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Collaborations Workshop 2026 (CW26)

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Collaborations Workshop 2026 (CW26)

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Kyro Hartzenberg

Kyro Hartzenberg

Events Manager
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Events details
Location:  ICC Belfast
Dates: 

28 May 2026 | 30 April 2026

Collaborations Workshop 2026 (CW26)

The Software Sustainability Institute's annual Collaborations Workshop (CW) is an immersive, three-day unconference, which emphasises active collaborations, dynamic discussions, and hands-on problem-solving.

CW26 logo, the giant's causeway

We are delighted to announce that Collaborations Workshop 2026 (CW26) will centre around one powerful theme and clear purpose: Strengthening the Research Software Community.

Research software is at the heart of discovery, innovation, and trust in research. Yet, its future depends on the strength of the people and communities behind it. Together, we will explore how to build a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable ecosystem that empowers practitioners, researchers, developers, and advocates alike.

We’ll focus on fostering national and international collaboration, supporting career development across all stages, and embedding equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility into our collective practices. We'll also examine the evolving role of shaping responsible, high-quality research, from AI and data infrastructure to reproducibility, policy, and public trust.

Through inspiring talks, interactive workshops, group discussions, and hands-on sessions, we’ll share knowledge, amplify diverse voices, and work together to ensure research software continues to thrive in an uncertain but opportunity-rich future.

Date & Location

Collaborations Workshop 2026 will take place as a hybrid event from Tuesday 28 April to Thursday 30 April 2026 at ICC Belfast. 

ICC Belfast is a world-class conference venue located in the heart of Northern Ireland’s capital. We’re especially excited to bring CW to Belfast for the first time, marking a significant step in making the event more accessible to our Northern Irish community. ICC Belfast offers state-of-the-art facilities and a vibrant setting that reflects the city's rich culture and warm hospitality, making it the perfect backdrop for this year's gathering.

Belfast is easy to get to, with Belfast and Dublin offering 179 direct European routes and 245 internationally. There are 21 direct UK flight routes to Belfast, as well as ample train and ferry options.

Belfast is a fully walkable city, but you can also choose from the sustainable Belfast Bikes, the eco Glider buses, or Belfast’s fleet of low emission taxis to get around during your stay.

Please familiarise yourself with the venue guide (coming soon!) ahead of attending CW26.

Zoom Events

CW26 Zoom Guide coming soon!

What to expect at a Collaborations Workshop

The Software Sustainability Institute's annual Collaborations Workshop is an immersive, three-day unconference, which emphasises active collaborations, dynamic discussions, and hands-on problem-solving.

It brings together a diverse and passionate community, from researchers and software developers to funders and policy makers, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. Networking is a central feature, with ample opportunities to meet, collaborate, and form partnerships that extend well beyond the event itself.

Keynotes and mini-workshops provide valuable insights, but the core of the event lies in interactive ideas and discussion sessions where diverse perspectives come together to shape the future of research software.

The final day is dedicated to the Hack Day, where creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving take centre stage. This isn’t just about coding; it’s a space where people from all backgrounds, technical or not, come together to experiment and co-create solutions to real-world challenges in research software and beyond. 

Previous attendees describe CW as simultaneously intense and fun, convivial yet highly productive. CW25 was no exception, with participants praising the event’s sense of community, strong organisation, and the real value they gained:

“Collaborations Workshop is one of my favourite conferences - every year I've been I've gotten such a lot out of it and this year was no different. The setting was beautiful, the programme was amazing, and the attendees fantastic.” 

“this was one of the most well organised and actively inclusive events I've been to.”

In essence, this event is more than a conference, it's a community-building experience and a catalyst for positive change in the research software sector. Delegates leave energised and connected, with new ideas to drive positive change in their fields.

Read a report of CW25

Registration

Registration will go live on Monday 15 September 2025 via Eventbrite. 

In-person tickets

The following in-person tickets are available, subject to availability:

  • Super Early Bird - £340
  • Early Bird - £360
  • General Admission - £380
  • Final Phase - £390

In-person tickets include:

  • Full access and participation to all Collaborations Workshop 2026 sessions, including Hack Day and social activities
  • Lunch, tea, and coffee provided daily
  • A 2-course gala dinner on Tuesday evening
  • Welcome pack: lanyard with name tag, CW26 booklet and industry-themed stickers
  • Digital CW26 pack with resources and materials
Remote tickets

Remote tickets are available for £90 and include:

  • Full remote access and participation to all Collaborations Workshop 2026 sessions, including Hack Day and social activities
  • Digital CW26 pack with resources and materials
View on Eventbrite

Event Programme

The full event programme will be published in due course. In the meantime, find out more about what sessions to expect at a Collaborations Workshop:

The keynotes and panel discussions on the workshop themes set the tone of the workshop. They are a rapid bringing up to speed for people who may know the area well, may have heard something about it or have no real focus in that area. Keynotes and panel discussions tend to inspire new conversations amongst delegates during the discussion sessions, collaborative ideas sessions and/or social sessions.

Lightning talks give delegates two minutes and one slide to highlight an idea, project, collaboration or other endeavour in the space of the workshop themes or general software sustainability matters. This mechanism can allow individuals to introduce themselves to the CW participants, but as slots are limited, the talks are more focused on bringing tools, technologies, approaches or discussions and ideas to the attention of participants that can be further discussed and built upon through the workshop sessions (such as in the discussion session, collaborative ideas and hack day, or even during the social sessions with a view to picking up on these matters in the future). 

Submissions for lightning talk proposals will open in November.

These sessions allow delegates to make part of the schedule their own, by facilitating a session around a technology or approach. These are learning opportunities for those who are attending, the most effective ones tend to have an interactive component that e.g. allow participants to follow along. The session can also be used as information gathering opportunities that can feed into other working groups and endeavours that are occurring outside of CW but are very much part of the research software community. The sessions can also follow on from a lightning talk or the keynote address to go into depth on a particular topic and can also be spun out into an idea for the hack day.

Submissions for workshop proposals will open in November.

The discussion session allows groups of people to discuss a topic that interests them in a way that furthers our knowledge of that topic. This session is a fundamental part of the Collaborations Workshop: it helps people learn about new ideas and work together on solving shared problems.

The output of the discussion session is a speed blog post from each group to help disseminate the insights to the wider community.

The Collaborative Ideas session is used to get people talking about their work. You can discuss the work you're doing, work you would like to do, or problems you are facing. Other people in the group can then talk about how they could help get your new project off the ground, or help solve the problem you are facing. This is an excellent way of generating project ideas for the Hack Day.

The final day is dedicated to the Hack Day, where creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving take centre stage. This isn’t just about coding; it’s a space where people from all backgrounds, technical or not, come together to experiment and co-create solutions to real-world challenges in research software and beyond. 

Sponsorships

In exchange for supporting CW26, we provide extensive benefits, including, but not limited to: exclusive naming rights; prominent logo placements; as well as a complimentary ticket and a speaking opportunity at the event. 

More information coming soon!

Financial Support: Emerging Voices

The Software Sustainability Institute is committed to fostering and supporting a diverse, equitable and inclusive research software community. We are proud to offer financial assistance to members of underrepresented groups, students/early career stages, and others who may not be able to attend or fully participate in the event otherwise.

More information coming soon!

Our commitment to accessibility and inclusion

To make this event fair and inclusive to everyone, you will need to read, agree to and abide by our Participation Guidelines.

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Header image by Sam Forson from Pexels.

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