Welcome to

4th IOER Conference “Space & Transformation“

Digitalisation meets transformative governance: Towards urban and regional sustainability‽

22/09/2026 – Pre-Conference DLGS Summer School (for PhDs only)
23+24/09/2026 – IOER Conference

Registration now open

Under the heading “Digitalisation meets transformative governance: Towards urban and regional sustainability‽”, the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) will once again focus on key issues in spatial and sustainability sciences at the fourth edition of the IOER Conference “Space & Transformation”.

Spatial development must grapple with complex sustainability challenges. These range from climate change and biodiversity loss to the restructuring of various regions and economies to growing conflicts over socio-spatial cohesion and democratic stability. All must be addressed simultaneously, while relying on outdated planning systems and governance modes and contending with limited (transformative) capacities.

Of particular importance in overcoming these challenges is the emerging conjunction of two major trends: digitalisation and transformative governance. Both trends have the potential to substantially alter the orientation and dynamics of spatial change, as well as the effectiveness of societal efforts to steer such change towards sustainability.

The 4th IOER Conference “Space & Transformation” 2026 aims to further explore the relations between digitalisation and transformative governance in research, policy and practice with a view to the diverse urban and regional sustainability innovations urgently required.

Part of the IOER Conference is the DLGS Summer School for PhD students. It is organised by the Dresden Leibniz Graduate School (DLGS) and will take place on 22 September 2026, the day before the IOER Conference. The DLGS Summer School is dedicated to the same overall topic: "Digitalisation meets transformative governance: Towards urban and regional sustainability‽".

Registration now open

The programme of the fourth IOER Conference „Space & Transformation” offers a varied mix of valuable keynote speeches as well as traditional and interactive presentation formats. The sessions are organised into three thematic tracks:

• Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Transformative Governance
• Bridging Digitalisation and Transformative Governance

The afternoon of 23 September will feature some special programme highlights. The initial results of the Sustainability Transformation HaCLAthon will be presented. This challenge, which focuses on collaborative work with data, is already in full swing. However, interested individuals or teams can still join the HaCLAthon.

In addition, the Digital Tool Slam will take place on the main stage at Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden. In this science slam, participants have just a few minutes each to present their digital application in a live and engaging way. The audience will vote to award the most innovative tool.

The evening of 23 September will draw to a close at the Kunsthaus Dresden | robotron-Kantine, located near the conference venue. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the history of this remarkable place during short guided tours. In addition, the photography exhibition “What are we doing? Images in times of crumbling certainties” (original title: Was tun wir. Bilder in Zeiten zerfallender Gewissheiten) by the renowned Berlin-based photo agency OSTKREUZ will be on display. 

Registration is now possible for the 4th IOER Conference “Space & Transformation” and the DLGS Summer School. Registration deadline: 13 September 2026.

Contact to the organising team
E-mail: conferenceioer@ioer.de