Architecting Next Generation of Ecosystems

Co-located with 23rd IEEE International Conference on Software Architecture (ICSA)

June 22-26, 2026, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The 1st International Workshop on Architecting Next Generation of Ecosystems (ANGE) is the event co-located with 23rd IEEE International Conference on Software Architecture (ICSA) .

With the advent of smart ecosystems such as smart cities, software systems are becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent. This introduces major architectural challenges amplified by rapid advances in AI, GenAI, and other emerging technologies, such as quantum computing.

The 1st International Workshop on Architecting Next Generation of Ecosystems (ANGE) focuses on advancing architectural principles, methods, and practices, emphasizing approaches that integrate AI, self-adaptation, and explainability.

ANGE also investigates how emerging technologies can support architecture-centric activities such as design-space exploration, decision-making, trade-off analysis, and automated validation. It examines how architectural practices can embed qualities like transparency, accountability, resilience, and safety, while ensuring sustainability and evolvability over long lifecycles.

By bringing together academia and industry, ANGE seeks to consolidate knowledge, identify open research challenges, and chart a roadmap for architecting ecosystems that are adaptive, sustainable, and trustworthy.

ORGANIZERS:
Alessandra Somma (Main contact)
University of Naples Federico II (Italy)

Arianna Fedeli
Gran Sasso Science Institute (Italy)

Alessio Bucaioni
Mälardalen University (Sweden)

STEERING COMMITTEE:
Rick Kazman
University of Hawaii (U.S.)
Patricia Lago
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Mauro Pezzè
Universita' della Svizzera Italiana (Switzerland)

IMPORTANT DATES (AoE):

Paper submission: February 13, 2026
Notification to authors: March 13, 2026
Camera ready version: March 27, 2026

LIBERATING FORMAT

The workshop will adopt the Liberating Structures format (learn more), designed to replace passive listening with active participation and collective engagement. Instead of long one-way presentations, ANGE workshop will be structured to allow everyone to contribute ideas and insights through flexible, inclusive interaction patterns that encourage open dialogue, creativity, and shared discussions. The layout and timing of sessions will naturally foster fluid movement and connection among participants.

Participants can look forward to a full-day collaborative journey that includes keynotes, short spotlight presentations, and guided group exchanges where diverse perspectives come together to shape new architectural insights. Each session will invite discovery, dialogue, and synthesis, turning individual contributions into shared understanding.

To inspire and energize these discussions, invited keynote speakers will offer concise, thought-provoking insights connected to the workshop’s central themes. Their names and topics will be announced (bi-)weekly in the lead-up to the event, stay tuned!

Join us for a day of inspiration, creativity, and collaboration and shape the future of software architecting for next-generation ecosystems!

THEMATIC AREAS

ANGE explores topics within three interrelated thematic areas that will shape the future of software architecture for next-generation ecosystems.

Architecting the Disruptive Future

This theme explores how emerging and transformative technologies, such as AI and quantum computing, are reshaping the architecting process. It examines their potential impact on software architectures, addressing how and when such technologies should be integrated, and what fundamental architectural shifts they may entail in future ecosystems.

Evolution of Architectural Thinking

This area examines how the notion of architectural thinking is evolving in response to the growing complexity of modern ecosystems. It explores whether traditional approaches remain adequate and how architectural thinking must adapt and co-evolve to support continuous architecting in dynamic and interconnected ecosystems.

Implications and Impact of Architecting

This theme explores how the overall process of architecting influences and is influenced by societal, ethical, and environmental dimensions. It considers how factors, such as sustainability, feasibility, scalability, resilience, accountability and trustworthiness intertwine with the architecting of next-generation ecosystems.

Contributions addressing these areas, through principles, methods, tools, or industrial experiences, are strongly encouraged.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Authors are invited to submit:

Full papers providing original, high-quality, and unpublished research contributions, addressing technical advancements in architecting smart ecosystems.
Short papers describing preliminary results, focused case studies, or detailed examinations of specific aspects related to the architecting smart ecosystems.

Both, short papers (not more than 6 pages,including references) and full papers (not more than 10 pages, including references) are welcome. Contributions must be written in English and adhere to the IEEE Computer Society two-column camera-ready format. All submissions are single-anonymous and will be reviewed by at least three PC members who are expert or have been experiencing in the related field. Accepted papers will be published as workshop proceedings in IEEEXplore.
A best paper award will be granted, based on reviewers’ recommendations and the paper’s impact on workshop discussions.
We are currently working for a special issue on a prestigious journal, to allow selected best papers to submit an extended version of their work.

Please note that ICSA and therefore the ANGE workshop are IN-PERSON events. At least one author of each accepted paper must register to the conference and physically present their work. For further details, please refer to ICSA official website.

SUBMIT NOW

Paper submission will be done electronically through EasyChair, selecting the "1st International Workshop on Architecting Next Generation of Ecosystems" track.

PROGRAM:

Date to be Decided

As anticipated, the ANGE Workshop will adopt a liberating structure format, encouraging interaction through accepted paper presentations, short keynote talks, and structured discussions aimed at defining a research roadmap for architecting next-generation smart ecosystems.

Keynote speakers and their themes will be announced on a (bi-)weekly basis, and the detailed program will be finalized after the final paper notifications.

VENUE

ANGE 2026 will be held at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Further details will be soon updated!

CONTACT US

In case of questions, contact us via an email to alessandra.somma@unina.it