The International Lean Six Sigma Institute (ILSSI) has announced the details for its 2026 International Lean Six Sigma Conference: September 8–10, 2026, at the Faculty of Management, Comenius University, in Bratislava, Slovakia. A pre-conference welcome networking event kicks things off the evening before, on Monday, September 7.
The format
The three days break down like this:
- Days 1–2 are packed with international keynote speakers, workshops, and panel discussions
- Day 3 shifts to a site visit and local sightseeing
- Three evenings of social and networking events run throughout, including an awards ceremony on the second night
What’s on the agenda
This year leans heavily into AI and digital tools for operational excellence, alongside the usual hands-on technical workshops. A few sessions worth flagging:
- A panel on “The Role of AI and Smart Technology in Lean Six Sigma,” plus a separate panel on “The Future of Lean Six Sigma”
- AI-assisted process mapping and design-thinking workshops
- Monte Carlo analysis using DiscoverSim and SigmaXL
- Blockchain for Lean Systems
- Hands-on demos, including DMAIC.app and a Lean Activity classroom game
The speaker lineup includes David Hutchins (2025 Deming Medal recipient), Jiju Antony, Dr. Mihaela Porojan of the Motherson Group, and Rod Morgan of RPM Training Academy Canada, alongside a long list of Master Black Belts, consultants, and academics from across Europe, North America, and beyond.
Day 3: touring Volkswagen’s Bratislava plant
Here’s the part we’re most excited about. Day 3 opens with a short bus ride out to Volkswagen Slovakia’s Bratislava plant for a guided tour, followed by lunch, an afternoon sightseeing tour of the city, and a closing happy hour.
Out of everything on the schedule, the workshops and the Volkswagen factory visit are what we’re most looking forward to. Site visits like this are genuinely rare at Lean Six Sigma conferences — most events keep you in a conference room for three straight days. Walking an actual automotive production floor and seeing these principles applied at scale is a different kind of learning than any slide deck can offer.
Why this is worth noting
Zooming out a bit: in the Lean Six Sigma certification world, ASQ and ILSSI are really the two bodies that consistently invest in conferences and community — regular events, active partner networks, and real opportunities to meet other practitioners face to face. IASSC and CSSC, by comparison, don’t run anything comparable on the conference or community side. If in-person learning and networking matter to you as much as the credential itself, that’s worth factoring into which certification path you invest in.
The essentials
- Dates: September 8–10, 2026 (welcome event September 7)
- Location: Faculty of Management, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Format: In-person only, not livestreamed
- Tickets & group rates: Available on ILSSI’s site; group discounts for teams attending together — contact conference@iLSSi.org
Source: ILSSI Conference 2026 Bratislava