ZVO Surface Technology Days 2026 in Karlsruhe
This year, the ZVO Surface Days #OTKarlsruhe26 will take place for the first time in the fully modernised Stadthalle in Karlsruhe: from 16 to 18 September 2026, participants can look forward to an extensive programme of talks on current industry topics, as well as an accompanying trade exhibition featuring 70 exhibitors. Online registration will open on 15 April 2026.
Five-track lecture programme with 95 presentations
This year’s congress programme features 95 presentations covering key areas such as fire safety in electroplating and coating companies, securing primary and critical raw materials, energy (systems) of the future, new business areas for surface technology (including B2C), digitalisation in surface technology, AI in surface technology, automation opportunities in electroplating/coating companies, hydrogen: the future for surface technology, real-world damage cases and damage analysis for fault prevention and cost reduction.
The congress programme is rounded off by presentations from the recurring areas of circularity, recycling and the circular economy in surface technology, the ‘Management meets Surface’ business forum, bath and/or surface analysis, Research findings – reports from young colleagues, cathodic corrosion protection, functional coatings, new requirements for electroplating and surface technology, from process monitoring to product quality, and future topics in surface technology.
Under the heading “Women in Surface Technology: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects”, Female SurFaces, the ZVO’s women’s network, will once again be participating with a session. The same applies to the established consultation hour organised by the ZVO’s Environment and Chemicals Policy Department, during which questions regarding European and national environmental and chemicals policy will be answered.
Congress tickets (individual or group bookings) can be booked via our online registration portal. The registration deadline is Monday, 14 September 2026, 13:00. After this, registration will only be possible on-site.
AI workshop complements the conference programme
On Thursday, 17 September 2026, a workshop on the topic “AI Compass for SMEs: Identifying My Relevant Use Cases” will take place, led by this year’s keynote speaker Torsten Koerting. The workshop combines the inspiration from the previous evening with concrete actionable insights. Participants will leave the room with a personal roadmap: Which AI use cases are relevant to my business – and which are not?
Programme and methodology:
• Brief review and context: What has emerged overnight? What questions have arisen? Linking back to the keynote and moving into greater depth.
- The AI Compass – a simple framework: What AI use cases actually exist? Categorisation into three groups: ‘Not relevant to me’, ‘I should
keep an eye on”, “I need to tackle this now.”
• Interactive work: Participants assess their own context: as a managing director, as a manager, as a subject matter expert – where is my greatest leverage? Discussion in small groups.
• My next step: Each participant formulates a specific action they can implement upon returning to their organisation. Not a 50-page strategy paper, but a single sentence, a single action.
The workshop bridges the gap between “I understand that AI is important” and “I now know where to start”, thereby laying the foundation for the subject-specific AI sessions in the rest of the conference programme.
The workshop is limited to a maximum of 80 people (admission control!) and can be booked via online registration with a separate ticket.