Finally! We meet again.
You are cordially invited to participate in the 2026 Nordic Ergonomics and Human Factors Society (NES) Annual Conference in Jönköping, Sweden, 21-23 October 2026!
We invite abstracts for oral presentations and proposals for special sessions and workshops. Submission and review of papers for NES 2026 will be managed through the EasyChair conference system.
Sign up for a mailing list to receive news and updates about the conference.
Kind regards,
NES Organising Committee
Note for authors: Abstract length and word count
The maximum length of the abstract is 500 words / approximately one page.
Please note that the word count applies only to the main body text of the abstract. Title, author names, affiliations, and references (if included) are not counted toward the 500-word / one page limit.
About
We are pleased to invite you to Jönköping for the 53rd Conference of the Nordic Ergonomics and Human Factors Society. We stand at the crossroads between rapid technological advancements and complex societal challenges, accentuating the critical importance of a human-centered perspective. The core of Ergonomics and Human Factors (EHF) is the scientific understanding of the interactions among human beings and other elements of a system, and the application of established principles to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. This dual focus remains increasingly relevant.
This conference will serve as a central forum for the Ergonomics and Human Factors community and valued colleagues from adjacent fields. Our objective is to foster a program that integrates foundational principles with groundbreaking innovation, creating a vibrant space for dialogue, collaboration, and collective action. We aim to bridge diverse perspectives, charting a course for a resilient and relevant future for EHF. We cordially invite you (as researchers, practitioners, designers, or educators from around the world) to contribute with your work and lend your voice to this essential conversation.
Call for papers
Submissions are invited for research and practice abstracts, posters, and proposals for thematic sessions and workshops. You can send your submission through EasyChair_NES2026.
Important dates:
- Extended deadline for submissions 17th of May
- Notification of review outcome 12th of June
- Deadline for revised submissions 30th of June
The following conference sub-themes are intended to guide and inspire your submissions:
- Human Performance and Well-being in Complex Systems
- Human-Centred AI and Automation
- Bridging Research and Practice through Participation
- Ergonomics for a Sustainable and Equitable Society
- Scientific Foundations and Professional Practice in EHF
All submissions will undergo a peer review process. Accepted submissions presented at the conference will be eligible for submission to special issues in indexed EHF journal (more information coming soon).
We look forward to receiving your contributions and to welcoming you to a conference that we believe will be both stimulating and essential for the future of Ergonomics and Human Factors.
Please download the Call for papers as pdf or go to Call for papers for more information.
Venue
The conference will be held in Quality Hotel™ Match in central Jönköping, between transport and the Tändsticks Museum by Lake Vättern. To read more about the hotel and special offers for overnight stays, please go to Venue and accommodation.
Registration
Registration links and registration fees are available in Registration.
To confirm inclusion in the conference programme, at least one author of each accepted contribution must register for the conference by 6th of October 2026. Contributions without a registered author after this deadline will be withdrawn from the programme and proceedings.
Program
We are pleased to announce our keynote speakers!
Måns Svensson, Prof. of Sociology of Law and President of Jönköping University. Previously Dean of School of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences at Halmstad University. For many years, Svensson also worked at Lund University, where he, among other, initiated Lund university Internet Institute and headed the research center Work, Technology and Social Change. Svensson’s research focus is on sociology of law and norm-science in relation to new technology.
Dir. and Prof. Dr. Thomas Alexander is head of Division 2 – Product and Work Systems – at the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) in Germany since 2019. Since 2021, he is also Vice President of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), the global umbrella organization for the national human factors and ergonomics societies. His current research topics range from product and machinery safety, physical factors of the working environment, ergonomics, digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in work systems to safe and healthy work in times of climate change.
Prof. Annika Engström is a Full Professor of Work Organisation at the School of Engineering, Jönköping University. Her research encompasses communication and learning within organizations, focusing heavily on managing conflicting logics and change. A core aspect of her work involves paradoxical thinking, organizational ambidexterity, and meeting efficiency. Currently, Prof. Engström leads a research group dedicated to “Leading and organizing AI transformation,” addressing the structural adaptations required for artificial intelligence integration. She has also directed major collaborative initiatives, bridging academic theory with applied industrial leadership.
Dr Jari Kaivo-oja has acted as the Research Director of Finland Futures Research Centre since 2004 at the University of Turku, Finland. Prof. Jari Kaivo-oja has worked as technology foresight expert of Allied ICT Finland (AIF, the biggest ICT cluster in the Nordic countries) in the fields of Metaverse and Industry X fields. He is also a Board Member of the EDIH Robocoast in Finland (Ranked 2th best EDIH Innovation Hub of the European Union in 2025). His special academic research fields of research are: (1) Technology foresight, knowledge management, and applied digitalisation research, (2) foresight and innovation research, and (3) planning sciences in human geography.
Una Emilsdóttir was educated at the University of Copenhagen and is currently undertaking specialist training in occupational and environmental medicine in Denmark. She has a strong interest in preventive medicine, with a particular focus on how environmental factors in modern society can have long-term effects on human health—especially during vulnerable periods such as fetal development, early childhood, and puberty. Her primary goal is to raise awareness among consumers about harmful substances in their immediate environment—often hidden and largely unknown—and to demonstrate how health risks can be reduced through prevention and informed decision-making in homes, schools, and workplaces.
Please see in more details in Program. The full program can be downloaded by clicking here.
