Unicode Technology Workshop 2026

How do you search for a flamingo emoji in your language? How does software know how to sort names, display bidirectional text, handle different calendars, or convert currencies? These are the kinds of everyday digital experiences made possible by Unicode—technology most of us use constantly without ever noticing.

From October 20–23, 2026, the Unicode Consortium will bring the Unicode Technology Workshop (UTW 2026) to Nancy, France. Under the theme Unicode in the World, the four-day event brings together engineers, localization specialists, type designers, researchers, UX professionals, and language technology experts to explore the systems behind global digital communication.

After three successful editions in Silicon Valley, UTW is returning to Europe for the first time in nearly two decades. Located around 90 minutes from Paris, Nancy offers a fitting setting for an event at the intersection of technology, design, language, and culture. The program will include two days of hands-on tutorials followed by two days of talks, case studies, lightning talks, and panel discussions.

UTW 2026 is aimed at anyone working with internationalization, localization, typography, multilingual UX, writing systems, or digital language preservation. It is also a chance to connect communities that do not always get to meet—from Europe and North America to Africa and APAC.

AI will naturally be part of the conversation. How can it support internationalization, localization, and testing? What can be automated, and what still requires human expertise? UTW offers a space to discuss these questions alongside the standards and technologies that have been enabling global computing for decades.

Beyond the program, attendees can expect an exhibition hall, meet-ups, speed networking, social events, and a special exhibition celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Missing Scripts program, highlighting work in type design, script digitization, and language technology.

And then there is Nancy itself: a city shaped by Art Nouveau, architecture, design, and research. The Place Stanislas, Musée de l’École de Nancy, Maison de Jean Prouvé, and the surrounding cultural landscape make it an especially appropriate destination for a gathering focused on the relationship between technology and the written word.

Unicode Technology Workshop 2026

When?
October 20–23, 2026

Where?
Campus Artem – main event venue
94 - 86 Rue Sergent Blandan,
54000 Nancy
France

Full program here.
Register here.
Registration is available for the tutorial days, the session days, or the full four-day event.