Future and Next Generation networks are envisioned to exhibit self-management properties, such as self-healing, self-configuration, self-optimization, self-protection and so on. Specifically, emergent networking technologies, applications and the ever expanding network infrastructure necessitate an autonomic network management, minimizing error-prone and human-driven configurations. At the same time, recent communication paradigms such as 5G/6G and Internet of Everything, allows various verticals and simple end users to interact with the network on a daily basis. Thus, networks are expected to become smart through the amalgamation of network and Artificial Intelligent capabilities, leveraging extensive monitoring data, while also becoming more user-friendly to meet the demands from users and verticals spanning from common enterprises to complex multi-domain networks.

The main focus of the HPSR 2026 – the 27th edition of HPSR conference – will be to assess how breakthrough changes occurring to Future Communications and Computing Systems are affecting areas related to switching and routing, towards achieving self-governed networks. We are soliciting original and thought-provoking works on big data, data analytics, cloud and edge services, and artificial intelligent techniques applied to networking and switching and routing. Works on autonomous networks, intent-based networking, zero-touch networks, 5G/6G, Industry 4.0, Smart Manufacturing, social networks, network programmabilty, cybersecurity, virtualization, and other advanced topics are also welcome. Papers describing original, previously unpublished research, experimental efforts, practical experiences, as well as visionary roadmaps, in all aspects of switching and routing, and autonomous networks and systems are solicited. Research works on the following topics, but not limited to, are welcome for submission through the following symposia.

Technical Tracks

Track A: Autonomous Communications and Computing Systems Symposium
    Topics

        Application of data analytics to switching and routing
        Artificial intelligent routing and resource-allocation algorithms
        Behavior-aware human-centric networks and systems
        Deep-learning technologies for networks
        Informed Network Routing
        Intent Based Networking
        Zero-Touch Networking
        Traffic monitoring and modeling applied to switching and routing
        Traffic predictions in routing and resource assignment
        Network Assurance
        Quality of Service Self-Optimization and resource allocation
        Experimental measurements and testbed implementations
        Quality of Experience resulting from intelligent routing
        Large Language Models for switching and routing
        Automatic policy enforcement
        Policy conflict detection
        Policy conflict resolution

Track B: Enabling Technologies for Autonomous Systems Symposium
    Topics

        Software Defined Networking (SDN)
        Software Defined-WAN (SD-WAN)
        Network Function Virtualization (NFV)
        Architectures of high-performance switches and routers, with a focus towards reconfigurable pipelines (P4, OpenFlow, etc.)
        Applied ML/AI for switching and routing
        Multi-access edge computing (MEC)
        Fog Computing
        Internet of Things (IoT)
        Digital Continuum -- device-to-edge-to-fog-to-Cloud continuum
        Smart Factory/Industry 4.0 applications
        Blockchain technologies
        Computational offloading
        Network Slicing
        5G/6G Communication
        Green networks and routing
        Intelligent and connected vehicular networks
        Network performance for Human-Agent-Robot Teamwork (HART)
        Space-air-ground integrated networks (SAGIN)

Track C: High-Performance High Functionality Architectures Symposium
    Topics

        I/O architectures for packet switching
        Monitoring architectures for routing and switching
        Address lookup algorithms, packet classification, scheduling, and dropping
        Applications of data science and analysis on high-performance networks
        Applications of GPU on network functions
        Efficient data structures for networking applications
        Physical-layer aspects of switching and routing
        Future technologies for IoT
        High-speed packet processors
        Multiprocessor networks
        Nano-communication networks
        Quantum networking
        Network traffic characterization and measurements
        Optical switching and routing
        Power-aware switching, bridging, and routing protocols
        Switching, bridging, and routing protocols whether wide-area or data centers
        Switching support to Extended reality (including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality)
        Traffic characterization and engineering
        Standardization activities of emerging high performance switching and routing
        High performance, programmable networks for the Internet of Things

Track D: Network Security Symposium
    Topics

        Zero Trust security models
        Adversarial machine learning
        Applied cryptography for cyber, information, and network security
        Attack prediction, detection, response, and prevention
        Authentication protocols and key management
        Blockchain security
        Cloud, data center, and distributed systems  security
        Future Internet Architecture (FIA) security and privacy
        Intrusion detection with artificial intelligent techniques
        Malware detection and damage recovery
        Network security and privacy protection
        Security in SDN and networking slicing
        Security aspects of social networks
        Security in smart grid communications
        Security in virtualized network functions built or managed using software-defined networks
        Security and privacy in the Age of Information
        Trust management in networks through emerging technologies
        Virtual Private WANs