Scope

The 14th IEEE/ACM International Workshop on Software Engineering for Systems-of-Systems and Software Ecosystems (SESoS 2026) provides a forum for Software Engineering researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas and experiences, analyze research and development challenges, discuss promising solutions, and propose inspiring visions for the future of systems-of-systems (SoS) and software ecosystems (SECO).

SoS have been studied for several years within Systems Engineering and still represent a relevant research topic, mainly considering the ever-increasing complexity and scale of contemporary systems, as well as the impact these systems can have on various application domains. The trend of software evolution and the unprecedented reliance of the economy and society upon software-intensive systems have led many SoS to be fundamentally driven by software, i.e., being software-intensive as well. On the other hand, the characteristics that make SoS unique are the same ones that pose significant challenges to both Systems Engineering and Software Engineering. On the other hand, SECO is an important research topic in Software Engineering, as it addresses both social and technical issues, as well as the technical aspects of software development. The novelty of SECO lies in considering the dynamic, uncontrolled interplay between internal and external actors and artifacts that contribute to maintaining a common technological platform. However, the lack of analytical models and real-world case studies hampers the consolidation of a body of knowledge on the topic.

Following the successful editions of SESoS in 2013-2025, WDES in 2017-2018, and the joint editions of SESoS/WDES in 2017-2021, this year's workshop will focus on discussing the use of Software Engineering methods, practices, and tools to develop complex software-intensive systems towards paving the way for a more structured community effort on SoS and SECO.

SESoS 2026 will be held in conjunction with the 48th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2026) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.