Edited by
JoséC. Matos
Paulo B. Lourenço
Michael Beer
Daniel Oliveira
Edoardo Patelli
Hélder S. Sousa
Rui A. Silva
Monica Santamaria
Chiara Turco

ISBN: 978-981-94-6718-1


Publisher
RESEARCH PUBLISHING, SINGAPORE

Preface

This book contains the proceedings of the 36th European Safety and Reliability Conference (ESREL 2026), held in Braga, Portugal, from 14 to 19 June 2026. Organised by the University of Minho under the auspices of the European Safety and Reliability Association (ESRA), the conference brings together researchers and practitioners working in safety, reliability, risk and resilience from across academia, industry and public institutions. Over the years, ESREL has developed into a recognised meeting point for the international community, fostering the exchange of ideas, methods and applications across a wide range of disciplines and sectors. ESREL 2026 marks the first time the conference has been hosted in Braga and the second time it has been held in Portugal, following the 2006 edition in Estoril. As one of Portugal's oldest cities and a growing centre for research and innovation, Braga provides a distinctive setting for this edition of the conference.

The conference addresses a broad range of topics within safety, reliability, risk and resilience, encompassing methodological developments and practical applications across diverse sectors. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital twins, prognostics and health management, predictive maintenance, and decision support methods are addressed in many of the contributions included in these proceedings. The safety, reliability, and resilience of energy systems also receive considerable attention, particularly regarding hydrogen technologies, renewable energy systems, energy storage, and advanced nuclear applications. Climate adaptation and the resilience of critical infrastructures remain important themes throughout the conference, alongside studies addressing human and organisational factors, safety culture, human reliability and trust in automation. The application areas represented at the conference include transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, maritime systems, energy, healthcare, chemical and process industries, autonomous systems, and cybersecurity.

Following a rigorous peer review process coordinated by the Scientific Committee and supported by the Technical Committee, which included the Chairs of ESRA Committees and other experts, 505 full papers were accepted for publication and are included in these proceedings. In addition, 251 abstract-only contributions and 39 posters were accepted for presentation during the conference. The work of reviewers, Technical Committee members and Special Session organisers is gratefully acknowledged, as their expertise and dedication were essential to maintaining the scientific quality of the conference, broadening the scope of the sessions and helping authors improve their contributions.

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the sponsors for their valuable support, as well as to the Organising Committee and all volunteers for their dedicated work in preparing ESREL 2026. We are also grateful to all authors and participants for their contributions and for continuing to make ESREL a vibrant forum for scientific exchange and collaboration. We hope that these proceedings will contribute to further advances in safety, reliability, and risk sciences and inspire new ideas and research directions in the years ahead.

 

Editors

JoséC. Matos, Paulo B. Lourenço, Michael Beer, Daniel Oliveira, Edoardo Patelli, Hélder S. Sousa, Rui A. Silva, Monica Santamaria and Chiara Turco