ELISA Project at FOSDEM 2026
2026-01-31 - 2026-02-01
FOSDEM is a free event for software developers to meet, share ideas and collaborate. Every year, thousands of developers of free and open source software from all over the world gather at the event in Brussels.
The ELISA Project Ambassadors will be at FOSDEM 2026, actively participating across the event. They will be giving presentations, joining discussions, and meeting contributors and attendees in various developer rooms throughout the weekend. You can also connect with them at the Linux Foundation Europe stand, where they will be available to talk about ongoing work, community activities, and how to get involved with ELISA.
In addition, Philipp Ahmann, ELISA TSC Chair, Systems and Automotive WG Chair, and Sr. OSS Community Manager at ETAS GmbH (BOSCH), will be giving a talk at FOSDEM 2026. Philipp will also be at the Linux Foundation Europe stand throughout the weekend for anyone who would like to learn more about the ELISA Project, ask technical questions, or discuss collaboration opportunities.
From the TSC, Kate Stewart (VP, Dependable Embedded Systems, The Linux Foundation) and Nicole Pappler (Senior Safety Expert & Founder at AlektoMetis.com) will also be at FOSDEM.

Session Highlight:
Code, Compliance, and Confusion: Open Source in Safety-Critical Products
The integration of Open Source Software (OSS) in functionally safe systems represents a critical intersection of innovation and compliance requirements across multiple industries. This talk examines two complementary aspects of this evolving landscape: the current state of OSS in functional safety applications and the persistent barriers hindering wider adoption.
2024/2025 have marked significant acceleration in the visibility and adoption of OSS in safety-critical environments, with diverse projects demonstrating varying levels of maturity. Foundation-backed initiatives like the ELISA project within the Linux Foundation are establishing frameworks for Linux in safety applications, while specialized operating systems such as Zephyr and Xen continue to gain traction. The Eclipse Foundation’s Safe Open Vehicle Core (S-Core) project represents another significant advancement, aiming to create a common certifiable automotive middleware stack that addresses critical safety requirements. The ecosystem now spans from microkernel solutions like L4Re and seL4 to full-featured platforms, with Linux serving as a prime example of the opportunities and challenges in this space. Infrastructure improvements like the SPDX safety profile address critical aspects of safety documentation in Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs), while safety-certified components like the Ferrocene Rust compiler create new possibilities for language-level safety guarantees.
Despite this progress, substantial barriers impede broader OSS adoption in functionally safe systems. A particularly persistent challenge remains the confusion around terminology and approaches – exemplified by the distinctions between “safety Linux” versus “safe Linux” that illustrate broader issues in how safety responsibility is allocated between OSS components and system-level mitigations. By examining architectural concepts currently implemented in production systems or under development, this talk cuts through marketing rhetoric to provide clear distinctions between approaches across various open source technologies.
The author will address uncertainty around certification pathways, challenges in establishing sufficient evidence for safety arguments, fragmented governance models, and incomplete understanding of OSS development processes among safety assessors.
Attendees will gain practical insights for evaluating safety approaches in OSS-based systems, including key questions to ask when assessing different safety concepts across industries, with particular emphasis on applications where both manufacturers and suppliers are seeking to implement open source software in safety-critical production systems. Learn more.

BoF/Unconference
Safety-Critical Linux: Challenges across industries (Sat, Jan 31 – 12:00pm – 12:55pm)
Linux is being used more often in safety-critical areas like cars, planes, medical devices, robots, and trains. But each industry faces similar challenges when trying to meet safety and certification requirements. This BoF is an open discussion about those real-world problems: timing and determinism, documentation, certification, tooling, and system design. Anyone interested in safety-critical Linux is welcome to join, share experiences, ask questions, and explore where collaboration could help. Learn more.

WG SIG Annual Updates 2026
2026-02-11 07:00 - 09:00, 2026-02-12 07:00 - 09:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join the ELISA Working Group and Special Interest Group Annual Updates on February 11 and 12, 10:00-12:00 EST / 7:00-9:00 PST / 16:00-18:00 CET / 15:00-17:00 UTC when each of the group leads will bring you up to speed on their group’s progress, roadmap, and how you can participate.
The updates will include the following topics:

Look back at major milestone and achievements in 2025
Current focus and activities
What’s coming up in 2026 and areas and opportunities for collaboration
Onboarding resources and how to get involved

The first day begins with a 15-minute overview of ELISA by the Technical Steering Committee Chair, Philipp Ahmann. Each Working Group update will be approximately 20 minutes long followed by a 5 minute Q&A. The second day ends with a 15-minute closing and final thoughts.
Session on February 11 will include updates from speakers/WG leads of the following Working Groups:

15:00-15:15 UTC: ELISA Project Overview (Philipp Ahmann, ETAS)
15:15-15:40 UTC: Open Source Engineering Process (Paul Albertella, Codethink)
15:40-16:05 UTC: Systems and Automotive (Philipp Ahmann, ETAS)
16:05-16:30 UTC: Safety Architecture (Gabriele Paoloni, Red Hat)
16:30-16:55 UTC: Linux Features for Safety-Critical Systems (Alessandro Carminati, Red Hat)

Session on February 12 will include updates from speakers/WG leads of the following the use-case focused Working Groups and SIGs

15:00-15:05 UTC: Welcome back (Philipp Ahmann, ETAS)
15:05-15:30 UTC: Aerospace (Matthew Weber, The Boeing Company)
15:30-15:55 UTC: Space Grade Linux (Ramon Roche, The Linux Foundation)
15:55-16:20 UTC: BASIL & Tools WG evolution (Luigi Pellecchia, Red Hat)
16:20-16:45 UTC: Lighthouse SIG (Philipp Ahmann, ETAS)
16:45-17:00 UTC Closing and final thoughts (Philipp Ahmann, ETAS)

How to Attend: Register here in advance to attend for free. Upon registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the details about joining the sessions. And don’t forget to add the event to your calendar from the confirmation email.
Note: Session schedule is subject to change.

Embedded Linux Conference (ELC) - North America 2026
2026-05-18 - 2026-05-20
Embedded Linux powers everything from automotive and industrial systems to healthcare devices and consumer electronics. As the most widely used open source operating system for embedded computing, Linux is at the heart of innovation across industries.
Embedded Linux Conference (ELC) is the premier technical forum for the embedded Linux community, gathering developers, maintainers, and industry experts for deep technical collaboration, hands-on learning, and knowledge sharing to advance the future of embedded systems.
Who can attend:

Developers & Engineers – Embedded Systems, Kernel & Operating Systems, Device Drivers, IoT, Real-Time & Safety-Critical Systems, Toolchains, and Applications
Architects & Technical Leads – System, Hardware/Software Integration, Platform, and Product Architects shaping embedded solutions
Operations & Deployment – DevOps, QA & Test Engineers, System Administrators, and those managing large-scale or resource-constrained deployments
Community & Leadership – Technical Managers, Project Maintainers, Open Source Program Offices, Community Leaders, and Executive Decision Makers driving embedded strategy
Academic, Media & Other – Professors, Researchers, Students, Analysts, Media, Product Managers, and Business Development professionals exploring embedded Linux and IoT

Why attend LPC?

Learn from Experts: Gain deep technical knowledge from the engineers and maintainers building embedded Linux and related technologies.
Collaborate with Peers: Connect with a diverse community of developers, architects, and product managers solving real-world challenges.
Stay Ahead of the Curve: Discover emerging trends in areas such as real-time Linux, safety and security, power management, AI/ML, and more.

Whether you are a longtime embedded developer, a product architect exploring Linux-based solutions, or a newcomer interested in contributing to the ecosystem, ELC is the place to learn, network, and shape the future of embedded systems.
Dates to remember:

CFP Closes: Monday, February 9 at 1:59 AM CST (UTC-6) / Sunday, February 8 at 11:59 PM PST (UTC -8)
CFP Notifications: Monday, March 9
Schedule Announcement: Tuesday, March 12
Event Dates: Monday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Submit your talk proposal here.
Learn more about the event here.

Open Source Summit - May 18-20, 2026, Minneapolis, Minnesota
2026-05-18 - 2026-05-20
Open Source Summit is the premier event for open source developers and contributors. It’s where maintainers, technologists, and community leaders come together to share knowledge, collaborate on solutions, and push open source projects forward. It’s the home for code, community, and the people driving the future of open source.
Why Attend

Connect with the people shaping open source
Learn from maintainers, developers and community leaders
Discover emerging technologies and practical solutions you can use right away
Collaborate on ideas and code that move projects forward
Grow your skills, your network, and your career

Dates to remember

CFP Closes: Monday, February 9 at 1:59 AM CST (UTC-6) / Sunday, February 8 at 11:59 PM PST (UTC-8)
CFP Notifications: Monday, March 9
Schedule Announcement: Tuesday, March 12
Event Dates: Monday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Learn more about CFP submission
Register for the event here
