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.

This year marks the 25th edition of Safetronic, proving that the topic of safety is best addressed within a community of experts. Here, those who consistently set the course for greater road safety have been able to – and continue to – have detailed discussions. A brief look back at a success story.

Dr. Thomas Wiltschko, Manager for Safety of ADAS and AD at Mercedes-Benz AG, is a member of the Safetronic Program Committee, the international conference for the holistic safety of road vehicles. As an internationally recognized expert on ISO 26262 and ISO/TS 5083, he explains in the interview why the interplay of safety standards is essential for a holistic assessment and what opportunities the use of artificial intelligence opens up for the development of safe driver assistance systems.

Since this year, Moritz Schneider has been a member of the program committee for Safetronic, the international conference on the holistic safety of road vehicles. In this interview, the functional safety expert at the BMW Group discusses his motivation and explains why safety is more than just a technical objective.

Holistic safety for road vehicles is the focus of the annual Safetronic conference (November 12–13, 2025, in Leinfelden-Echterdingen). In a video discussion, Fraunhofer IKS Director Prof. Dr. Mario Trapp and Program comittee member Hans-Leo Ross, CARIAD, talk about the future of mobility.

The safety of a product, i.e., not causing harm, is a crucial property for its persistent success on the market and avoidance of legal risks for the manufacturer. However, since perfect safety is typically not achievable, the question what defines acceptable safety and what defines acceptable risks, i.e., risk acceptance criteria (RAC), arises.

Delphine Kervarec-Vicq, Product Safety Director at Valeo, is a new member of the program committee for Safetronic, the international conference on holistic safety for road vehicles. In an interview with Safe Intelligence online magazine, she talks about her motivation for joining the committee and explains the importance of safety for automated driving.

Not only management consultancies, but also other strategic players see the increasing importance of Remote Driving Systems (RDS) for the transportation of the future. But is the concept safe enough? An extensive two-year operation without safety drivers has confirmed the technical feasibility and safety of RDS. And not only that: a comprehensive training framework for Remote Drivers has demonstrably improved performance and safety.

In the run-up to the 2026 anniversary, this year's Safetronic will once again present itself with strong topics and exciting presentations. And that's not all: the international symposium for the holistic safety of road vehicles is the annual industry get-together for safety experts from the automotive and supplier industry and related sectors.

For Safetronic 2025, we were able to gain two new members of the program committee. One of them is Edith Holland, Chief Engineer Functional Safety at the vehicle engineering, test and development consultancy HORIBA MIRA. She spoke to Safe Intelligence online magazine about her motivation and the importance of safety for road vehicles now and in future.