It is with great pleasure that we announce our hosting of the 31st ECSS Annual Congress in 2026 in the city of Lausanne in Switzerland, through a collaboration between the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). After a pause of 20 years, the ECSS Congress comes back to the Olympic Capital Lausanne in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland.

ECSS Lausanne 2026 will take place at the SwissTech Convention Center, a state-of-the-art congress facility located on the edge of the beautiful lake-side UNIL-EPFL Campus, just outside the city of Lausanne. The city centre is conveniently connected by metro and congress participants staying in lodging reserved through our channel will enjoy free local public transport.

Apart from hosting the International Olympic Committee as well as over 50 international sports federations, associations, foundations and other entities involved in sports, the greater Lausanne region is also a vibrant science, technology and business hub. It brings together a multicultural and international set of academic, entrepreneurial, business and policy leaders from various scientific fields. Key areas include engineering, with a focus on technology and innovation, biotechnology, health, medical engineering, education and research, life sciences, as well as social, human and natural sciences. Sports science also serves as a major focus within these clusters.

The Lausanne area is famous with its idyllic setting between Lake Geneva, the Alps and the Jura mountains. It is well-connected by train from many European capitals, and with a 45-minute train ride to Geneva Airport it is also well-connected to the rest of the world.

The region is also famous for its vineyards and is part of a living cultural landscape with UNESCO World Heritage status, giving ample possibilities to make a stay a great scientific, sporting and human experience to its participants!

The University of Lausanne and EPFL will collaborate closely with the ECSS Scientific Board to deliver an exceptional scientific programme. This programme will highlight advancements in sport science, spanning biology, physiology, psychology, neuroscience, biomechanics, biotechnology, computing and engineering. By fostering a multidisciplinary approach, it aims to bridge the biomedical, engineering and psychosocial sciences, offering a comprehensive understanding of sport, performance and health. The scientific presentations will cover a wide spectrum of sport and exercise disciplines, from elite competitive sports to general physical activity. We are also excited to support pre-congress symposia that bring together leaders from the sport industry, business and the scientific community to promote collaboration and drive innovation in sport science.

We eagerly anticipate welcoming you to Lausanne, where you can exchange knowledge within the ECSS scientific community in the vibrant, joyful and lively backdrop of this beautiful city on the shores of Lake Geneva, or as we prefer to call it 'Le Léman'.

Yours in Sport Science,

ECSS Lausanne 2026 Congress Presidents

Bengt Kayser MD, PhD, PhD, Emeritus Professor Institute of sport sciences, University of Lausanne, Switzerland	Kamiar Aminian PhD, Emeritus Professor Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Switzerland