About

Future-IoT – IoT meets … is a German-French doctoral school series that brings together outstanding PhD students, researchers, industry experts, and innovators to explore the technologies shaping our connected future.

IoT meets AI, 2019 in Munich

Founded in 2018 by Marc-Oliver Pahl (then at the Technical University of Munich, now at IMT Atlantique) and Nicolas Montavont (IMT Atlantique), Future-IoT has grown into one of the flagship doctoral training events of the German-French ecosystem for digital technologies. Since 2019, the series has been led and continuously developed by Marc-Oliver Pahl, who established the distinctive Future-IoT format and transformed the school into a highly interactive, industry-connected, and community-driven experience. Today, the school is co-organized by Marc-Oliver Pahl (IMT Atlantique) and Sebastian Steinhorst (Technical University of Munich).

Future-IoT is organized as a flagship event of the German-French Academy for the Industry of the Future (GFA) and is supported by the Deutsch-Französische Hochschule / Université Franco-Allemande (DFH/UFA). The school alternates between France and Germany, reflecting its mission of strengthening scientific collaboration and innovation across both countries.

What makes Future-IoT unique is its combination of academic excellence, industrial relevance, and immersive learning. Rather than focusing solely on lectures, the school combines visionary keynotes, hands-on workshops, research poster sessions, industrial challenges, hackathons, mentoring, and team-based innovation activities. Throughout an intensive week, participants work closely with leading researchers and industry experts while building lasting international networks.

The event has earned a reputation for its exceptional atmosphere and participant experience. Many attendees describe Future-IoT as one of the highlights of their doctoral journey, and a remarkable number return for multiple editions. The school’s strong community spirit, interdisciplinary perspective, and close interaction with speakers and organizers create an experience that extends far beyond a traditional summer school.

Following the spirit of the German-French Academy for the Industry of the Future, Future-IoT is developed in close collaboration with leading industrial partners including Airbus, ArianeGroup, Atos, AWS, elm.leblanc, Siemens, and many others. These partners contribute keynotes, challenges, mentors, jury members, and practical insights into current industrial innovation and research needs.

Each edition focuses on a different intersection between the Internet of Things and a major technological or societal challenge. Previous editions include:

The Internet of Things connects the digital and physical worlds and is one of the defining technological developments of our time. It creates tremendous opportunities across domains such as manufacturing, transportation, energy, healthcare, communication, and critical infrastructures, while also introducing new technical, security, and societal challenges. Future-IoT explores these opportunities and challenges through the lens of emerging research and industrial practice.

Future-IoT combines an intensive on-site experience with open online participation. Selected parts of the program are streamed live via YouTube and LinkedIn, allowing a broader international audience to engage with the event. Information about upcoming editions, recordings, and registration can be found at school.future-iot.org and in the blog at future-iot.org.