50th International Conference on Regional Science

Update September 29th

AECR invites ERSA members to celebrate 50 years of Regional Science

The Spanish Association of Regional Science (AECR) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and we are delighted to share this special milestone with the international Regional Science community.

On this occasion, AECR warmly invites ERSA members to join us for the activities taking place as part of the Barcelona 2026 Regional Science Meetings.

The celebration will provide an opportunity to look back on five decades of Regional Science in Spain, recognise the contributions of the many researchers and institutions that have shaped our community, and, above all, strengthen the links between the Spanish, European and international Regional Science communities.

A special event: AECR: 50 years building knowledge for regional development

A particular highlight of the programme will be the roundtable discussion on Friday, entitled:

“AECR: 50 years building knowledge for regional development”

Moderated by Fernando Rubiera, President of AECR, the session will bring together representatives of leading Regional Science associations and will reflect on the origins, development and internationalisation of our discipline.

We are especially pleased to welcome Roberta Capello, President of ERSA, who will speak on the importance of scientific associations since the origins of Regional Science, reflecting on the emergence and expansion of the discipline and the role of scientific associations in the European and international context.

The roundtable will also feature Janet E. Kohlhase, President of RSAI, as well as congratulatory messages from presidents and representatives of Regional Science associations around the world.

The programme will also include a contribution by Josep M. Carreras, a long-standing member of AECR, on the origins and early years of the Association, followed by a roundtable discussion on the history of the Spanish Association of Regional Science through its presidents, with Juan R. Cuadrado, Pere A. Salvà, Martí Parellada, Vicent Soler and Jordi Suriñach.

This celebration is an opportunity not only to look back on 50 years of AECR, but also to celebrate the strength of our international community and to reflect together on the future of Regional Science and its contribution to understanding and supporting regional development.

We warmly invite all ERSA members to join us in Barcelona and be part of this special celebration.

You can find the full programme of the Barcelona 2026 Regional Science Meetings here:

Full programme – Barcelona 2026 Regional Science Meetings

We look forward to celebrating 50 years of AECR with you!

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Update April 30th

Dear colleagues,

We would like to inform you that, at this stage, we already have 4 confirmed Special Sessions for the AECR 2026 Conference. However, we expect this number to grow and strongly encourage you to submit new session proposals as soon as possible.

Having a sufficient number of Special Sessions in advance will help participants better align their contributions and submit their work to the most suitable thematic tracks.

The Organizing Committee and the Scientific Committee invite you to propose Special Sessions until May 15th, which is the submission deadline. To propose a session, please send the title of the Special Session, the name(s) of the organizer(s), and an abstract in Spanish and English to:
info@aecr.org

Please note that registration is required to submit and manage contributions for both special and regular sessions. Participants who registered last year can use their existing username and password at:
https://reunionesdeestudiosregionales.org/barcelona2026/en/user/

If you have forgotten your username and/or password, please click on:
https://reunionesdeestudiosregionales.org/barcelona2026/wp-login.php?action=lostpassword
Enter your email address to recover your account details.

Otherwise, please register at:
https://reunionesdeestudiosregionales.org/barcelona2026/en/user/new/

If you are already registered, we strongly recommend that you log in and check that your profile information is complete and up to date. Missing information may cause issues during the submission process.

We encourage you to submit your proposals as soon as possible.

Kind regards,
We look forward to seeing you in Barcelona,

The Organizing Committee

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Update April 9

Dear colleagues,

Prior to the official launch of the Conference, we would like to highlight some important details:

  1. The Conference will take place in October.
  2. In order to simplify procedures, the preliminary abstract submission round has been eliminated. Full papers or extended abstracts will therefore be the documents evaluated by the Scientific Committee.
  3. The submission deadline has been brought forward to 12 June. This will allow decisions to be communicated by 30 June at the latest, enabling participants to organise travel and registration before 15 July (prior to the summer holidays).
  4. The virtual participation option will be maintained in order to encourage international participation, although in-person attendance will be promoted as the preferred format.
  5. Regarding the Early Career Researcher Award “Juan Ramón Cuadrado,” eligibility is open to any non-PhD researcher, regardless of age, as well as to researchers who have defended their PhD within the three years prior to the date of the Conference.
  6. As a new feature in this edition, 10 full conference fee waivers are being offered to early career researchers who submit a paper as a candidate for the “Juan Ramón Cuadrado” Award, with the aim of fostering participation and supporting emerging talent in the field of Regional Science.

The Spanish Regional Science Association (AECR), together with the Catalan Regional Science Association (ACCR), cordially invite you to participate in the 50th International Conference on Regional Science, which will take place from 21 to 23 October 2026 at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), in Barcelona.

This edition is particularly significant, marking five decades of uninterrupted scientific exchange, debate, and community building in the field of Regional Science. Barcelona—the city where AECR was founded more than fifty years ago—provides a highly symbolic setting that connects the Association’s origins with present and future challenges.

As in previous editions, the Conference will serve as a multidisciplinary forum bringing together academics, professionals, and experts involved in the design and evaluation of public policies to discuss the latest advances in regional and territorial analysis. The scientific programme will include plenary lectures, panel discussions, special sessions, and parallel paper sessions. It remains the main annual meeting in Spain devoted to the study and discussion of regional and territorial issues, with a strong international outlook.

The theme chosen for this commemorative edition is: “AI-Driven Territories for a Sustainable Future: 50 Years Building Knowledge for Regional Development.”

In line with this theme, the Conference will revolve around two closely interconnected and highly topical areas: sustainability—understood from a broad and multidisciplinary perspective—and artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Discussions will address how digitalisation and AI are reshaping territories, economies, and societies, as well as the role of regions, cities, and rural areas in promoting more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development models.

We warmly encourage you to participate in this special 50th anniversary edition, which offers a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, strengthen professional networks, and collectively reflect on the achievements and future challenges of Regional Science.

It will be a pleasure to welcome you to Barcelona.

As in previous editions, submissions reporting results from ongoing research projects for which a full paper is not yet available will be accepted. In such cases, the Scientific Committee will require the submission of an extended abstract of at least 1,500 words in order to consider acceptance. Templates and further information about the Conference are available on the Conference website.

Papers that are original and authored by non-PhD researchers, regardless of age, or by researchers who have defended their PhD within the three years prior to the date of the Conference, and that are presented within the parallel sessions in the corresponding special session of the 50th Meeting of Regional Studies, will be eligible for the Juan Ramón Cuadrado Early Career Researcher Award. The Award will be granted by the Scientific Committee. The authors of the winning paper will receive an official certificate.

PhD candidates in the early stages of their doctoral research and research-oriented master’s students will benefit from a reduced registration fee, allowing them to attend the parallel sessions of the Conference and participate in the special sessions for early career researchers. In these sessions, they will have the opportunity to deliver a brief presentation of their research ideas.

The Organising Committee and the Scientific Committee also invite you to propose a Special Session for the Conference. Proposals may be submitted from today until 15 May and will be disseminated as they are received and approved by both Committees. Proposals should include the session title, the name(s) of the coordinator(s), and a brief summary of the content, and must be sent to the Conference Secretariat at: info@aecr.org. It is recommended to secure at least four contributions per special session. In the event of a high number of submissions, papers may be distributed across different time slots in accordance with the coordinators’ criteria.

Kind regards. We look forward to welcoming you to Barcelona,

The Organising Committee