We look forward to welcoming you to the 2026 ISIE Socio-Economic Metabolism conference, to be held in Cambridge, UK (6-8 July)!
Socio-Economic Metabolism (SEM) research approaches major global and local challenges from the perspective of material and energy flows, stocks and processes. The conference will showcase SEM research whose results have significance for these challenges, and innovations in research methods, tools or concepts which have significance for the field of SEM research itself.
In 2026, we would like to highlight three overarching themes, which are timely given the challenges the world faces:
- Equity: of SEM research (open data, models, access, etc) and as a topic of study.
- Agency: how can our research extend from being pure modelling exercises, to actually doing things in practice and in society? Who should be involved, and how do they make decisions? What analysis do they need to inform this?
- Urgency: how can SEM research tell us not only what is feasible or desirable in general, but what should we prioritise to make the short-term changes that are urgently needed?
Please see the About page for more examples of research topics within the scope of the conference.
The Call for Special Sessions (deadline 1 December 2025) and Call for Abstracts (deadline 16 January 2026) are now open.
