22nd International IEEE Conference on Factory Communication Systems (WFCS 2026)

The digital revolution is fundamentally transforming cities and industries: intelligent sensors, big data and AI are optimizing traffic flows, energy consumption and production processes. Factories are becoming more autonomous, cities smarter. Decisions are increasingly based on (real-time) data, which significantly improves efficiency, sustainability and quality of life. The future will be data-driven and networked.

As cities and industry increasingly rely on digital technologies, data and AI, data communication networks must be particularly efficient and resilient. They form the backbone of these networked systems and ensure that critical infrastructures such as energy supply, traffic management systems and production facilities remain functional even under difficult conditions. A failure can have far-reaching consequences - from economic damage to threats to public safety. Resilient networks are secure against cyber-attacks, natural disasters and technical defects by enabling redundancy, self-healing and rapid recovery. Only robust communication structures can make the digital transformation secure, reliable and sustainable - and ensure long-term trust in smart technologies.

In this keynote, Dr. Bosbach will explain with the use-case of smart metering, which requirements such resilient communication networks have to meet. He will also give an insight on the impact of the digital revolution on companies, and how they try to cope with these challenges. Solutions include technological advances, profound and steady modernization of organizations, and collaboration with market partners.