IAAPS Conference 2026: Broadening the lens to pioneer net zero transport

Join us for the Fifth Annual IAAPS Conference taking place on 9th and 10th June 2026, and discover what happens when researchers from all disciplines come together to address the challenge of sustainable and inclusive mobility.

Welcome

Transport is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. Electrification of the light duty vehicles shifts their impact onto other sectors whilst at the same time having a prohibitive cost barrier limiting inclusivity. Impacts from other transport modes, such as heavy duty, marine and aerospace, are hard to abate through electrification, owing to the power and energy requirements. No single approach or discipline holds the solution to these challenges which will ultimately require a combination of new technologies, different behaviours, new energy sources and innovative ways of framing our transport system.

The challenge is both complicated -requiring deep knowledge of specific disciplines- and complex, needing a broad understanding of how different systems interact. For this reason, we need to embrace T shaped skills which combine individual specialism with a breadth of understanding of other disciplines, and an ability to collaborate with experts from those fields. This has been the underlying principle of IAAPS' EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training since its inception in 2019. Now in 2026, the centre has recruited 75 researchers, 18 theses completed, 88 papers published, and preparations already underway for our 5th flagship conference. We welcome you to join us for the latest research insights and to discuss the learnings of research in a transdisciplinary environment.

Registration Information

Register now to join us for the Fifth Annual IAAPS Conference taking place on 9th and 10th June 2026, the conference is free to attend, but we kindly ask that you register in advance to ensure smooth event operations.

Registration will close on Monday 25th May 2026. 

Register Now

The Conference

The conference will showcase the cutting-edge, transdisciplinary research conducted by IAAPS researchers and students, offering a thought-provoking exploration of how we can drive transformative change in mobility. Attendees will include our vibrant academic and student community, esteemed industrial partners, and other leading voices in sustainable propulsion. Whether you’re a researcher, practitioner, or policymaker, this conference is your opportunity to broaden your lens in the direction of future mobility.

The conference features an engaging line-up of distinguished guest speakers, feature presentations, lightning talks, and poster displays. The event will cover the following themes: 

  • Pioneering Technologies
  • Transport Manufacturing Methods
  • Optimizing our existing transport systems
  • Managing conflicts whilst driving change
  • Transport in a system of systems

Stay tuned as we update this website with further conference details in the coming weeks.

Faculty Distinguished Speaker Series

This year we are excited to incorporate the Faculty Distinguished Speaker series into the conference.

The Faculty of Engineering and Design Distinguished Speaker Series is a programme in which each research centre in the faculty hosts a high‑profile seminar designed to strengthen national and international collaborations for the Centres, their members, and the wider Faculty. 

For the IAAPS Conference 2026, we’ve brought the IAAPS approach to this series — broadening the lens, welcoming diverse perspectives, and encouraging system‑level thinking — through a panel discussion featuring experts from engineering, policy, and the social sciences.

We are pleased to welcome:

🔹 Professor Greg Offer, Professor of Electrochemical Engineering at Imperial College London, specialising in battery, fuel cell, and energy storage technologies supporting the transition to low‑carbon transport systems.

🔹 Professor Chris Jones, Professor of Environmental Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, with internationally recognised expertise in public perceptions and social acceptance of energy and environmental technologies, and behavioural responses to decarbonisation initiatives.

🔹 Professor Louise Reardon, Professor of Governance and Public Policy at the University of Birmingham and Parliamentary Thematic Research Lead for Transport, specialising in transport policy, governance, and net‑zero transitions.

More details on the session focus and format will be shared soon.

Day One Schedule

The first day of the IAAPS Conference will incorporate the Faculty Distinguished Speaker Series in the morning and the afternoon will focus on research talks from two themes:

  • Zooming In, Zooming Out — Innovation at Different Scales

  • Experiments, Environments, and Real-World Complexity

A poster and networking session will follow, ending with a conference dinner in Bath city centre.

09:15 Arrival
09:45 Distinguished Speaker Series

The Faculty of Engineering and Design Distinguished Speaker Series is a programme in which each research centre in the faculty hosts a high‑profile seminar designed to strengthen national and international collaborations for the Centres, their members, and the wider Faculty.

For the IAAPS Conference 2026, we’ve brought the IAAPS approach to this series — broadening the lens, welcoming diverse perspectives, and encouraging system‑level thinking — through a panel discussion featuring experts from engineering, policy, and the social sciences.

12:30 Lunch
13:30 Session 1: Zooming In, Zooming Out — Innovation at Different Scales

From developing new components to innovating business models, this session explores the multiple avenues of research that propel transport technology forward. Speakers are invited to highlight the relevance of working at different scales, and to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of collaborating with researchers operating at different levels of analysis.

14:50 Break
15:20 Session 2: Experiments, Environments, and Real-World Complexity

This session examines what happens when research meets the messiness of the real world — from environmental variables to the interplay between physical testing and digital simulation. Speakers are invited to share their experience of designing and running experiments in transport research: what works, what doesn't, and what the process reveals.

16:55 Poster and Drinks Reception

There will be a poster session from IAAPS Students to showcase the breadth of research, followed by a drinks reception.

19:15 Conference Dinner

There will be an evening meal held on Tuesday 9th June at 19:15. 

An invitation for dinner, and link to submit a pre-order will be circulated to all registered attendees.

The conference will lead two groups from the University Campus to the dinner following the poster session. This will be made clear during the closing remarks, one group will walk and the other will take the bus to the venue.

Day Two Schedule

The second day of the IAAPS conference will focus on presentations in three themes:

  • Moving People, Moving Things — Transport Challenges in Urban Contexts

  • The Additional Variables: Context, Environment, and Complexity in Transport Research

  • Digital Tools and Methods for Transport Research

The conference will come to an end with a series of prizes.

09:00 Arrival
09:30 Session 3: Moving People, Moving Things — Transport Challenges in Urban Contexts

This session takes the city as its unit of analysis, exploring the diverse needs and constraints shaping urban mobility. Speakers are invited to highlight how a city-level perspective sheds new light on making transport systems healthier, more sustainable, and more efficient for all.

10:55 Break
11:25 Session 4: The Additional Variables: Context, Environment, and Complexity in Transport Research

Transport does not happen in a vacuum. This session foregrounds the factors that bound transport research — context, environment, and complexity — and asks what changes when we bring them to the centre. Speakers are invited to discuss what happens when these real world factors take a central role in their research.

12:50 Lunch
14:20 Session 5: Digital Tools and Methods for Transport Research

This session showcases the growing role of digital tools in transport research, from simulation and modelling to data collection and analysis. Speakers are invited to reflect not just on what the tools do, but on what they make possible.

15:55 Closing Remarks and Prize Ceremony

The annual IAAPS Conference will officially close with the presentation of the awards for the best student talk and best student poster.

Location

The conference will be hosted at the University of Bath, in the Wolfson Lecture Theatre (4 West 1.7)

The address is:

4 West, Level 1 │University of Bath │Claverton Down │Bath │BA2 7AY

See the University guide for how to get to the city of Bath and the University campus.

You can find the lecture theatre on this campus map under 4W.