FM 2026: Call for Papers
------------------------

May 20--22, 2026
Tokyo, Japan

FM 2026 is the 27th international symposium on Formal Methods in a
series organized by Formal Methods Europe (FME), an independent
association whose aim is to stimulate the use of, and research on,
formal methods for software development. The FM symposia have been
successful in bringing together researchers and industrial users
around a program of original papers on research and industrial
experience, workshops, tutorials, reports on tools, projects, and
ongoing doctoral research. FM 2026 will be both an occasion to
celebrate and a platform for enthusiastic researchers and
practitioners from a diversity of backgrounds to exchange their ideas
and share their experiences. See (https://conf.researchr.org/home/fm-2026)

The FM 2026 proceedings will appear as part of the LNCS FM subline,
with gold open access.


## Important Dates:

Abstract Submission November 25, 2025
Full Paper Submission December 2, 2025
Paper Notification January 30, 2026
Final Version February 23, 2026
Main Conference May 20--22, 2026


## Topics of Interest

FM 2026 will highlight the development and application of formal
methods in a wide range of domains including trustworthy AI,
computer-based systems, systems-of-systems, cyber-physical systems,
security, human-computer interaction, manufacturing, sustainability,
energy, transport, smart cities, smart contracts in blockchain,
healthcare and biology. We particularly welcome papers on techniques,
tools, and experiences in interdisciplinary settings. We also welcome
papers on experiences of applying formal methods in industrial
settings, and on the design and validation of formal method tools.


## Track: Tests & Proofs

FM 2026 features a special track on Tests and Proofs (TAP) as a part
of the conference.

TAP promotes research in verification and formal methods that targets
the interplay of static and dynamic analysis techniques with the
ultimate goal of improving software and system dependability.

Research in verification has seen an increase in heterogeneous
techniques and a synergy between the traditionally distinct areas of
dynamic and static analysis. There is growing awareness that dynamic
techniques such as testing and static techniques such as proving are
complementary rather than mutually exclusive. Notable examples that
provide evidence for the potential of a combination of static and
dynamic analysis are counterexample generation based on symbolic
execution, the integration of SAT/SMT-solving in model checking, or
the combination of predicate abstraction with exhaustive
enumeration. The verification of systems based on machine learning
spurs novel combinations of dynamic and static analyses, e.g.,
property verification of surrogate models that are generated through
testing.

TAP's scope encompasses many aspects of verification technology,
including foundational work, tool development, and empirical research.
Topics of interest center around the combination of static techniques
such as proving and dynamic techniques such as testing.


## Submission Guidelines

We solicit various categories of papers:

- Regular Papers (max 15 pages)
- Regular Papers, submitted to the TAP track (max 15 pages)
- Long tool papers (max 15 pages)
- Case study papers (max 15 pages)
- Short papers (max 6 pages), including tool demonstration papers

All page limits do not include references and appendices.

Papers should be original work, not published or submitted elsewhere,
in Springer LNCS format, and written in English.

Each paper will be evaluated by at least three members of the Program
Committee. Authors of papers reporting experimental work are strongly
encouraged to make their experimental results available for use by the
reviewers.

Papers submitted to the TAP track will undergo the same review process
as other papers, by PC members with expertise in tests and proofs.

Case study papers should describe significant case studies, and the
complete development should be made available at the time of
review. The usual criteria for novelty, reproducibility, correctness
and the ability for others to build upon the described work apply.

Tool papers and tool demonstration papers should explain enhancements
made compared to previously published work. A tool demonstration paper
need not present the theory behind the tool, but can focus on the
tool's features, how it is used, its evaluation and examples and
screenshots illustrating the tool's use. Authors of tool and tool
demonstration papers should make their tools available for use by the
reviewers and are highly encouraged to participate in the artifact
evaluation once their paper is accepted.

Reviewing is single-blind.

For all papers, an appendix can provide additional material such as
details on proofs or experiments. The appendix is not part of the page
count and will only be read at the discretion of the reviewers. Thus,
it should not contain information necessary for the understanding and
evaluation of the presented work.

Papers will be accepted or rejected in the category in which they were
submitted and will not be moved between categories. At least one
author of an accepted paper is expected to present the paper at the
conference as a registered participant.

### Proceedings

The conference proceedings will be published open access by Springer
in the LNCS series, as part of the FM subline, with gold open access.

### Submissions

Submission link: (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=fm2026)

Authors of all accepted papers are invited to submit an artifact for
evaluation by the FM 2026 Artifact Evaluation Committee after the
paper notification. For long tool papers and tool demonstration
papers, submission of an artifact is strongly encouraged.

### Best Paper Award

At the conference, the PC Chairs will present an award to the authors
of the submission selected as the FM 2026 Best Paper.

### Special Issue

Extended versions of selected papers will be invited for publication
in a special issue of a journal to be announced soon.


## Program Committee Chairs

- Augusto Sampaio, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil
- Marielle Stoelinga, University of Twente, the Netherlands