European Robotics Forum 2026 (ERF 2026)
ERF 2026 was the 17th edition of the European Robotics Forum, Europe's major annual gathering for robotics research, industry, policy, innovation, and commercialization. The Stavanger edition emphasized robotics for the blue economy and space, with workshops, exhibition activity, B2B matchmaking, awards, hackathons, standards and policy discussion, and European robotics roadmapping.
Event at a glance
Dates: March 23, 2026 – March 27, 2026
Duration: 5 Days
Location: Stavanger, Norway
Event status: PAST
Main themes
Human-robot interaction
Intelligent robotics and research
Why this event matters
ERF is important for understanding European robotics priorities, Horizon-style collaboration opportunities, startups, research institutes, and policy direction. The 2026 focus on maritime, subsea, and space robotics made it especially relevant for harsh-environment autonomy.
Speakers and community
NORCE representatives - co-organizers connecting robotics to Norway's blue-economy and applied research ecosystem. | SINTEF representatives - co-organizers bringing industrial and applied robotics research. | euRobotics leaders - European robotics association voices on policy, roadmaps and ecosystem strategy. | MathWorks Minidrone Competition speakers - competition leaders and participants presenting drone automation. | Robotics Automation Drone Assembly Hackathon speakers - teams demonstrating applied robotic assembly challenges.
Venue and setting
Stavanger Forum and Forum Expo, Stavanger
Previous editions
ERF 2025 was the previous European Robotics Forum edition; ERF 2026 is explicitly described as the 17th edition.
