About the AMS Scientific Conference 2026
The AMS Scientific Conference explores and discusses how cities can transform to become more resilient, regenerative and just, while offering economic stability. Cities are innovation hubs, where an increasing number of people live, work, recreate, interact and care. They are also places where urgent transitions take shape, accelerating developments in mobility, circularity, renewable energy, climate adaptation, urban food systems and digitalization.
For these reasons, cities set the agenda for improving the livability and sustainability of our world. The AMS Scientific Conference brings together scientists, policymakers, industry partners and students to reflect on these transitions, share scientific knowledge and contribute to shaping the future of cities.
Reinventing the City
Pressing issues such as climate change, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity and social polarization are increasingly felt in urban environments. At the same time, cities offer unique opportunities for experimentation, innovation and collaboration across disciplines and sectors.
Addressing these challenges requires new ways of thinking, governing and innovating, both socially and technically. It calls for scientific approaches that do not remain confined to individual disciplines or institutions, but actively engage with practice, policy and society.
By bringing together diverse scientific perspectives and methodological approaches, the AMS Scientific Conference aims to foster dialogue between disciplines and strengthen the connection between research and real-world urban challenges.
#1 Connecting the Dots
In science, a great deal of knowledge is already available, much more than is currently used in practice to reinvent our cities. Some innovations do not leave universities; others become stuck due to regulatory constraints, institutional barriers or hesitant stakeholders.
The theme Connecting the Dots reflects the conference’s ambition to identify and link existing knowledge, insights and initiatives. By connecting research across disciplines and sectors, the conference seeks to create new perspectives and stimulate unexpected connections that can contribute to more effective and integrated urban solutions.
#2 Closing the Loops
Connecting knowledge alone is not enough. To create real impact, insights from research need to be applied, tested and reflected upon in practice. At the same time, lessons from implementation should feed back into scientific inquiry.
Closing the Loops refers to strengthening these feedback mechanisms between science, policy, practice and society. The conference explicitly focuses on how knowledge and innovations can land in society, how loops between disciplines can be closed, and how collaboration between researchers, companies, governments and citizens can be improved to reduce waste and inefficiencies.
Transdisciplinary and inclusive by design
The AMS Scientific Conference seeks to engage a broad and diverse community. Scientists, policymakers, industry partners, students and other professionals working with and on cities are invited to contribute and participate. Each brings a different perspective, expertise and responsibility, while sharing a common interest in addressing urban challenges.
Special attention is given to early-career researchers and young scientists. As inhabitants of future cities, their perspectives and ideas are essential for long-term urban transformation. The conference offers space for both established research and work that is still in development.
Watch the aftermovie of the 2024 Scientific Conference:
A global perspective
While the conference is hosted in Amsterdam, its scope is international. Urban challenges transcend geographical boundaries and manifest differently across regions, particularly in areas affected by climate vulnerability, natural disasters or conflict. The conference encourages reflection on how scientific knowledge can contribute to resilient and just urban development in diverse contexts worldwide.
About the organizing partners
This event is organized by AMS Institute in collaboration with the City of Amsterdam. AMS Institute is a unique transdisciplinary urban innovation ecosystem, rooted in its founding institutes TU Delft, Wageningen University & Research, and MIT, and shaped by its partnership with the City of Amsterdam.
About AMS Institute
Our mission at AMS Institute is to accelerate the development of science-based solutions to make cities resilient, regenerative and just. Our work challenges the status quo and redefines what was once thought impossible.
AMS Institute is a unique transdisciplinary urban innovation ecosystem, rooted in its founding institutes TU Delft, Wageningen University & Research, and MIT, and shaped by its partnership with the City of Amsterdam.
As a thought leader, accelerator, and learning community, we develop groundbreaking scientific insights, imaginative solutions, and impactful technologies. We research critical and interconnected challenges in mobility, energy, circularity, digitalization, food and climate adaptation to accelerate the development of tangible metropolitan solutions.
Learn more about AMS Institute
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