Blackouts in the power grid, self-driving cars and virtual rail power plants - these topics were the focus of the Smart Systems Conference 2025. Over 70 experts gathered at DASA Dortmund on November 19 and 20, 2025 at the invitation of Fachhochschule Dortmund to discuss sustainable technologies. The guiding theme "A sustainable future only with smart technologies" reflected the urgency of the topic.
The program included 20 presentations and two panel discussions. For the first time, the conference focused on sustainable mobility solutions in connection with AI and XR. Representatives from companies, research institutions and universities discussed current developments and future prospects.
Professors, staff and students from Fachhochschule Dortmund played a key role in shaping the event. They contributed with specialist lectures, demonstrators and project presentations. Students also took on organizational and technical tasks.
University presents breadth of research
Among the highlights were the keynote speeches by Dr. Michael Fette (Fette - Competence in Energy GmbH) and Prof. Dr. Johannes Weyer (Technical University of Dortmund). Dr. Fette analyzed possible causes of blackouts in the European energy grid and sparked a debate on the resilience of energy infrastructures. Prof. Dr. Weyer shed light on the acceptance of new mobility options and their potential for CO₂ reduction.
Posters and live demonstrations showcased the university's research activities. Presentations included DirectGreenEnergy4Trains, a virtual traction power plant for the direct feed-in of renewable energy, and MonaQu, a project on mobility concepts for sustainable neighborhoods.
The live demos included an urban digital twin with real-time traffic and parking data as well as VR and AR-supported robotics applications for teaching and research.
"The intensive discussions and the outstanding expertise of our participants clearly showed how important interdisciplinary exchange is for sustainable technological developments," explained Prof. Dr. Hugues Tchouankem, lecturer at the Faculty of Information Technology at Fachhochschule Dortmund. He chaired the conference together with Prof. Dr. Ingo Kunold, also from the Faculty of Information Technology.
Continuation in 2026
The sponsoring organization Fachhochschule Dortmund supported the event financially. A Smart Systems Conference is to be held in Dortmund again next year. To this end, cooperation with companies is to be intensified.
Interested parties can send an e-mail to infosmart-systems-conferencede to be informed about the next conference.