There are no conference fees, attendance is completely free! Just be sure to register before the deadline to secure your spot.
PASSED extended Submission Deadline: June 30, 2026
EXTENDED Notification of Acceptance: July 15, 2026
Registration Deadline: August 24, 2026
ABOUT
We are pleased to invite you to the Complexity of Life Conference 2026 taking place at the University of Graz from 7th to 10th of September 2026.
Understanding the relations between the different dynamical and structural levels coexisting in complex systems is key to understanding their functioning, but also represents a formidable challenge. Nowhere is this challenge more evident than in our attempts to understand life. Addressing it will require a collective, creative, and necessarily interdisciplinary effort, brought together by the participants of the Complexity of Life Conference.
TOPIC
The study of life is inherently a study of transitions. Across scales and scientific disciplines, life is shaped by many qualitative changes, such as developmental transitions, ecological regime shifts, innovative disruptions, and social transformations, among many others. This year’s theme, “Transitions: From Fundamental Principles to Global Challenges”, encourages contributions that study how our systems of life transition, reorganize, and transform.
KEY SPEAKERS (confirmed)
City St George's University of London
University of Graz
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Complexity Science Hub, Vienna
Medical University of Vienna
Complexity Science Hub, Vienna
University of Graz
Binghamton State University of New York
University of Graz
Technical University of Darmstadt
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Beyond the key notes and public lecture, participants can engage through contributed talks and dedicated poster sessions designed to foster deep scientific exchange and professional networking. In line with this year's conference topic “Transitions: From Fundamental Principles to Global Challenges”, we welcome submissions for contributions across all areas of complexity of life research, including (but not limited to):
Fundamentals of Transitions
- Critical transitions, tipping points, and regime shifts
- Self-organization, emergence, and pattern formation
- Phase transition and resilience in complex systems
- Computational and data-driven approaches to transitions
- Transition prediction, and early warning signal analysis
- Multi-level dynamics and cross-scale interactions
Major Transitions & Global Challenges
- Evolutionary and developmental transitions
- Cognitive, behavioral, and social transitions
- Ecological regime shifts
- Innovative disruptions in economy
- Transformations of socio-economic systems and windows of opportunity
- Applications in sustainability, economy, health, technology, and innovation
VENUE
The University of Graz is a public research university located in Graz, Austria. It is the largest and oldest university in Styria, as well as the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria. The university is associated with numerous Nobel prize laureates and is highly regarded. The university was founded in 1585 by Archduke Charles II of Austria, and was closed in 1782 by Emperor Joseph II to transform it into a lyceum, where civil servants and medical personnel were trained. In 1827 it was re-instituted as a university by Emperor Francis I, thus gaining the name Karl-Franzens-Universität. As of 2025, more than 30,000 students are enrolled at the university.
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Georg Jäger | Department of Environmental Systems Sciences
Daniel Reisinger | Department of Biology
Alexander Thomas Goritschnig | Research Management and Service
Martina Rath | Research Management and Service
INTERNAL ADVISORY BOARD
Michael Kriechbaum | Department of Environmental System Sciences
Patrick Mellacher | Graz Schumpeter Centre
Ronald Thenius | Department of Biology
Lara Trussardi | Department of Mathematics
