Practical Information with Technical Relevance at the 2026 Control Expert Days

The QA expert community is looking forward to the Control Expert Days in Stuttgart on the 20^th and 21^st of May, 2026. The newly launched industry event accompanies and complements the Control international trade fair for quality assurance, which will take place again in 2027. The Control Expert Days feature expert presentations, keynote speeches, panel discussions and a variety of networking opportunities. This year’s focus is on sustainability and AI.

The Control Expert Days, taking place in Stuttgart on 20 and 21 May 2026, are attracting keen interest from manufacturers and users of QA technologies. More than two months before the event opens, the programme for both days is filling up and promises to be a valuable experience for all participants, because its thematic content focuses on topics that are highly relevant to manufacturing as well as non-manufacturing companies. The headline for the first day of the expert event reads “Quality Management Plus Sustainability: How to Get Your QM Department Ready for the Future”. This topic is highly relevant because numerous quality assurance measures have a direct impact on error prevention, the reduction of scrap, process efficiency, the conservation of resources and cost savings. Distributed over the course of the day, QA experts from various companies will hold presentations on topics such as laser ultrasound for inline testing of internal defects in production, intelligent data analysis and modern test process management. Event participants are looking forward to the keynote speech by Dipl.-Ing. Michael Salamon from the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Fürth, Development Centre for X-Ray Technology, on the topic of “Future X-Ray Technology – Sustainability in Quality Assurance and the Consumer Sector”. Not least of all, the moderated panel discussion on the topic of “Quality Management plus Sustainability” is also being eagerly anticipated.

The second day of the Control Expert Days will seek answers to the question “AI in Quality Assurance: Where Do we Stand Today?” Where is AI already helpful in quality assurance, and in which applications will it still be a while before AI can be used and quality assurance can be conducted on demand? Amongst other factors, trust in AI and the reliability of its results will also play an important role. In this regard, the keynote speech by Dr Henrike Stephani from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM) entitled “AI in Quality Control – Opportunities and Challenges in Industrial Applications” is being awaited with great interest. Specific information and valuable food for thought will also be provided at the company presentations, which will deal with topics such as smart quality control through sensor fusion and integrated management systems in everyday practice, and will offer insights into how AR and AI can optimise visual quality inspection. The second day will also end with an exciting Control Expert Days talk within the framework of a moderated panel discussion on the topic of the day.

Guido Nilgen, director of quality management at Miele’s Technology Centre for Drives, also emphasises how closely quality assurance, innovation and sustainable business practices are linked. QA is becoming a genuine driver of sustainable value creation in real-world practice thanks to predictive quality. “The use of AI makes it possible for us to look into the future when analysing quality, process and usage data,” explains Guido Nilgen, who will participate in the panel discussion on the first day of the Control Expert Days and share his practical experience.

“We’re expecting two extremely exciting days at the event,” says Fabian Krüger, project manager at trade fair promoters P. E. Schall. The new QA industry event, which supplements the trade fair, combines various communication formats for the exchange of practical information. We want to gain new insights into how different QA measures support sustainable production and cost-efficient management, because companies are currently focused on becoming quicker, more efficient and more cost-effective – which also includes reducing scrap, avoiding waste and optimising workflows and manufacturing processes. Participants at the Control Expert Days can expect valuable information and highly useful, practical benefits.”

Conciseness, efficiency and high levels of technical relevance will be the key features of this new format as a supplement to the trade fair. The 2026 Control Expert Days will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 20th and 21st of May, 2026. The event will be held in hall 9 at the west entrance of the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre. Participants and expert visitors will benefit from the easily accessible location adjacent to Stuttgart International Airport, just off the motorway and ideally linked to local public transport.

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Schall has developed successful business platforms with internationally recognised trade fairs for quality assurance (Control), optical technologies, components and systems (Optatec), stamping technology (Stanztec), automation in production and assembly (Motek), bonding technology (Bondexpo), plastics processing (Fakuma), sheet metal working (Blechexpo) and joining technology (Schweisstec). This has given rise to completely new markets in various sectors, whose protagonists are characterised by a high level of innovative strength, comprehensive system competence and practical application solutions.