April 5, 2026: Submissions due for Contributed Papers
- April 24, 2026: Submissions due for Invited Papers
- May 25, 2026: Notification of acceptance
- June 26, 2026: Authors electronically submit corrected papers to the Proceedings Editors
Extended Abstract Submission Deadlines
Industry Case Studies and Poster Session
Extended abstract submissions are welcome for the Commercial Case Studies Track and the Poster Session.
The Industry Case Studies track serves as a multidisciplinary forum for commercial simulation practitioners to present their real-world use of simulation, modeling and analysis. This track will comprise of case study presentations, panel discussions and learning seminars.
The Poster Session offers a timely venue to present new simulation research through a forum encouraging active presentation and engagement among participants. Poster abstracts are appropriate for those who do not have the time to submit a full paper or make an early commitment to participate at the Winter Simulation Conference.
Extended abstracts will appear in the INFORMS Simulation Society archives of the WSC Conference (https://informs-sim.org/), but not in the ACM and IEEE digital proceedings.
- May 5, 2026: Open for submissions for the extended abstracts
- July 31, 2026: Electronically submit 2-page extended abstracts
- August 31, 2026: Notification of acceptance to authors (including details about submitting slides, and formats of the posters)
- September 11, 2026: Final extended abstracts due
PhD Colloquium
The PhD Colloquium is intended for PhD students who are within two years of graduation (planning to graduate by December 2028). This gives an opportunity for students to showcase their work during a short presentation session and poster session at the PhD Colloquium. Presenting your PhD work to your peers and the larger simulation community will give you the opportunity to receive valuable feedback and ideas, as well as introduce you to a network that can be very helpful for your career once you graduate.
- August 28, 2026: Electronically submit 2-page extended abstracts.
- September 14, 2026: Notification of acceptance
- September 25, 2026: Final submissions due
2026 WSC is sponsored by ACM/SIGSIM, ASA (Technical Co-Sponsor), ASIM (Technical Co-Sponsor), IEEE/SMC (Technical Co-Sponsor), IISE, INFORMS-SIM, NIST (Technical Co-Sponsor), SCS, and ORS (Technical Sponsor).