escar Europe 2026: final program for Bonn

Three keynotes, two workshops, Bash Rooms and a social program: the 24th escar Europe takes place on 17 and 18 November 2026 at the Kameha Grand Bonn and online.

In two weeks, the international automotive cybersecurity community meets for the 24th escar Europe. The conference takes place on 17 and 18 November 2026 at the Kameha Grand Bonn, with the option to join online. The program is now complete, with three keynotes, two workshops and an exhibition of leading technology providers.

Bochum/Bonn, November 4, 2026. Since 2003, escar Europe has brought together OEMs, suppliers, researchers and public authorities to discuss the security of connected vehicles. This year’s edition focuses on the questions currently shaping the work of security teams, from compliance with UNECE R155 and ISO/SAE 21434 to the use of artificial intelligence in safety-critical systems.

What the conference covers
The program combines peer-reviewed research with reports from industrial practice. Many contributions deal with the day-to-day challenges of security teams, such as meeting the requirements of UNECE R155 or securing software-defined vehicles throughout their lifecycle. Other sessions look further ahead, for example at how post-quantum cryptography can be introduced into automotive systems. Speakers come from manufacturers, suppliers and research institutions across Europe, North America and Asia.

Conference schedule
escar Europe 2026 opens on Monday, 16 November, with the get-together at the Kameha Grand Bonn. The main program starts on Tuesday, 17 November, with technical sessions, keynotes and two workshops. The workshops are free of charge for on-site attendees, but places are limited and must be booked together with the conference ticket. On Wednesday, 18 November, the program continues with further sessions.

Keynotes
Three keynotes frame this year’s program.

Prof. Muhammad Bilal Zafar, Chair of AI and Society at Ruhr University Bochum, opens the discussion on whether the results of large language models can be trusted in security-critical applications. His keynote “On the Trustworthiness of LLMs” takes place on Tuesday, 17 November, at 1:15 p.m.

Prof. Olaf Landsiedel of Hamburg University of Technology speaks on “From Static Models to Adaptive Intelligence: AI for the Next Generation of Autonomous Vehicles”.

Faye Francy, Executive Director of the Auto-ISAC, presents “Beyond Compliance: Building Global Automotive Cyber Resilience Through Collaboration”. She explains why meeting regulations is only a baseline and how information sharing and international partnerships help the industry respond to attacks more effectively.

Bash Rooms at the Kameha Grand
Between sessions, attendees can drop by the Bash Rooms at the Kameha Grand Bonn. Mini games, quizzes and challenges bring some movement into the conference day and offer a welcome change from the lecture halls. Anyone who likes a bit of competition can challenge colleagues or take on other attendees they have only just met.

Exhibition
Alongside the conference program, technology providers, suppliers and research organisations present their solutions for vehicle security, embedded systems and software-defined vehicles. Exhibitors this year include dissecto, Infineon, Finite State, ETAS, ONEKEY, Synopsys and Arteris. The exhibition is a natural meeting point during the breaks and leaves room for in-depth conversations outside the lecture halls.

Social program
The evening before the conference, escar invites all attendees to the get-together at the Kameha Grand Bonn. It starts on Monday, 16 November, at 6 p.m. with a welcome drink and is a good opportunity to meet other participants before the sessions begin.

On Tuesday, 17 November, the first conference day ends with the conference dinner at the Rohmühle, a restaurant right next to the Kameha Grand. From 7 p.m., attendees and speakers come together for dinner and conversation in a relaxed setting.

Why attending is worth it
The automotive industry is under economic pressure, and many companies are reviewing travel budgets more closely than in previous years. The requirements for the security of connected vehicles keep rising all the same. When resources are limited, it matters even more to know which measures work in practice and how other manufacturers and suppliers are meeting regulatory requirements.

Much of what makes escar valuable happens between the sessions, at the get-together, in the exhibition or over dinner. These personal encounters cannot be replaced by an online format, which is why we encourage everyone who can travel to come to Bonn.

For those who cannot get travel approval this year, escar Europe 2026 is also available as a virtual conference. All presentations and discussions are streamed live, and the event platform allows virtual attendees to connect with other participants. Workshops and evening events are reserved for on-site attendees.

Secure one of the last tickets now
With less than two weeks to go, only a few tickets remain. Secure yours now and join us in Bonn, or follow the conference online.

Program, workshops and tickets: https://escar.info/escar-europe

Frequently asked questions

When and where does escar Europe 2026 take place? 
On 17 and 18 November 2026 at the Kameha Grand Bonn, Germany. The get-together starts on 16 November at 6 p.m. Online participation via live stream is also possible.

Who are the keynote speakers? 
Prof. Muhammad Bilal Zafar (Ruhr University Bochum), Prof. Olaf Landsiedel (Hamburg University of Technology) and Faye Francy (Auto-ISAC).

Are the workshops included in the ticket? 
Yes, for on-site attendees. Places are limited and must be reserved when booking the ticket.

What is part of the social program? 
The get-together on 16 November at the Kameha Grand Bonn and the conference dinner on 17 November at the Rohmühle. Both are reserved for on-site attendees.

Who is escar Europe for? 
Professionals in automotive cybersecurity, including security engineers, CSMS and compliance managers, penetration testers, system architects and researchers from OEMs, suppliers, academia and public authorities.

Who organises escar Europe? 
isits AG International School of IT Security, which founded the conference in 2003.

About escar escar (Embedded Security in Cars) was founded in Germany in 2003 and has grown into a leading international conference series on automotive cybersecurity, with events in Europe, the USA and Asia. It provides a forum for industry, academia and government to exchange knowledge on threats, vulnerabilities and countermeasures in connected vehicles.

Die isits AG International School of IT Security wurde im Jahr 2001 gegründet und zählt heute zu den führenden Weiterbildungs- und Konferenzanbietern im Umfeld der IT-Sicherheit und Informationssicherheit. Unser Angebot richtet sich an Unternehmen, Organisationen und Privatpersonen.

Seit Jahren arbeitet die isits AG erfolgreich mit der Ruhr-Universität Bochum und dem Horst Görtz Institut zusammen und ist anerkannter Seminaranbieter der Zertifizierungsstelle PersCert TÜV. Alle Dozent/innen und Referent/innen der isits AG sind ausgewiesene Experten auf ihrem Fachgebiet und in der Praxis gefragte Berater für Informationssicherheit und IT-Sicherheit.

Company-Contact
International School of IT Security
Birgitte Baardseth
Huestr. 30
44787 Bochum
Phone: + 49 234 92 7898-14
E-Mail:
Url: https://www.is-its.org/

Press
International School of IT Security
Carolin Feth
Huestr. 30
44787 Bochum
Phone: + 49 234 92 7898-14
E-Mail:
Url: https://www.is-its.org/

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