The focal point of focus for the 9^th edition of the International Conference on “Future Smart Cities” (FSC) is to enhance human life through the strategic use of technology, data-driven solutions, and intelligent networks. This will provide cities with the opportunity to have more livable urban environments, resilient, and responsive to the needs of their inhabitants.

The FSC conference will discuss many important aspects of daily life, ranging from transportation and energy management to public safety and infrastructure, aspects which should be seamlessly integrated. It will also discuss the employment of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics, which allow us to optimize resource allocation, improve efficiency, and foster a sustainable and inclusive urban future for generations to come.

Conference Scope:

The 9th edition of the conference focuses on the dynamic and innovative approach to the urban landscape. FSC aims to move beyond theoretical concepts and focus on practical and actionable strategies for building the cities of our future. It will explore how technologies and collaborative models can transform cities from the ground up into smarter, more sustainable, and more livable urban environments.

Statement of Purpose

The FSC 2026 conference has a unique purpose, that of prompting discussions that lead to tangible, on-the-ground strategies for building smarter, more inclusive, and sustainable cities. The main goal is, therefore, to empower participants and attendees to become drivers of positive change, inspiring the creation of urban environments that not only meet the challenges of today but also anticipate the needs of the future. The conference seeks to build a global community of forward-thinking individuals dedicated to shaping our cities’ future and paving the way for a more resilient and equitable built environment.

• 1. AI, Data and Digital Urban Intelligence

  This theme explores the "brain" of the smart city, focusing on how AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) optimize municipal services. It covers everything from predictive maintenance and real-time data processing to the ethical frameworks and cybersecurity measures needed to protect urban data.

  1.1. AI-powered decision-making for real-time planning.
  1.2. Big data analytics for optimizing municipal and utility services.
  1.3. Machine learning for predictive infrastructure maintenance.
  1.4. IoT and IoE: Creating interconnected urban ecosystems.
  1.5. Cybersecurity protocols and quantum-resistant encryption for city data.
  1.6. Real-time anomaly detection and edge computing for urban data.
  1.7. Ethical frameworks, transparency, and data privacy in automated systems.
  1.8. Generative AI for rapid urban form-finding and architectural optimization.
  1.9. 6G connectivity for ultra-low latency Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication.

• 2. Innovative Urban Planning and Design

  This topic examines the shift toward flexible, technology-driven urban design. It explores digital twins for simulating growth and strategies for balancing cultural heritage with modern requirements like the 15-minute city and high-density vertical planning.

  2.1. Digital twins and 3D modeling for urban innovation.
  2.2. Flexible zoning and land-use strategies for adaptable cities.
  2.3. Urban density management and vertical city planning.
  2.4. Preserving cultural heritage within smart urban frameworks.
  2.5. Participatory design tools and community-driven planning.
  2.6. 15-minute city frameworks and decentralized service hubs.
  2.7. Infrastructure design for robotaxis and autonomous delivery lanes.

• 3. Future Mobility and Smart Infrastructure

  This section explores the evolution of urban movement and the physical networks that support it. It focuses on multi-modal transport integration, autonomous systems, and the smart infrastructure required for electric vehicles and urban air mobility.

  3.1. AI-enhanced public transit and real-time monitoring.
  3.2. Autonomous vehicles and smart charging infrastructure.
  3.3. Multi-modal transport integration and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS).
  3.4. Micro-mobility and pedestrian-friendly urban design.
  3.5. Drones and automated systems for urban logistics.
  3.6. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and vertiport integration for air taxis.
  3.7. Smart lighting and grid-integrated public utilities.

• 4. Sustainable Cities and Climate Action

  This theme addresses the transition toward ecological restoration and zero-emission urban environments. It covers green architecture, circular economy models, and nature-based solutions designed to mitigate pollution and the urban heat island effect.

  4.1. Next-generation green architecture and energy-efficient systems.
  4.2. Eco-conscious and bio-based construction materials.
  4.3. Circular economy models for resource and waste management.
  4.4. Nature-based solutions (NBS) for mitigating urban heat islands.
  4.5. Green corridors and urban forests for carbon sequestration.
  4.6. Carbon-negative construction and urban carbon capture furniture.
  4.7. Bio-integrated facades and living building skins for air purification.
  4.8. Real-time urban biodiversity mapping and ecological restoration.

• 5. Energy Transition and Smart Grids

  This section focuses on the decarbonization of urban energy systems. It covers decentralized power generation, virtual power plants, and the integration of large-scale renewable energy storage and peer-to-peer trading within city infrastructure.

  5.1. Virtual power plants and decentralized energy storage.
  5.2. Peer-to-peer energy trading and blockchain-enabled grids.
  5.3. Grid-interactive buildings and demand-side management.
  5.4. Carbon-neutral urban zones and zero-emission districts.
  5.5. Neighborhood-scale solid-state battery storage systems.
  5.6. Hydrogen-powered district heating and fuel-cell backup systems.

• 6. Human-Centric Cities and Social Equity

  This theme places the citizen at the center of the smart city, addressing how technology improves quality of life. It explores smart healthcare, neuro-architecture, and the design of inclusive public spaces that promote longevity and mental wellness.

  6.1. Smart healthcare: Remote monitoring and data-driven public health.
  6.2. Designing urban spaces for wellness, parks, and active living.
  6.3. Bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable service access.
  6.4. Digital governance and responsive, citizen-focused services.
  6.5. Neuro-architecture and the impact of urban design on mental health.
  6.6. Intentional "Blue Zone" development for aging-in-place and longevity.
  6.7. Universal design for accessible and inclusive urban environments.

• 7. Urban Governance and Business Models

  This topic explores the financial and administrative structures that make smart cities viable. It covers innovative investment models, "Smart City as a Service" (SCaaS), and the role of decentralized governance through blockchain and DAOs.

  7.1. Innovative financing and investment models for urban projects.
  7.2. Smart City as a Service (SCaaS) and subscription-based urbanism.
  7.3. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for sustainable infrastructure.
  7.4. Blockchain for secure land registries and energy trading.
  7.5. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) for neighborhood governance.
  7.6. Tokenization of green urban assets and community-led investment.
  7.7. E-governance, digital identity, and transparent administration.

• 8. Resilient Infrastructure and Crisis Management

  This topic investigates how smart technologies build resilience against environmental and public health crises. It focuses on climate-resilient design, smart early-warning systems, and technologies for rapid post-disaster recovery.

  8.1. Climate-resilient infrastructure and adaptive building systems.
  8.2. Advanced technologies for post-disaster recovery and response.
  8.3. Retrofitting aging infrastructure with IoT-based monitoring.
  8.4. Early-warning systems and predictive analytics for crisis management.
  8.5. Nature-based coastal defenses and flood-resilient "Sponge City" design.
  8.6. Community-led resilience networks powered by decentralized communication.

• 9. Advanced Construction and Smart Materials

  This merged theme explores the role of nanotechnology and robotics in building the cities of tomorrow. It covers 3D and 4D printing, self-healing materials, and modular building systems that minimize the carbon footprint of construction.

  9.1. Self-healing concrete and phase-change materials for buildings.
  9.2. 3D printing for large-scale urban infrastructure.
  9.3. Prefabrication and modular construction for rapid development.
  9.4. Nanomaterials for high-performance, energy-efficient facades.
  9.5. 4D printing of shape-shifting and responsive urban materials.
  9.6. Robotics and automated swarms for on-site construction assembly.
  9.7. Lifecycle analysis and low-carbon footprint construction.

• 10. Smart Urban Food Systems

  As global supply chains become more volatile, this theme explores how technology enables hyper-local food security. It focuses on vertical farming, the food-water-energy nexus, and the integration of food production into urban architecture.

  10.1. Vertical and hydroponic farming in high-density urban zones.
  10.2. AI-driven nutrient management and automated harvesting systems.
  10.3. Closing the "Food-Water-Energy" nexus in smart cities.
  10.4. Blockchain for transparent, "farm-to-table" urban supply chains.
  10.5. Rooftop agriculture and the conversion of parking decks to food hubs.
  10.6. Hydro-gel technologies for water-efficient urban landscaping.
  10.7. Decentralized insect farming and alternative protein production.

General Instructions

1. Payment Note: 
   

   Payments through the website are currently unavailable due to ongoing website enhancements. IEREK offers alternative payment methods, including bank transfer and secure third-party online payment links.

2. Expenses:

   The registration fee does not cover accommodation or travel expenses. A list of accommodation options can be suggested by our team if available. Please contact [email protected] for inquiries.

3. Benefits:

   We recommend that all authors take advantage of the benefits that IEREK offers, including various attendance types, publishing opportunities, and opportunities for discounts and waivers.

4. Membership:

   We are pleased to inform all applicants that they can use their previous publications to register for an IEREK membership, which offers a special discount.

5. Collaborative Discounts:

   IEREK offers a special discount to applicants from collaborative universities that have signed an MoU with IEREK to host or co-host one of its conferences.

6. Income-Based Discounts

   IEREK also provides special discounts to authors from low and medium-income countries.

7. Publication Accessibility:

   The disclosed fees are for the conference participation (Publication is free of charge, but only the conference participants can be considered for publishing in the conference proceedings).

8. Book Series/ Journal(s) Discounts:

   Some of the disclosed conference fees may vary depending on the book series and/or journal(s) presented as a publication outlet, as we encourage submission to newly founded book series and/or journal(s) by presenting a discounted rate for the conference's fees.

Types of Applications, Attendance, and Registration

IEREK offers many types of registrations that are diverse in registration fees; applicants can choose the type they are familiar with as follows:

1. Academic:

   Participants who are PhD holders, post-doctoral researchers, and universities’ affiliated professors and experts in the field.

2. Students:

   Must provide proof of enrollment in a university by providing an enrollment certificate and/or a valid university ID (with issue/expiry date) etc.

3. Professionals:

   Participants who are not affiliated with universities such as practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs, etc.

4. Companions/Co-authors:

   Have access to the event to enjoy the discussions, coffee breaks, and lunch as a co-author or audience.

Online Attendance

IEREK offers virtual attendance, providing authors with a unique link to join the conference sessions and present their papers as per the announced program.

The online fee covers:

• IEREK Participation/Contribution soft copy Certificate.
• Preliminary Acceptance Letter.
• Consideration for publication in the IEREK-Springer interdisciplinary series (ASTI series by Springer) or IEREK Press, or any special issues available according to the type of registration in the table above.
• Access to conference recordings.

* Each research paper should have one main author who should pay the full fee (Author fees) regardless of attendance.

* Co-authors, each, have their fees to pay to attend the event. This applies to online attendance as well as physical attendance.

Discounts and Waiving Opportunities

1. 15%: Participants who come from co-partner universities who have already signed an MOU with IEREK can receive a 15% discount. Authors should mention the key person who signed the agreement with IEREK. You are welcome to inquire if your university has an agreement with IEREK or not yet.
2. 15%: Participants affiliated with universities in the hosting country on the regular registration fee.
3. 20%: Waiving with 20% from the announced fees for low-income countries according to the World Bank classification mentioned in the document below. (applicable to the regular payment stage)
4. 25%: If multiple abstracts are submitted by the same first author to the conference, a 25% discount is applied to each additional submission according to the deadline for payments.

* If an author is eligible for more than one discount, IEREK will apply only the highest discount. Discounts cannot be combined.

* Authors should contact the conference manager through this email [email protected] to consider the discount and waiving for all the above cases so that the conference manager can provide an exclusive invoice for each case.

Proof of capability to get the discount:

• A copy of a student enrollment card for 2026 is essential.
• Proof of affiliation to the partnering university is to be provided.
• Proof of previous publication through IEREK conferences. 
• A copy of passport for authors from low-income countries. Added below is the list of low and middle-income countries according to the World Bank classification.

Publication Period

IEREK puts a lot of effort into expediting the peer review process to publish articles as quickly as possible. This requires prompt responses from all authors to the editors' comments, if any. Your swift response is highly appreciated to advance the production process and get your articles online. We prioritize the first author to respond as per our formula. The conference proceedings will be divided into multiple books, with the first one scheduled for publication within 6 months after the conference date. We encourage all authors to aim for publication in the first release.

Possibilities for Extra Fees

1. Authors may request that their kits be delivered, for an additional fee decided by the courier, and upon request. Alternatively, authors located in Egypt can pick them up from IEREK headquarters in Alexandria.
2. Additional Conference Kit (Excluding Delivery). *Contact us for a quotation on shipping fees.
3. Gala Dinner, social programs, and other activities.

💳 Payment & Administration

Registration and financial transactions for this conference are managed through our strategic partners, working in close academic partnership with IEREK to ensure seamless delivery of conference services and publication standards.

iDirect

Publishing Direct Conferences CO. LLC

COEUS

Strategic Financial Partner

Both entities work in close academic partnership with IEREK to ensure the highest standards of financial transparency, conference administration, and publication quality.

IEREK has an unyielding policy regarding plagiarism. We believe that copying/taking the ideas and work of other Authors without permission and credit is fraudulent. The Reviewing committee and IEREK employees have the authority to reject a paper during its reviewing process, based on the paper being subjected to either minor or major plagiarism.

Authors must refer to, and abide by, the following instructions in submitting their abstracts/ papers:

Step 1: Abstract Submission Process

• The author should prepare and submit an Abstract of at least 150 – 300 words through the website.
• The abstract should be concise and clearly state the proposed research study's purpose, results, and conclusions.
• The author should select the most relevant topic for the paper from the corresponding conference topics.
• The author can use/download an Abstract Writing Template prior to submission
• To submit your abstract, you first need to (1) click on the “Register” button on the conference page, (2) click on “Submit Now” and:
  • Select the Topic in which you are making the submission
  • Insert the title of your study in the "Paper Title" section
  • Insert the full abstract in the "Abstract" section/upload a file in the .pdf, .doc, .docm, or .docx format
  • Add in writing 3 – 5 keywords that define the field, subfield, topic, and research area covered by the article to help other researchers understand and find your work.
  • Provide the names, affiliations, and E-mails of all authors/ co-authors involved
  • Confirm your submission by ticking having read the instructions and “submit Abstract”

Step 2.1: Abstract Acceptance

• After acceptance of your abstract of at least (150 – 300 words), you will receive a proforma invoice and specific instructions to complete the payment online or by bank transfer (See Conference Fees) to confirm your participation,
• Once your abstract has been accepted, please refer to the important dates tab and carefully review the announced dates to avoid late payment, as late payment comes at an extra charge (early bird/regular/late).
• After successfully completing payment, you will be issued upon request with the following:
  • A signed/ stamped abstract acceptance letter
  • Please note that acceptance of participation, abstract submission, and paper submissions all have different deadlines. To stay up to date and avoid paying extra fees, or delaying your paper, please carefully review the important dates tab.
  • Receipt of Payment/ Payment Invoice
  • Visa Invitation Letter, if needed
• After abstract acceptance, you may be given the option to extend the abstract to publish your work in the conference proceedings in ASTI published by Springer Nature (indexed in Scopus/SCImago) (optional not obligatory).

  This is not a prerequisite for presenting your work at the conference. Meaning, you can present your submitted abstract without intending to publish your work.

Step 2.2: Full Paper Submission

• Your submitted paper should be 6+ pages long and submitted before the paper submission deadline, in English, and fit within one of the conference topics.
• Papers should be a minimum of 6 pages and contain 4,000 words, excluding references.
  Authors should support their research and clarify their ideas using various explanatory methods, such as figures, equations, and diagrams.
• The paper should follow the research paper structure as follows: Abstract (+keywords), Introduction, problem statement, and study aim, Review of the Literature, Methodology, results and conclusion/ discussion, References list using the Paper Writing Template.
• The submission should be made following the same procedure followed for the abstract or sent to the conference email.
• Here: Authors may need more pages than the allotted maximum of 6 to insert figures, tables, appendixes, etc. In this case, they can submit regular papers (max. 12 pages) with the same fixed fee. For a detailed outline of the fees, please refer to the payment table in the conference fees tab.
• The conference does welcome Arabic submissions (with abstracts written in the english language), which will only be considered for publication in BAHETH by IEREK Press.

Step 3: Rigorous Peer Review Process (double-blind)

This process can only be initiated after payment completion and confirmation:

• If submitted, the paper will be preliminarily checked (iThenticate plagiarism/ similarity screening Software, readability, and scope) and it will be peer-reviewed. If similarity issues are detected, the following will apply:
  • % from all sources: 10-15%
  • % from one source: 3-5%
  • Higher than 30% (all sources): Reject completely
  • Lower than 30% (all sources): Ask for revision to decrease the similarities
• IEREK has an unyielding policy regarding plagiarism. We believe that copying/ taking the ideas and work of other Authors without permission and credit is fraudulent. The Reviewing committee and IEREK employees have the authority to reject a paper during its reviewing process, on the basis of the paper being subjected to either minor or major plagiarism.
• Each paper/ chapter is evaluated by a minimum of two reviewers, after which a final decision by the responsible Editor is made. There is no maximum to the number of times a paper can be reviewed, depending on the quality of the submission.
• If your paper is accepted by the Editors for publishing with comments/ requested modifications, our Editors (publishing department) will contact you once a decision is made and you will be asked to revise and correct it. After resubmission, it will be re-checked. Note: There may be more than one round of peer review and the decision rests with the editors of the title. Missed deadlines may result in complete exclusion/ rejection from the final publication.
• If your paper is accepted for publishing without edits/ comments, the corresponding author will be contacted to provide the final version of their chapters/ papers following Springer Guidelines and sign the Springer consent-to-publish (CTP) form to authorize publication in the conference proceedings.
• A back-and-forth process: modifications will be sent back to the responsible Editor/ Series Editor and another round of evaluation conducted where needed. Participants/ Authors should regularly check their emails (Junk/ Spam folders).
• If you are not interested in publishing an extended abstract in the proceedings in ASTI by Springer Nature, please inform the conference support ([email protected]).

Step 4: Extended paper 

• After the conference, the authors of the best papers will be invited to submit an extended version of their research, 8 – 12+ pages in length, (optional) of their papers for publishing in an edited volume to be published by Springer Nature.
• Publishing your paper (i.e., extended abstract) in the conference proceedings does not prevent the submission of the full version for publishing consideration after the conference if the similarity percentages (SR%) in Step 3 are taken into account.

Registration

To help the organizers plan for inter-disciplinary dialogue, participants are requested to choose from the conference themes/ Topics upon registration.

They must also refer to, and abide by, the following instructions in registering and submitting their abstracts/ papers:

Types of Participation

1. Attend/ Present Virtually and Publish in Conference proceedings

Organized from the comfort of your own home, the conference offers a virtual attendance option for your convenience. That said, participants will have a chance to present their abstract/research, online, and have their work considered for publication in the proceedings.

Virtual presenters are required to submit an abstract and extend this abstract following the “author instructions” below and before the deadline (see Important Dates). At least one author must pay the registration fee (see Registration & Fees).

For any reason, authors may wish to submit pre-recorded video presentations no later than 15 days prior to the conference. Alternatively, they may wish to record a voice-over PowerPoint presentation for submission to the conference organizers.

 2. Non-presenting participant

Non-presenting participants may also wish to attend the conference as Audience Members or Co-authors contributing to an already submitted abstract/ paper.

- Future Smart Cities (FSC) - 1st Edition held in Cairo, Egypt in September, 2018.

IEREK Press

The Academic Research Community (ARChive)

Vol 3, issue #2 (2019): Recent Studies in Urban Sustainability and Future Cities' Planning

Publication link: https://press.ierek.com/index.php/ARChive/issue/view/32/showToc

- Future Smart Cities (FSC) - 2nd Edition in Xiamen University, Malaysia in November, 2019.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Resilient and Responsible Smart Cities - Volume 1

(Selected Papers) Publication link: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030635664

 

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Resilient and Responsible Smart Cities - Volume 2

(Selected Papers) Publication link: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030864989

- Future Smart Cities (FSC) - 3rd Edition as an online conference in collaboration with Xiamen University, Malaysia in November, 2020.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Resilient and Responsible Smart Cities

Publication link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-98423-6

- Future Smart Cities (FSC) - 4th Edition as an online conference in collaboration with Xiamen University, Malaysia in December, 2021.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Resilient and Responsible Smart Cities: The Path to Future Resiliency

Publication link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-20182-0

- Future Smart Cities (FSC) - 5th Edition as an online conference in collaboration with Xiamen University, Malaysia in November, 2022.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Advancing Smart Cities: Sustainable Practices, Digital Transformation, and IoT Innovations

Publication link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-52303-8

- Future Smart Cities (FSC) - 6th Edition as an online conference in collaboration with Barleti University, Albania in September, 2023.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Smart City Innovations: Navigating Urban Transformation with Sustainable Mobility

Publication link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-57385-9

- Future Smart Cities (FSC) – 7th Edition held withThe Moroccan Association for Applied Sciences and Innovation (MAASI). in October 2024.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Sustainable and Smart Cities: Ecological Design, Technological Innovation, and Climate Resilience

Publication link: https://link.springer.com/book/9783032005441

Click here to download the Flyer & Poster.

IEREK Community is a reflection of our appreciation for the scholars, institutions, and research groups who continuously contribute to the growth and excellence of IEREK’s academic network. Through exclusive rates and added privileges, we aim to make participation more accessible while strengthening long-term collaboration, research continuity, and institutional partnerships within our global community.

Eligible members of the IEREK Community receive a 25% discount during the Regular payment stage and may benefit from special discounts on other IEREK conferences.

The IEREK Community includes:

• Previous attendees of IEREK conferences

• Loyal authors who consistently participate in multiple editions of the same conference

• Authors who have published in IEREK conference proceedings or journals

• Researchers registering as a group submission

• Faculty members and researchers from universities with current or past partnership agreements with IEREK

• Universities and academic institutions located in the hosting country of the conference

• Active authors who continuously support and engage with IEREK’s activities on social media (sharing, promoting, and contributing to community visibility)

• Academics who support IEREK as moderators, keynote or guest speakers, reviewers, or editors

Authors should contact the conference manager at [email protected] to request consideration for discounts in any of the above cases.