WFCS Conference is a success at every layer

From April 21 to 24, the Institute for Reliable Embedded Systems and Communication Electronics (ivESK) at Offenburg University of Applied Sciences is hosting the 22nd edition of the WFCS. ivESK Director Prof. Dr. Axel Sikora welcomed the approximately 80 participants from twelve countries at the official conference opening on Wednesday morning and briefly mentioned the tutorials and demonstrations from the presentation, which had been very well received and sparked interesting discussions. Dr. Stefano Scanzio from the co-organizing Institute of Electronics, Informatics, and Telecommunications (CNR-IEIIT) in Italy then provided an overview of the history of the WFCS, which is supported by the global Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Industrial Electronics Society (IES) and coordinated by the IEEE Technical Committee on Factory Automation (TCFA). Prof. Dr. Thomas Eisele, Vice President for Research and Transfer at Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, introduced the university and the trinational Upper Rhine Metropolitan Region - with its research and economic strengths, as well as its scenic attractions from the Rhine to the Black Forest - to guests from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, Taiwan and the United States.

Noting that the WFCS does not address abstract questions but rather issues critical to tomorrow’s economic success, Thomas Eisele then moved on to the main conference program. The program was opened by the first keynote speaker, Dr. Lena Yoshihara-Lisch. She highlighted how important fail-safe wireless data networks are for smart applications in smart buildings, companies, and cities, as well as for emergency call systems. She chose the reduction of water loss in public sewer networks as an example. To quickly detect small leaks or dripping spots and take proactive action whenever possible, she explained, large amounts of high-quality data collected at high frequency are required. A permanently installed wireless communication network can deliver this in under five minutes, according to the Chief Expert for Innovation Management and Transformation Program Lead at Diehl Metering GmbH. The keynote speaker presented the necessary technologies and then answered questions such as who would manage such a network. Following this, a total of 13 papers on specific aspects of fail-safe wireless data networks were discussed across three sessions.

Following a welcome reception on the first evening, the second day of the conference continued with the second keynote address by Dr. Friedrich Wiemer. The Senior Security Expert for In-Vehicle Communication at Robert Bosch GmbH spoke about data network security in cars—a technology already proven today—and how it could be applied to data networks in factories and other environments. Wiemer explained that the focus today is no longer on protecting the signal, but rather the connection layer, and he presented various technologies that enable the implementation of so-called zero-trust security, which assumes from the outset that no user or device on the network is inherently trustworthy. He demonstrated what can happen without this in a video in which thieves placed a Bluetooth speaker inside a car’s headlight within two minutes and used it to unlock, start, and drive away the vehicle. With the appropriate zero-trust security, however, a single security architecture is sufficient to protect all connection layers and a single profile to connect them, the expert concluded. This was followed by two sessions featuring a total of seven papers, as well as numerous “work in progress” presentations in the form of pitches and scientific posters.

On the evening of the second conference day, participants were invited to a city tour and a gala dinner. And on the final conference day, two more sessions with a total of seven papers were on the program. (Final report to follow)

WFCS Demo Session April 21, 2026

WFCS April 22-24, 2026