The inaugural Research & Innovation Stream at the 2026 Global Information Summit will provide a focused forum for innovators, researchers, educators and experts from industry, universities, research institutes and government to present and discuss interdisciplinary strategic and applied research and innovation, together with evidence-based education, practice and capability approaches that respond directly to the Summit’s theme of building the ecosystem, fusing capabilities and developing the profession.

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The stream will strengthen the bridge between research, education, policy and professional practice by:

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• Highlighting high quality strategic and applied research addressing real world information challenges, emerging risks and future opportunities.

• Demonstrating how research evidence informs education, professional learning, workforce capability and professional practice across sectors.

• Fostering dialogue between researchers, educators, policymakers and industry, translating insights into practical, policy relevant and operational outcomes.

 

Submissions to present at the Research & Innovation Stream are now invited. Designed for industry, government and academic audiences, the Stream will showcase strategic and applied research and innovations, and education, capability and practice approaches that are grounded in research evidence.

 

Contributions are invited from academic, industry and government researchers and experts whose work advances understanding or application in areas relevance to the Summit’s theme and topics of interest including, but not limited to: information governance, data and digital capability, trust and integrity in information use, emerging trends and technologies, information risk and resilience, workforce development and information-enabled decision making. Research, innovation and education initiatives that demonstrate collaboration between academia, government and industry, or that reflect cross sector and interdisciplinary approaches, are particularly encouraged.

 

We welcome:

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• Applied and strategic research papers

• Industry-led and practice-informed studies

• Policy-relevant research

• Research-informed education, practice or capability initiatives linked to evidence

• Collaborative projects across academia, government and industry

• Case studies

• Policy proposals

• Expert panel discussion proposals

• Posters

• Other presentations that align with Summit and Stream objectives.

 

Long presentations, short presentations, expert panel discussions and posters are invited:

•    Long presentations - 20 minutes plus 10 minutes for questions and discussion:

Long abstracts of up to 2 pages are invited to be considered for long presentations on research findings, emerging technologies, global trend analyses or new practices, for example. 

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•    Short presentations - 10 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions and discussion:

Short abstracts of up to 1 page are invited to be considered for short presentations on industry innovations, case studies, early ideas, or policy proposals, for example. 

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•    Panel discussions - 45 to 60 minutes including audience questions:

Short abstracts of up to 1 page or approximately 750 words are invited to be considered to present a moderated expert panel discussion of information trends, research findings, innovative information capabilities or policy proposals, for example.

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•    Research or Innovation Posters: short abstracts of up to 1 page are invited to exhibit a poster at the Summit venue on research findings, new technologies or innovations, for example. Exhibitors will be required to arrange printing and shipping to the Summit venue. 

With presenter permission, abstracts, peer-reviewed papers and presentations may be shared through the IPIA website after the Summit and presenters may be invited to submit a full paper for publication in peer reviewed Summit Proceedings.

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 If your research and innovation translate insight into action and capability, we’d love to hear from you.

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​​​Submission Deadline: 11:45pm AEST, Sunday 19 April 2026. 

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Notification of outcomes: Monday 18 May 2026.

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​Guide to Topics of Interest:

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Information is pervasive in contemporary society, and presentation topics of interest and relevance are broad and frequently interdisciplinary in nature. They may include, but are not limited to:

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• Information governance, stewardship and assurance: for example, transforming data and information into trusted national assets; shaping narratives to influence domestic and foreign audiences; shaping understanding and influencing behaviour through visual and multimodal communication; protecting sovereignty; ensuring lawful, ethical and effective use of information across strategic policy formation, operational coordination and tactical execution. 

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• ​Data, digital and information capability development: for example, building technical, organisational and institutional capabilities; collecting, integrating, analysing and exploiting data and digital systems; supporting strategic advantage, operational agility and tactical effectiveness in competition, crisis and conflict.

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• Trust, integrity and ethics in information use: for example, sustaining public confidence, international credibility and alliance cohesion; reinforcing legitimacy and democratic values; weaponising information and propaganda; countering disinformation, manipulation and coercive influence across strategic communication, operational planning and tactical engagement.

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• Emerging technologies and AI: for example, shaping how information is generated, processed and acted upon; enhancing information literacy; altering decision speed, cognitive advantage and competitive balance; emerging EW, IO and cyber trends and capabilities; new strategic risks, operational dependencies and tactical vulnerabilities that must be governed, tested and controlled.

 

• Information risk, resilience and security: for example, identification, mitigation and management of threats to information systems; data integrity; cognitive domains; strengthening national resilience to cyber attacks, espionage, sabotage and information warfare at strategic infrastructure levels, operational networks and frontline systems.

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• Workforce development, capability building and professional practice: for example, cultivating skilled professionals across government, industry and academia; designing, operating and governing information systems-of-systems in complex strategic environments and contested operational settings.

 

• Information-enabled decision making and public value: for example, generation and use of timely, accurate and trusted information to improve policy outcomes, service delivery and crisis response; integrating the UN Women, Peace and Security mandate into strategic information governance and narrative design; enhancing strategic foresight; optimising operational coordination for tangible public benefit; social policy and social licence.

 

• Cross sector and interdisciplinary research: for example, integrating insights from defence, public policy, technology, social science, the arts, law and ethics to understand information power holistically; effective strategies, resilient operations and context-aware tactics in an increasingly complex and contested information environment.

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