2nd ACM SIGSPATIAL International Workshop on Quantum Computing and Quantum-Inspired Technologies for Spatial Data Systems and Applications

Workshop Organizers

• Moustafa Youssef

  Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
  American University in Cairo, Egypt

  Email: moustafa-youssef@aucegypt.edu

• Ibrahim Sabek

  Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Spatial Sciences
  USC Spatial Sciences Institute
  University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

  Email: sabek@usc.edu

• Amr Magdy

  Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
  UCR Center for GeoSpatial Sciences
  University of California, Riverside, USA

  Email: amr@cs.ucr.edu

• Yunhan Chang

  PhD Student of Computer Science and Engineering
  UCR Center for GeoSpatial Sciences
  University of California, Riverside, USA

  Email: ychan268@ucr.edu

Workshop Program

The detailed program for Q-Spatial 2026 will be announced closer to the workshop date. Please check back later for updates on tutorials, keynote speakers, and the full schedule.

Call for Papers

2nd ACM SIGSPATIAL International Workshop on Quantum Computing and Quantum-Inspired Technologies for Spatial Data Systems and Applications (Q-Spatial 2026)

Quantum computing and other quantum-driven technologies, such as quantum communication and quantum sensing, have been a focus of investment for decades across diverse scientific and engineering communities, including major professional societies. Recent advances and breakthroughs from academia and industry have direct relevance to spatial applications, such as GPS-free navigation using quantum navigators. Several countries worldwide are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in quantum technologies through public and private partnerships. We strongly believe it is time for the SIGSPATIAL community to build capacity in this promising field of technology.

Q-Spatial 2026 brings together members of the research community interested in exploring quantum technologies in spatial systems and applications, whether experts in the field or those seeking to learn about them at different levels of seniority and expertise. The workshop series is designed to benefit all levels of expertise, whether contributing or learning, with sessions tailored to audiences with varying levels of experience in quantum technology.

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Important Dates

All deadlines are due at Midnight (11:59 PM) Pacific Time.

Submission deadline	August 12, 2026  August 26, 2026
Notification of decision	September 20, 2026
Camera-ready deadline	October 1, 2026

Topics of Interest

We welcome submissions at the intersection of quantum computing / quantum-inspired technologies and spatial data systems and applications, including (but not limited to):

• Quantum computing models for spatial data: the circuit model and quantum annealing
• Quantum sensing and quantum communication for spatial applications
• Quantum and quantum-inspired algorithms for spatial optimization (routing, transportation, facility location selection)
• Quantum approaches to spatial and geospatial database problems
• GPS-free navigation and quantum navigators
• Quantum machine learning for spatial and geospatial data
• Quantum use cases, experiments, and benchmarks on real spatial problems
• Tooling, Python libraries, and simulators for spatial quantum modeling
• Educational approaches and tutorials for spatial quantum computing

Submission Types

The workshop welcomes submissions of different types. All page limits below exclude references and appendices, and submissions should follow the current ACM SIGSPATIAL formatting guidelines. All submissions are peer-reviewed by the program committee.

Research Papers

Categories: novel research, quantum use cases, quantum experiments, vision papers, and review papers.

• Novel research: Original, previously unpublished work that advances the quantum and spatial frontier, including new models, algorithms, theory, system designs, or methods.
• Quantum use cases: Submissions that identify and articulate spatial problems or application domains where quantum or quantum-inspired computing could add value. A working implementation is not required; motivating scenarios, problem formulations, and proposed quantum or hybrid pipelines are all in scope.
• Quantum experiments: Empirical studies that run spatial workloads on quantum hardware, simulators, or annealers. Benchmarks, feasibility and scalability studies, reproducibility reports, and informative negative results are all encouraged.
• Vision papers: Forward-looking submissions that outline promising directions, open challenges, or roadmaps for quantum technologies in spatial computing.
• Review papers: Surveys, systematization-of-knowledge, and tutorial-style overviews that organize and synthesize existing work at the intersection of quantum technologies and spatial data systems and applications.

Type	Page limit
Full papers	up to 10 pages
Short papers	up to 4 pages
Extended abstracts	up to 2 pages

Any of the above contribution kinds may be submitted at the length that best fits its maturity: full papers for complete, evaluated work; short papers for focused or preliminary results; and extended abstracts for early-stage ideas, positions, or demonstrations.

Educational Papers

Tutorials, enlightening talks, and lightning talks.

• Tutorials: Lecture-style or hands-on sessions that teach quantum concepts, computing models (the circuit model and quantum annealing), tools, or programming libraries to the SIGSPATIAL audience. Any level, from introductory to advanced, and any format, from slides to live-coding notebooks, is welcome.
• Enlightening talks: Longer talks that illuminate a concept, share a perspective or experience, or connect quantum technologies to spatial research. These may be conceptual, experiential, or visionary, and need not present new technical results.
• Lightning talks: Very short talks on early ideas, tools, datasets, open questions, or calls for collaboration.

Type	Page limit
Tutorials and similar educational submissions	up to 6 pages
Enlightening talks (extended abstract)	up to 2 pages
Lightning talks (extended abstract)	up to 2 pages

Originality

A paper submitted to Q-Spatial must present original work not described in any prior publication that is more than 4 double-column ACM-style pages in length. A prior publication is a paper that has been accepted for presentation at a refereed conference or workshop with proceedings; or an article that has been accepted for publication in a refereed journal. If a Q-Spatial submission has overlap with a prior publication, the submission must cite the prior publication, along with all other relevant published work, even if this prior publication is at or below the 4-page length threshold. For 4-page papers to appear at ACM SIGSPATIAL'26 which are not yet published, the authors must enclose a copy of their 4-page paper to their workshop submission to allow reviewers to assess the quality of the material that is not already published.

Submission

All submissions must be made electronically through EasyChair. Please select the appropriate submission type when submitting.

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Previous Workshops

Past editions of the Q-Spatial Workshop:

• Q-Spatial 2025 — 1st ACM SIGSPATIAL International Workshop on Quantum Computing and Quantum-Inspired Technologies for Spatial Data Systems and Applications. Held November 3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.