The ITACA Institute of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) will become an international hub for research in critical systems with the hosting of SafeComp 2026, which will take place from 22 to 25 September 2026. This marks the first time this prestigious conference is held in Spain.
The event is organised by researchers from the Fault Tolerant Systems (FTS) group at ITACA-UPV, led by Juan Carlos García, and will bring together international experts from academia, industry, and regulatory agencies to address current challenges in the design of reliable computing systems.
With the title “Engineering safe and sustainable computing systems”, SafeComp 2026 will focus on the need to develop technologies that not only ensure high performance but are also energy-efficient and socially responsible.
“In a context where digital infrastructures are evolving into complex systems, safety has become a fundamental requirement. Modern systems must be capable of operating reliably in demanding environments while maintaining sustainability and reducing their long-term impact. This challenge positions SafeComp as a key forum for discussing innovative solutions in the engineering of critical systems”, state the researchers from STF-ITACA.
A specialized workshop on AI and embedded systems
In parallel, Joaquín Gracía, a researcher from the SFT-UPV group, is co-organizing a workshop focused on the use of neural networks in critical systems. The adoption of these technologies has spread to fields as diverse as medical systems, industrial devices, and space structures, where it is essential to balance performance, energy consumption, and silicon area, while ensuring high reliability.
This workshop will provide a specialized forum for analyzing how to design, verify, and certify embedded systems with artificial intelligence, while preserving their overall dependability—including safety, availability, and security—under strict resource constraints and real-time requirements.
A unique format to foster knowledge exchange
SafeComp 2026 stands out for its single-track format, with no parallel sessions, ensuring that all attendees can follow the entire program without missing any relevant contributions. This structure also encourages networking, the exchange of ideas, and in-depth discussion of innovative solutions in the field of safe systems.
With this initiative, the ITACA Institute strengthens its position as an international reference in applied research on critical systems, contributing to the development of safer, more reliable, and more sustainable technologies.
