Nearly 500 software engineering specialists gather in Málaga for the MODELS conference

Topics Universidad de Málaga

The University of Málaga has hosted the 29th edition of MODELS, the international conference on model-based software engineering, which brought together nearly 500 specialists from around the world and focused its programme on artificial intelligence and digital twins.

P. Gonz. L. · Published on October 21, 2026 at 13:16

Image for the story: Nearly 500 software engineering specialists gather in Málaga for the MODELS conference — Photo: Universidad de Málaga · Sala de prensa

Nearly 500 specialists from around the world have taken part in the 29th edition of MODELS, the International Conference on Model-Driven Engineering Languages and Systems, organised this October by the University of Málaga (UMA). According to the academic institution, this is the largest attendance of participants of all the editions held so far.

Six days of science and industry

The meeting took place over six days in the Ada Byron research building at the UMA and at the Hotel Meliá Costa del Sol, in Torremolinos. The programme combined research and development sessions, tutorials, workshops, doctoral and educational symposia and a day dedicated to industry. Three keynote talks were given by world-renowned researchers, along with a round table. Two topics were the focus of this edition: the modelling of AI-based systems and digital twins. Alongside MODELS, three associated conferences were held: EDTconf, on digital twins; SAM, on systems analysis and modelling; and LangDev, on language development.

Inclusion activities and sustainability criteria

The organisers conceived the conference as a diverse, inclusive and sustainable meeting. Activities were scheduled for underrepresented groups, such as Women in STEM and the LGTBIQ+ community, with the aim of fostering their inclusion. Sustainability criteria were also applied to reduce environmental impact, lines that the UMA links to its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Background and sponsorships

MODELS has been held since 1998 and has the support of ACM SIGSOFT and IEEE TCSE, the software engineering groups of the two main professional computing associations in the world. In this edition, in addition to the University of Málaga, the sponsors were Cordis Suite, Obeo, Costa del Sol Málaga, ITIS Software and the Sociedad de Ingeniería de Software y Tecnologías de Desarrollo de Software (SISTEDES). The conference was led by researchers from the Instituto de Tecnología e Ingeniería del Software (ITIS) and chaired by the researcher from the Department of Computer Languages and Sciences Lola Burgueño. Its promoters state that hosting MODELS «places Málaga and the UMA on the world map of software engineering» and strengthens a local technology industry that, they say, already competes internationally.