Submission

1. ISFA 2026 and SME Partnership

We are proud to announce that ISFA 2026 is officially co-sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). This prestigious partnership aims to bridge the gap between international research and industrial applications.

As a highlight of this collaboration, selected high-quality Long Papers will be eligible for Journal Recommendation to SME’s flagship journals. For details on the submission paths and these journal opportunities, please refer to our Publication Policy.

2. ISFA 2026 Publication Policy and Journal Opportunities

To maintain high academic standards and provide diverse publication opportunities, ISFA 2026 offers two distinct publication paths. Authors must select their preferred path at the final paper (camera-ready) submission stage.

2-1. Publication Policy

Path A: J-Stage Publication (Standard Path)
This path is for authors who wish to have their work published in the official ISFA 2026 Proceedings on J-Stage with a DOI. To select this option, authors MUST upload the signed ISCIE Copyright Transfer Form together with their Final Paper. This simultaneous submission is mandatory for Best Paper Award eligibility. Please note that J-Stage publication is granted ONLY to papers with a submitted copyright form; this is a mandatory requirement for maintaining a guaranteed publication record for the conference.

Path B: Author Copyright Retention and Independent Publication
This path is for authors who prefer to retain their copyright for independent publication or other personal use.

1. Publication Format: For papers selecting Path B, only a 1-page abstract will be published in the ISFA 2026 Proceedings.
2. Scope of Publication: This applies to both the J-Stage ISFA 2026 proceedings and the limited-access web platform (will be provided via EasyChair). Access to the full manuscripts on the web platform will be strictly limited to registered participants during the conference period.
3. Copyright Status: Since the full manuscript is not included in the official proceedings and is removed from the web platform after the conference, it remains in an “unpublished” status.

Important Notice for Path B: If a paper is chosen for Path B, it will not receive an ISFA DOI. Due to administrative and scheduling reasons, the publication path cannot be switched from Path B to Path A after the final camera-ready deadline, except for the specific case described in Section 5 (Fairness Policy).

2-2. Journal Opportunities

(A) SME Journal Special Issue
Following the official co-sponsorship by SME, we are pleased to announce a special publication opportunity.
Selected high-quality Long Papers from the Path B track will be recommended for a Special Issue in SME’s flagship journals (e.g.,Journal of Manufacturing Systems or Journal of Manufacturing Processes).

• Status: Officially confirmed (Based on the MoU between SME and ISCIE).
• Eligibility: Exclusively for Path B Long Papers.
• Details: Specific recommendation benefits and the selection process are currently being finalized. Full details will be announced on this page as soon as they are finalized.

(B) ISCIE Special Issue on Flexible Automation
The Institute of Systems, Control and Information Engineers (ISCIE) will publish a Special Issue on Flexible Automation following the conference. All ISFA 2026 authors (both Path A and Path B) are encouraged to submit their extended work to this special issue.

• Submission Deadline: June 30, 2026 (Strictly observed).
• Submission Procedure: Submit via the Editorial Manager for ISCIE. During the submission process, please enter “Special Issue on Flexible Automation” in the “Special Issue Name” field.
• Overlapping Policy:
  • For Path A papers, the manuscript must include significant additions or revisions from the proceedings and must properly cite the original ISFA paper.
  • For Path B papers, as the full manuscript remains “unpublished” in the official proceedings, authors can submit their work with greater flexibility regarding the overlapping policy.

  For details, please refer to the ISCIE Policy on Overlapping Submissions (PDF).

Please note that for Path B, the SME journal review results may not be available before the ISCIE submission deadline (in June 2026). Authors are responsible for managing their own submission timelines.

2-3. Important Notes

Web-Based Proceedings (Limited Access): All accepted papers will be available to registered participants via a password-protected platform during the conference. For Path B, only the 1-page abstract will be accessible on this platform to ensure the “unpublished” status of the full manuscript.

Mandatory Registration: Inclusion in the conference program and eligibility for journal recommendation are strictly contingent upon the completion of conference registration by at least one author.

Authors’ Discretion: The final decision to proceed with a journal submission following the committee’s recommendation remains at the authors’ discretion.

3. Full paper submission for review

Deadline: March 12, 2026

• A long paper is from 6 to 8 proceedings pages
• A short paper is from 2 to 4 pages long.

Requirements: All authors must submit a Full Paper (6-8 pages for Long, 2-4 for Short) in PDF format for the peer-review process.

Privilege: Only Long Papers are eligible for Best Paper Awards (requires Path A) and SME Journal Recommendation (requires Path B).

Manuscript Template:

• ISFA 2026 template in Word format

Notice on Template Updates: The current template is a modified version based on the ASME format for the initial review process. Please note that a new official ISFA 2026 template will be provided for the Final Paper (Camera-Ready) submission to reflect our updated branding and partnership.

Brief Submission Instructions for Authors:

1. Log in to EasyChair and access the ISFA 2026 submission page. If you don’t have an account, click on “create an account” to register.
2. Initiate a New Submission by clicking “make a new submission” from the menu. (Ensure your Role is set to “Author” if you hold multiple roles.)
3. Choose a Track by selecting one of the 8 tracks (sessions) that best match your research, then click “Continue.”
4. Submit Your Paper by entering author details, the paper title, and abstract. Upload your paper in PDF format and click “Submit” to finalize.

4. Camera Ready Manuscript submission

Deadline: April 28, 2026

Path Selection:

• Path A (Standard): Upload your Final Full Paper. This will be published in the official proceedings (J-Stage).
• Path B (Copyright Retention): Upload a 1-page Abstract (using the first page of the ISFA template). The full manuscript will NOT be published in the proceedings, ensuring its “unpublished” status for subsequent journal submission.

5. Copyright Transfer and Final Decision

Deadline: September 30, 2026 (Tentative)

Fairness Policy: By this date, authors must submit the Copyright Transfer Form to finalize their J-Stage publication.

• Path B Flexibility If your journal submission (e.g., SME journals) is unsuccessful, you can switch to Path A and have your full paper published on J-Stage by submitting the form by this deadline.
• Default If no form is received, only the 1-page abstract will be recorded as the final publication.

Copyright transfer form ISFA2026

Instruction:

1. Please upload “Agreement on Publication and Copyright Transfer” form in the PDF format.
2. Paste the signature(s) in an image file on the Word file and then convert the file in the PDF format. Or, print the Word file and sign it, and then scan it into the PDF format.

6. List of Technical Tracks

• Track1 Digital design and manufacturing
• Track2 Manufacturing systems and automation
• Track3 Additive manufacturing sensing and control
• Track4 Cutting and machine tools
• Track5 Robotics — Embodied intelligence
• Track6 AI technologies in manufacturing processes
• Track7 Lean and sustainable manufacturing (including supply chain, operations research techniques, and LCA)
• Track8 Digital twin (including CPS, simulations)