The workshop was organized by the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST) at the end of January 2026 in collaboration with the companies Boltzplatz and Plasmasolve. Nearly 60 participants from twelve countries came to Braunschweig to attend.
The first day of the workshop showed how simulation-based approaches are already contributing to the optimization of industrial processes today. Speakers from universities, industry, and research institutions highlighted topics such as data-integrated modeling, digital twins for thin-film processes, simulation-based optimization of industrial coating systems, and the use of simulation tools in real development environments. On behalf of Fraunhofer IST, Dr. Dennis Barton presented how simulation-based models can be used to realistically map industrial sputtering processes and how digital twins can be used to optimize coating systems.
The second day of the workshop focused on practical applications. Participants were able to try out simulation software in live demonstrations and hands-on sessions. Among other things, open-source plasma simulation tools, software platforms for simulation, data mining, and machine learning, as well as frameworks for layer profile prediction were presented.