The fifth edition of MIPRO Robotics, held in Zadar for the first time, has successfully concluded after four days dedicated to robotics, autonomous systems, drones and emerging technologies.
 

From 9 to 12 September, Zadar brought together researchers, experts, industry representatives, development teams and professionals working on the development and application of robotic and autonomous technologies.

This year's MIPRO Robotics welcomed more than 100 participants, with 41 papers presented by authors from 18 countries. The program was further enriched by researchers and experts who presented new research, approaches and practical solutions in the fields of robotics, autonomous systems and drones.

The central part of the program was the international conference Robotics Technologies and Applications (RTA), alongside the dedicated RTA-DRONES – Drones for Safety and Purpose session focusing on drones and unmanned systems. The program also featured plenary and invited lectures, as well as the Robot-Drone Demo Convoy, bringing together robotics, autonomous systems and maritime applications.

The Best Paper Award at MIPRO Robotics 2026 was presented to Bridging Rehabilitation Requirements and Soft Robotics: Concept and Design of a Pneumatic Assistive Device, authored by E. Kamenar, T. Bazina, D. Liović, J. Srnec Novak (University of Rijeka, Faculty of Engineering, Rijeka, Croatia), A. Šegota (Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia), L. Došen, J. Pelić (University of Rijeka, Faculty of Engineering, Rijeka, Croatia), and I. Mezić (University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, United States).

A particular focus of this year's event was on bringing together knowledge and experience from academia, industry and other fields of application. Through invited lectures, presentations, discussions and demonstrations, participants explored current questions surrounding the development of autonomous technologies and their application across different fields.

The practical part of the program, the Robot-Drone Demo Convoy, further complemented the event with demonstrations of robotic and autonomous technologies in a real-world environment. It gave participants an opportunity to see how technologies discussed in research and professional contexts can be applied in practice.

We would like to sincerely thank all authors, invited speakers and participants whose knowledge, research, ideas and engagement contributed to the successful realization of MIPRO Robotics 2026. We would especially like to thank our co-organizer, the University of Zadar, as well as our sponsors and patrons for their cooperation and support throughout the preparation and implementation of the event. We also thank IEEE Region 8 and IEEE Croatia Section for their technical co-sponsorship.

Our thanks also go to the co-organizers of the Robot-Drone Demo Convoy – the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), University of Zagreb, CoE MARBLE, and Yacht Club Uskok Zadar.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the fifth edition of MIPRO Robotics a place for knowledge, technology and new collaborations.