On May 4, 2026, the COMET K1 Center Pro²Future hosted its 4th Scientific Symposium on Cognitive and Sustainable Products and Production Systems of the Future at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. The event was hosted by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alois Ferscha, Scientific Director of the Center, and DI Gerd Hribernig, CEO of Pro²Future GmbH, and moderated by Zahra Niazibaei. It offered guests on site and participants via Zoom a platform for interdisciplinary exchange on current developments in the fields of cognition, sustainability and digitalization in production.
The symposium was opened by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alois Ferscha with a framing keynote speech on the topic of Physical AI – The next Generation of AI, which highlighted the role of Physical AI as the next step beyond today’s generative AI systems.
The highlights of the symposium were the two keynote speeches.
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Michele Magno (ETH Zürich, IT:U) presented his keynote Physical AI: Bringing Real-Time Intelligence to the Physical World, exploring how AI is leaving the cloud behind and embedding itself directly into physical systems. The next generation of AI will be defined not by model size, but by efficiency, autonomy and real-world intelligence at the edge.
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sebastian Schlund (TU Wien, Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH) held a keynote on From Ambition to Implementation: Advancing Circular and Sustainable Industry. He was taking an honest look at why circular economy goals are so hard to turn into industrial practice. Based on data from Austrian and European industry, he identified key barriers and showed what real progress could look like.
In discussions, the participants were able to ask questions and contribute their perspectives on the topics of Physical AI and Sustainability in Industry. The symposium not only offered new impulses, but also space for personal exchange.
Finally, DI Gerd Hribernig talked about the upcoming 10-year anniversary of Pro²Future.
Thank you for all those who were joining us physically and virtually!
Relevant links (Recording, Presentations, …) of the event can be found here.
