Call for Invited Session Submission

The SCA/HPCA 2026 conference invites submissions for prospective proposals to be part of the Invited Program at the conference in Osaka, Japan.

Submission Timeline

• [Invited] Proposals Due (see Form below) 31 October 2025 (AoE)
• [Invited] Notice of Acceptance Proposers will be informed by Co-Chairs
• Conference 26-29 January 2026
• [Invited] Summary Report Due 1 March 2026 (AoE)

Introduction

The Invited Program sessions at SCA / HPCA 2026 bring together distinguished thought leaders, innovators, and practitioners from across the global HPC community to share insights on the trending topics, most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities in supercomputing. These sessions are designed to spark forward-looking discussions that bridge research, technology, and application domains, offering attendees a chance to engage directly with experts driving advances in areas such as AI, quantum, exascale systems, and societal impact, to name a few. By highlighting diverse perspectives and cutting-edge developments, the Invited Sessions serve as a catalyst for collaboration, inspiration, and shaping the future directions of HPC.

Guidelines

Invited Program sessions aim to stimulate forward-looking, high-level discussions that go beyond technical deep dives and product showcases. Proposals should be framed to provide strategic, broader-level insights that are relevant to the global HPC and advanced computing community. The points to consider include:

• Strategic Thematic Focus: The session should be organized around a central theme, and should consist of associated topics that address trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of HPC, AI, quantum, cloud-HPC integration, or their societal and scientific impact.
• Thought Leadership: Sessions should showcase leading perspectives, fresh ideas, and bold visions, rather than incremental technical updates.
• Non-Commercial Orientation: Industry-focused themes are quite welcome. However, the contents should avoid product pitches or overt marketing. Although products and roadmaps can be presented, they should be done in the context of being data points for objective inter-vendor discussions and knowledge exchange.
• Breadth and Diversity: Sessions are encouraged to feature voices from different sectors (academia, industry, government, research labs) and geographies, reflecting a wide spectrum of experiences and views. Industry-focused themes are encouraged to include multiple vendors and non-industry entities in their sessions.
• Engagement: Proposals should highlight how the session will foster interaction with the audience, e.g., through moderated discussion, Q&A, or debate formats.

Submission Form

Please download the Invited Program Submission Form (Word)here.

Post-Conference Summary Report

All accepted Invited Program sessions of the SCA / HPCA 2026 conference are required to produce a 1-page summary report.

• Submission Deadline: No later than 1 month after the end of the conference (i.e. before 1 March 2026).
• Length: Maximum 1 page.
• Content: The report should cover the following sections:
  1. Abstract – A short overview of the session theme, objectives, and scope.
  2. Key Highlights – A concise summary of the main talks, panel exchanges or the top 2-3 ‘take-home messages’.
  3. Outcomes, Future Plans, or Resulting Collaborations – Highlights of any conclusions, proposed actions, follow-up initiatives, or collaborative opportunities that emerged.

Submissions and Enquiries

For submissions and enquiries, please send the completed form to the SCA/HPCA 2026 Invited Program Co-Chairs at sca_hpca_26_is [at] ml.riken.jp.

* The Co-Chairs and the Organising Committee will assess the proposals. Successful Invited Program Session proposals will receive an acceptance notification and further instructions from the Co-Chairs.