Prototypes for Humanity unveils 2026 Short Papers Platform, bringing together 52 researchers from 27 countries to address global challenges
The Prototypes for Humanity Short Papers Platform provides a forum for professors from around the world to share research and engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, with a focus on academic research driving real world impact.
Prototypes for Humanity and the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) have announced a new strategic partnership for the 2026 edition of the Short Papers Platform, to support research by professors addressing complex challenges, and offering tangible pathways to solutions. The 2026 edition invites academics across all institutions and disciplines to submit research addressing seven strategic themes, designed to reflect international research priorities and that are relevant to the city and to the fund.
Dubai, UAE, 27 October 2026 — Prototypes for Humanity today announced the programme for the 2026 Short Papers Platform, bringing together professors and researchers from 49 universities across the world to present research addressing some of today’s most pressing global challenges and offering tangible pathways to solutions. Held in strategic partnership with ICD (Investment Corporation of Dubai), the 2026 programme spans seven research themes, connecting academic expertise with areas of strategic relevance to Dubai and the wider global research and innovation community.
The Short Papers Platform was launched in 2025 as part of Prototypes for Humanity's growing research and publications activities, mobilising academic knowledge towards urgent challenges facing industry and society. The 2026 edition invited a global network of academics from more than 1,000 universities to submit abstracts, with more than 700 received through the international call. From these, 52 researchers were selected to develop their work into short papers for presentation in Dubai and subsequent publication in the Short Papers Platform Conference Proceedings in early 2027. Structured around real-world challenges rather than traditional academic disciplines, the programme connects academia with industry and the public sector, enabling research to inform industry priorities, innovation planning and applied outcomes.
Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Managing Director of Prototypes for Humanity, said: “Our mission is to accelerate the translation of university research into applied solutions. The Short Papers Platform creates a structured conduit for academics to share emerging research and connect their expertise with the R&D and innovation priorities of leading organisations. This year’s programme brings together an exceptional breadth of research across institutions, disciplines and geographies, creating new opportunities for collaboration and practical application. We are privileged to advance this work in partnership with ICD, with a shared commitment to translating academic knowledge into tangible outcomes.”
As part of the programme’s ongoing commitment to research translation, ICD will award a USD 50,000 prize to one project selected from the papers presented at the conference. The award recognises academic work with strong potential for practical application, identified through engagement with ICD industry experts, and will support the winning project’s next stage of development towards implementation.
Douraid Zaghouani, Chief Operating Officer at ICD, said: “Our strategic support of The Short Papers Platform strengthens the connection between academic research and real-world application. Anchored by a diverse portfolio of companies, ICD are uniquely positioned to help translate ideas into scalable solutions and long-term innovation. This partnership reflects our commitment to advancing Dubai’s economic and social development through knowledge, collaboration and forward-thinking initiatives.”
This year’s programme highlights how interdisciplinary and multi-method approaches, drawing on the distinct strengths of different fields, can offer fresh perspectives and novel solutions to complex global challenges. Across the seven themes, the 53 selected papers span a wide range of research areas and methods, with highlights including:
Infrastructures and Cities explores new approaches to more resilient, sustainable and responsive urban environments. Professor Hamid Norouzi of the City University of New York will present research using high-resolution thermal mapping to better understand extreme heat at neighbourhood level, providing cities with more precise data to inform heat mitigation and climate adaptation strategies.
Research under Environment, Sustainability and Energy examines new approaches to decarbonisation, resource efficiency and climate resilience. Dr. Santiago Zapata of the University of Manchester will present research into chemical looping technologies that can capture industrial carbon emissions and convert them into useful resources, exploring how emissions from carbon-intensive industries could be transformed from waste streams into valuable inputs.
Under Mobility and Logistics, researchers are exploring how advances in technology and new sources of data can help build more resilient and efficient transport and supply-chain systems. Dr. Yijing Li of King's College London will present research using satellite imagery to identify and predict climate-related disruption to global supply chains, helping organisations better anticipate risks to critical transport and logistics networks.
Autonomous Systems and Advanced Manufacturing considers how emerging technologies are reshaping the way people interact with machines and digital environments. Dr. Erick Guadalupe Ramírez Cedillo of Tecnológico de Monterrey will present ORION, a physical AI system that teaches workers to operate new industrial equipment. ORION writes its own training sessions for each machine, demonstrates every step on the hardware, and uses EEG to track how hard the learner is concentrating, adjusting the pace as it goes. The aim is to cut training cycles that can take around six months per type of equipment.
Research within Socio-Economic Empowerment, Digital Economies and Future Markets examines how technological, economic and societal change is reshaping economies and opportunities worldwide. Dr Hammed Musibau of Adelaide University will present a new international framework for measuring education quality and its relationship with economic growth, moving beyond conventional measures of school enrolment and attainment to better understand how education contributes to long-term economic development.
Under Wellbeing and Human Performance, researchers are developing new approaches to healthcare, diagnostics and clinical decision-making. Dr. Munib Mesinovic of the University of Oxford will present research into trustworthy clinical AI for intensive care, examining how AI systems can support clinicians in high-stakes environments while addressing the questions of reliability, transparency and uncertainty that are critical to their safe use in patient care.
Finally, Open and Speculative examines emerging questions around technology and its wider implications for society and the future. Tushar Kanade of Harvard University will present The Library of Babel Has a Power Bill, research examining the environmental and economic implications of generative AI and developing a framework to quantify the often-invisible energy consumption associated with AI-generated content.
The invited researchers will convene in Dubai from 17–20 November 2026, with the Short Papers Platform taking place alongside the annual Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity Summit, bringing academic research into direct dialogue with industry, government, investors and the wider innovation community.