Co-organized with IDEAL 2026

WSOM+ 2026

16th International Workshop on Self-Organizing Maps, Learning Vector Quantization & Beyond. Manchester, UK · 19–21 November 2026.

WSOM+ 2026 invites original contributions on unsupervised learning, Self-Organizing Maps, Learning Vector Quantization, prototype-based learning, clustering, data visualization, interpretable models, and related methods and applications.

Call for Papers

WSOM+ provides an international forum for research on SOM, LVQ, prototype-based learning, interpretable models, and related approaches for unsupervised and supervised data analysis, visualization, and applications.

We welcome both theoretical and methodological work as well as scientific and application-oriented contributions. Original papers addressing new results, emerging directions, and practical deployments are encouraged.

Why submit to WSOM+?

  • Focused workshop community around SOM, LVQ, and prototype-based learning.
  • Joint visibility through co-organization with IDEAL 2026.
  • Balanced scope from theory and methods to domain applications.
  • Proceedings planned in Springer's Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems series.

Topics of interest

Including, but not limited to, the following theoretical, methodological, and application-oriented themes.

Core methods

  • Self-Organizing Maps and related models
  • Learning Vector Quantization
  • Prototype-based Learning
  • Vector Quantization
  • Clustering and Unsupervised Learning
  • Data Visualization
  • Embedding Techniques
  • Statistical Data Analysis and Machine Learning
  • Interpretable Models
  • Confidence & Transfer Learning
  • Hardware and Neuromorphic Hardware for LVQ & SOM

Applications

  • Data mining, including stream mining and process mining
  • Pattern recognition
  • Knowledge management
  • Business intelligence and financial analysis
  • Anomaly detection and outlier analysis
  • Industrial and scientific applications
  • Bioinformatics, biostatistics, biomedicine, and healthcare
  • Telecommunications and transport optimization
  • Cognitive and language modeling
  • Robotics and intelligent systems
  • Image, speech, text, and document analysis

Important dates

Please plan ahead. These dates align with the current IDEAL 2026 key dates.

1 July 2026
Paper submission deadline
Submit through the IDEAL 2026 submission system.
1 September 2026
Notification of acceptance
Authors will be informed of review outcomes.
11 September 2026
Final version due
Camera-ready versions are expected by this date.
19–21 November 2026
Conference and workshop dates
Manchester, UK.

Submission

Submission will be handled via the IDEAL 2026 online submission system. The workshop landing page links directly to the IDEAL paper submission area.

The IDEAL submission page currently indicates that manuscript submission is managed through its online system and that final submission details are still being finalized.

Registration

Registration is expected through the IDEAL 2026 registration page. Participants should consult IDEAL directly for the latest registration information and updates.

More details on submission, registration, and the programme will follow soon.

Publication

The WSOM+ 2026 proceedings are planned to be published by Springer in the Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems (LNNS) series.

Springer
LNNS
Proceedings
Original contributions

Venue

WSOM+ 2026 will take place in Manchester, UK, co-organized with IDEAL 2026. Detailed venue logistics are expected to follow on the IDEAL website.

IDEAL 2026 currently lists The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, with exact location details to be confirmed.

Further information

The dedicated WSOM+ 2026 webpage is currently under preparation. This page is designed as an interim landing page for the workshop, while submission and registration are routed through IDEAL 2026.

For the latest announcements and updates, please monitor the IDEAL 2026 website.