ARCATU 2026 is anchored on the theme “Applied Research and Innovation for Sustainable and Resilient Development in the Era of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”. Across Africa and globally, development challenges—climate risk, rapid urbanisation, health vulnerabilities, food systems pressure, enterprise competitiveness, and job creation—are becoming more complex and more urgent. At the same time, AI and other emerging technologies are reshaping how we generate knowledge, design solutions, deliver services, and measure impact.

ARCATU 2026 provides a multidisciplinary platform that connects engineering and urban sustainability (ICESUS 2026), sustainable business and entrepreneurship (ICSBE 2026), and applied arts, design and sustainability (ICAADS 2026) to accelerate real-world outcomes. The conference welcomes research, innovations, prototypes, case studies, and policy/practice insights that demonstrate how applied research can be translated into scalable solutions—strengthening resilience, improving productivity, advancing inclusion, and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. We particularly encourage contributions that combine technical rigor with practical relevance, ethical responsibility, and clear pathways from research to adoption within industry, communities, and public systems.