May 11, 2026
Dresden Communications Festival 2026 launches international platform for 6G and future technologies
The 6th Dresden Communications Festival and the 11th IEEE 6G Summit Dresden is taking place from May 18 to 21, 2026, and with it, TUD Dresden University of Technology will once again transform into an international hub for research and innovation in 6G and future communication technologies. The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world's largest professional association for engineers, computer scientists, and researchers in fields such as electrical engineering, electronics, and information technology. It has over 400,000 members in more than 160 countries and promotes technological progress.
The Dresden Communications Festival (DCF’26) will put Dresden at the center of international communications research this year. For the sixth time, leading representatives from academia, industry, and politics are gathering to discuss the latest developments in 5G, 6G, and beyond-5G technologies. They aim to provide new impetus for the digital infrastructure of the future.
Dresden, the “beating heart of Silicon Saxony,” is the setting for DCF’26, an event that fosters dialogue, new ideas, and international collaboration. At the Dresden International Congress Center, participants can look forward to lectures, specialized sessions, interactive activities, and an extensive exhibition featuring demonstrations from the research and industrial sectors.
In addition to numerous professional events, this year’s festival will feature the Toast Doctoral Network Meeting, the NI Round Table, the 6G-life General Assembly, and the Industry Advisory Board (IAB) Meeting of 5G++ Lab Germany. DCF'26 will connect perspectives from research, technology development, and industrial applications.
Festival highlight: The IEEE 6G Summit Dresden
A key component of the festival is the 11th IEEE 6G Summit Dresden 2026, which ranks among the most significant international events in the field of future mobile and network technologies. The 6G Summit will take place on May 19 and 20 at the Dresden International Congress Center and will bring together renowned experts from the fields of science, industry, and technology development.
The 6G Summit is organized by the IEEE, the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc), TUD, and 5G++ Lab Germany. The General Chairs of the 11th IEEE 6G Summit Dresden are Dr. Ashutosh Dutta (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory), Prof. Frank Fitzek (Deutsche Telekom Chair of Communication Networks, TU Dresden), and Prof. Gerhard Fettweis (Vodafone Chair of Mobile Communications Systems, TU Dresden).
Science, industry, and politics in dialogue
The program for the 6G Summit includes keynote speeches, technical presentations, and an extensive exhibition featuring international companies, startups, and research institutions. The presentations will cover the latest research findings, technological developments, and specific applications of future communication networks.
The main themes of this year's program include:
- Phase II of Germany’s 6G Initiative,
- Mobile robotics,
- Non-terrestrial Networks,
- Hardware & wireless technologies,
- Network & cloud architectures,
- The resilience & security of future communication systems
TU Dresden is a prominent presence at the Dresden Communications Festival
TUD is once again playing a central role in this year's Dresden Communications Festival and the 11th IEEE 6G Summit Dresden. In addition to the organizational leadership provided by General Chairs Prof. Frank Fitzek and Prof. Gerhard Fettweis, TU Dresden provides a large portion of the scientific and organizing committee, thereby shaping the event’s program.
TUD is also represented at the exhibition with numerous research projects and prototypes. A particular focus is on 6G-life's joint booth with the CeTI (Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop) Cluster of Excellence, the CommUnity and QUARKS projects, and the launchhub42 incubator. These demonstrations will showcase, among other things, innovative approaches to tactile communication, resilient network infrastructures, AI-powered systems, and future 6G applications.
In addition, the Vodafone Chair of Mobile Communications Systems is presenting several interactive demonstrations on current topics in communications research. These include applications for clinical ultrasound imaging and portable ultrasound systems, findings from the Air-Take-Off research project on the safe integration of aircraft and drones into future networks, and a demonstrator for parallel data transmission at 10 GHz across four independent channels.
For more information about the Dresden Communications Festival and the 11th IEEE 6G Summit Dresden, visit:
https://www.dcf.events
https://www.6gsummit.de
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Rico Radeke
IEEE 6G Summit Dresden – Organization Committee