Outline Programme

AVIONICS TRACK

Latest in Regulations and Mandates
As Europe implements the SES2+ regulation and the new set of EASA‑led interoperability rules, manufacturers and ANSPs face deadlines for certifying equipment, aligning to harmonised performance requirements, and integrating emerging technologies such as drones and eVTOLs. SESAR 3 is central to delivering the Digital European Sky, with efforts to advance automation, AI integration and virtualised ATM services. Aligning system architectures to new conformity standards is critical. Meanwhile, evolving U-space, drone, and eVTOL regulations demand parallel adaptation across airspace users and infrastructure providers. What are the latest updates on regulations and mandates that will impact the development and deployment of new technologies and systems?

Modernizing CNS: Bridging Technology and Stakeholder Needs in Evolving Airspace
The evolution of Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) systems is essential for Trajectory Based Operations (TBO) and broad adoption of 4D Trajectories. Modern airspace operations rely on secure, resilient, real time data exchange using ADS B, Mode S, VHF, SATCOM, and scalable digital architectures to support rising traffic and new unmanned systems. At the same time, GNSS jamming and spoofing threaten navigation integrity. This session examines how advanced digital CNS capabilities—multi constellation navigation, interference detection and mitigation, APNT solutions, and robust PNT architectures—integrated with 5G/6G and LEO/GEO satellites can strengthen resilience, ensure safety, and enable future data driven airspace management.

Cybersecurity in Connectivity and the Cockpit
Cybersecurity in aviation faces critical challenges including GNSS vulnerabilities such as jamming, spoofing, and interference, compounded by increasing connectivity. Avionics systems are increasingly networked and the integration of Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs), often consumer devices like iPads, introduces risks of data manipulation through two-way gateways to the flight deck. Maintenance tools and cabin systems pose additional threats if uncertified, risking malware introduction. Emerging 5G interference challenges demand resilient aircraft systems. New regulatory focus, such as CAA NIS-D, emphasizes data integrity alongside availability, mandating comprehensive cyber risk management. Protecting end-to-end data integrity, akin to navigation database standards (DO-200/ED-76), and DO-326A/ED200-2A compliance is essential to prevent upstream contamination, aviation systems security and ensuring safety.

AI/ML and Autonomy in Avionics
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are increasingly integrated into avionics systems and safety-critical environments to enhance capabilities. AI/ML is being used at the aircraft, not just in it, including sensor fusion, target recognition, predictive maintenance, flight control, adaptive mission systems, and autonomous UAVs. EUROCAE WG-114 is formalizing the first AI-specific aviation standard (target release: mid-2026) to support regulatory alignment. WG-132 is concurrently developing joint guidance with SAE for ML-enabled automated aircraft inspections using UAS and robotics. How can AI continue to develop to assist avionics technology developments? How do we develop AI/ML and usage standards, ensuring ED-12C/DO-178C and ED-215/DO-330 compliance, when there is a lack of data?

Obsolescence management – Legacy Systems & Fleet Modernization
Managing obsolescence in aerospace involves extending the life of 1st/2nd generation systems, often without full documentation or original engineers. Legacy avionics remain common, but retrofitting them to meet modern standards is complex and costly. Integration of new hardware/software with outdated architectures requires deep understanding of original design rationale. Key technical challenges include sourcing end-of-life components, mitigating the risk of counterfeit parts, and maintaining or refactoring legacy codebases. How do we retain engineers with domain expertise in legacy systems and manage compliance and safe system modernization.

Human‑Machine Teaming
As AI, automation, and virtual systems transform flight decks, the relationship between pilots and machines is being redefined. We explore the evolution from traditional interfaces and autopilots to true human–machine teaming, where the pilot remains central “in the loop.” How can intelligent systems generate and communicate scenarios, assist decision-making, and how emerging technologies—such as AR-enabled displays, adaptive interfaces, and virtual copilots— can enhance pilot performance and trust. It will also look at the balance between innovation, human factors, and regulatory constraints to ensure safety and usability remain at the core of next-generation cockpit design.

TESTING TRACK

AI and ML in Testing
AI and ML are emerging in aerospace and avionics, raising complex testing and certification challenges, presenting significant verification and validation challenges. AI use cases are broadly categorized into narrow/specialized AI (e.g., object detection) and generative models, which pose greater unpredictability due to non-deterministic outputs. Current architectures favour non-safety-critical, passive AI/ML systems operating in parallel with primary avionics functions—supporting anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and decision support. In light of limited data availability, what methods are most appropriate for testing and validating? How do you approach verification and validation of non-deterministic AI systems within the constraints of deterministic safety standards like ED-324/DO-178C? Where will EUROCAE technical standards (WG114) support the development of systems and the certification of aeronautical systems implementing AI-technologies?

Model-Driven Testing and Certification: Digital Twins, Tools, and Languages for Next-Gen Avionics
Advanced avionics systems demand a shift in how we test and certify software. This session explores the rise of model-driven approaches—spanning digital twins, simulation, and model-based testing—alongside emerging tools and languages like Rust and CHERI. These technologies promise improved scalability, security, and assurance, but also raise new challenges for validation and certification. How can simulation, virtualization, and automation shape the verification processes, and how are standards like ED-12C/DO-178C and ED-215/DO-330 adapting to support tool qualification and digital validation? How do we validate digital models? What qualifies as a certifiable toolchain? This session explores the convergence of advanced testing technologies and modern certification frameworks.

Panel Discussion: Meeting Certification Standards – Barrier to Entry?
While certification standards safeguard safety and reliability, their rigidity and escalating costs may deter innovation and small-market participation. Inconsistencies across commercial, military, VTOL, and UAV certification frameworks further complicate compliance. Limited data sharing also hinders assurance for advanced cockpit systems, as more tech is introduced to support the pilot. In the wake of the 737 MAX crisis, stricter oversight—such as CS-25 Amendment 28 and EASA’s conservative stance—has intensified regulatory caution. This panel discussion explores whether adopting DER-like delegated authority frameworks or reverting to simpler, lower-complexity technologies could streamline certification, reduce cost and time, and help sustain innovation without compromising safety, or whether regulators are hindering the industry by over protection.

Validation and Certification Challenges in Complex Aerospace Systems: From Mixed-Critical Architectures to Fit-to-Fly Testing
The drive to reduce SWaP (Size, Weith and Power) through integrating mixed-critical functions on shared architectures demands rigorous testing of fault, time, and space isolation between safety-critical and non-critical partitions, including worst-case execution and interference scenarios in compliance with EASA CS-25 and ARINC 653. Concurrently, VTOL and UAV platforms require system-level validation of performance, autonomy, and safety functions within controlled sandbox environments. EUROCAE WG-112’s “fit to fly” criteria guide certification efforts, addressing airworthiness, flight dynamics and system integration, for these new aircraft types. This session explores how evolving standards and advanced testing strategies ensure robust, certifiable systems operating safely in complex aerospace environments.

Cybersecurity in the Testing Environment
Cybersecurity requirements are now integral to the verification and validation (V&V) process for avionics and embedded systems, driven by mandatory compliance with DO-326A / ED-202A series under EASA Part 21 and FAA Special Conditions for connected systems. With increased network exposure (e.g., ACARS, ADS-B, SWIM, onboard Wi-Fi), system-level cybersecurity testing is prioritized alongside traditional safety assessments. Key activities such as threat modeling, penetration testing, secure boot validation, and verification of isolation in mixed-criticality environments provide unique challenges. How does the industry focus on tooling and methodologies that support combined safety and security certification—positioning cybersecurity as a top priority?

Environmental Testing
Environmental testing ensures avionics systems perform reliably under diverse operational conditions. Methods such as signal integrity, functional, modular, and simulation testing help identify failures early by validating system behaviour under stress, isolation, and real-world scenarios—including faults and extreme environments, such as extreme temperatures, humidity, and pressure. These tests are critical for safety and cost-effective development. EUROCAE WG-14 is updating ED-14G to ED-14H / DO-160, revising environmental categories, test procedures, and guidance to reflect modern technologies and expanded use cases, including UAS ground stations. Alignment with RTCA standards and updated guidance (ED-234A) will reshape qualification strategies, requiring teams to revise compliance approaches. 

FACE DAY TRACK

FACE Standards and Global Alignment
As aviation systems adopt open architectures, aligning the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) with NATO and other international standards is essential to achieving global interoperability. This session explores how the FACE Consortium—now an international community—is promoting a common approach to software portability and integration while encouraging broader international engagement in standards development and alignment. Discussion will focus on how FACE aligns with related initiatives such as MOSA and SOSA, and how collaborative efforts among governments, industry, and regulators are shaping the next generation of open standards—driving consistency, reuse, and accelerated capability delivery across allied airborne and mission systems.

Open & Modular Architectures
Avionics is shifting from monolithic systems to open, modular architectures guided by the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) standard. FACE defines common interfaces and data models to enable software portability, reuse, and faster integration across airborne platforms—principles now embedded in UK programmes such as PYRAMID and Team Tempest. While shared compute and software-defined functionality increase flexibility, they also raise challenges in interface control, integration testing, and verification across heterogeneous processors (GPUs, FPGAs, AI accelerators). Emerging technologies like Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and FACE I/O Services support deterministic, certifiable communications. This session examines how adopting FACE-aligned open standards delivers technical interoperability, reduced lifecycle cost, and accelerated capability delivery for both industry and government programmes.

Data Modelling for Faster Integration: The FACE Approach
Open architectures and emerging technologies are reshaping how avionics systems are integrated. Within the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE), data modelling—through the Open Universal Domain Description Language (Open UDDL)—provides a common, extensible method for defining and exchanging data. By eliminating ambiguity and supporting model-based engineering, Open UDDL accelerates integration and enables greater reuse of COTS and software components. This session explores how FACE data modelling improves interoperability, speeds capability delivery, and aligns with advances in AI-driven data analysis and system management—ensuring integration is faster, more reliable, and adaptable across next-generation airborne and mission systems.

MULTICORE DAY TRACK

Standards, Regulations and Mitigation Challenges for Multicore
Multicore processors are key to the future of avionics, offering greater performance, reduced SWaP, and support for advanced real-time applications. This session will provide an overview of the certification landscape shaping multicore avionics systems. Gain clarity on evolving standards—DO-178C, DO-254, CAST-32A, and AMC 20-193—and their impact on safety, determinism, and interference mitigation. The discussion aims to highlight regulatory expectations, risk management approaches, and compliance strategies critical to delivering certifiable multicore solutions. Understand the challenges for standards bodies, certification tools, regulators and the supply chain shaping the future of multicore avionics compliance.

The Roadmap for Multicore Hardware
The multicore hardware roadmap focuses on delivering deterministic, safety-certifiable processors that meet escalating performance requirements without sacrificing reliability. Hardware designers must implement robust spatial and temporal isolation, minimize core and shared resource interference, and comply with DO-254, CAST-32A, and AMC 20-193 standards. Critical questions remain: Is current hardware sufficiently mature for safety-critical certification? How are suppliers ensuring long-term availability, configurability, and comprehensive toolchain support? What future and upcoming technologies can provide complete or partial solutions to these challenges? As performance demands grow and costs rise, can hardware innovation keep pace with the avionics industry’s stringent needs for predictability, traceability, and certifiability?

Architecture and Software Development and Certification
Most software development complies with standards like DO-178C and AMC 20-193, prioritizing determinism, partitioning, and interference mitigation. How can hardware-software co-design enable robust scheduling, partitioning, and interference management, ensuring deterministic system behaviour. Furthermore, what does verification and certification truly entail for multicore avionics platforms, considering the complex interplay between hardware and software in safety-critical environments?