25 years and still going strong: For me, having followed the development of Safetronic since its inception in 2001, it is particularly evident how closely the conference topics were – and still are – linked to the industry’s current challenges.
September 28, 2026
© Fraunhofer IKS
For the program committee and the safety community, Safetronic’s 25th anniversary symbolizes how the requirements for road vehicle safety have changed over the past quarter-century – from functional safety to holistic safety concepts for highly automated and AI-supported systems.
Over the years, Safetronic’s significance as an international conference for safety professionals and as a platform for exchange has grown steadily: While there were about 50 participants in 2001, the conference has since become a gathering place for up to 170 safety professionals.
It all began in 2001, when Carl Hanser Verlag launched an event focused on functional safety in the automotive sector. Ten years later, Prof. Dr. Mario Trapp assumed the role of chairman of the conference. A program committee was established, bringing together experts from the automotive and rail sectors.
In 2012, the organizers shifted their focus exclusively to the automotive sector to advance the practical application of the global safety standard ISO 26262. The following year, Safetronic took further important steps:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Safetronic was able to continue in an online format, allowing the community to maintain a continuous exchange even under restrictive conditions – though only virtually.In 2021, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS assumed full responsibility from Carl Hanser Verlag to continue ensuring high program quality, with minimal product marketing and complete independence from manufacturers. The program committee supported this decision and actively supported the first Safetronic under new leadership in November 2021. At the suggestion of the committee and the participants, the focus shifted from functional safety to the holistic safety of road vehicles.
What has remained is commitment to excellence. Program quality is the top priority. This is particularly evident in the support provided to speakers, ensuring that participants can take away interesting best-practice reports and innovative approaches from OEMs, the supplier industry, and startups. The program committee and many participants view the annual conference as a gathering of the safety community that remains open to new faces and ideas. More than a third of the participants attend Safetronic regularly.
In December, I worked with the program committee to evaluate feedback from the 2025 participants. These suggestions are extremely important, as they contribute to the continuous improvement of the conference and help identify relevant and current topics for those interested in safety.
It is precisely this editorial and technical discussion within the program committee that serves as a crucial quality filter: It ensures that not only are current trends highlighted, but – above all – presentations are selected that offer the community specific insights, reliable experience, and new ways of thinking.
Facts about the anniversary conference:
Preparations for 2026 began in March with the call for papers and initial considerations regarding keynote speakers. Since 2024, we have seen a significant increase in paper submissions. The number of submissions was once again significantly exceeded in our anniversary year – not only in terms of quantity, with nearly 60 papers, but also in terms of quality. The high number and quality of the submissions demonstrate how dynamically this field is evolving. For the program committee, this meant a particularly challenging selection process – with the goal of putting together a program that reflects both the current state of practice and new perspectives. I have the impression that the committee has never found the decision-making process so difficult.
This year’s conference program includes two keynote speeches, two interactive sessions, and twelve presentations. The main topics are autonomous driving & SOTIF, safety methods, and AI in vehicles.
Due to the large number of highly interesting submissions, the program committee conducted a second review and selected additional papers for an free online pre-event. The addition of an online pre-event is therefore not merely an organizational supplement but adds substantive value: it provides a platform for further exciting topics, and interested parties were able to familiarize themselves with key focal points of the anniversary year even before the conference.
Safetronic -International Conference on Holistic Safety for Road Vehicles
November 18 and 19, 2026
Stuttgart | Filderhalle Leinfelden-Echterdingen
For program information: Program
To register: Registration
At the end of June, there was a moment of shock when I heard about a fire at the Filderhalle. Fortunately, no one was injured. And even though the planned conference hall and break area were affected by the fire, we can move to other spaces within the Filderhalle and hold our sessions in the usual professional atmosphere.
A personal note to conclude:
I’m very much looking forward to Safetronic’s “silver anniversary” – to seeing familiar and new faces, to in-person discussions, and to the exchange of ideas that has defined this conference for 25 years. When participants say their goodbyes at the end with “hopefully see you next year,” that’s the best confirmation for me: Safetronic isn’t just a conference format, but a vibrant gathering place for the safety community.
