Zephyr is an open source real-time operating system (RTOS) for embedded systems developed by the Linux Foundation. It is used in various areas, e.g. in industrial control systems, radio and sensor systems. The operating system is modular and flexible, supports various hardware architectures and is particularly suitable for devices with limited resources and time-critical applications 

As an open source project, Zephyr is freely accessible and benefits from a large developer community. This ensures rapid innovation, regular updates and extensive documentation.

Zephyr is intended for professional application scenarios and provides possibilities that go beyond the tools of the maker scene. Thanks to its architecture, Zephyr is also suitable for placing existing microcontroller applications on a new, non-proprietary platform. At the same time, Zephyr is supported (technically and financially) by the major chip manufacturers.

It can be assumed that Zephyr will be the standard development platform for embedded systems in the professional environment in the next 3 to 5 years. The existing involvement of Google, Meta, Cariad (VW Group) and also Zeiss underpins this assumption.

In recent years, Navimatix has built up a team of Zephyr experts and has been offering more meetups, workshops and training courses for getting started with the Zephyr RTOS and for specialisation since 2024. We are supported in this endeavour by our collaboration with inovex GmbH, Zephyr® Project and the Linux Foundation.

By organizing the conference “Zephyr in Science and Education,” first held in Jena (Germany) 2025, we aim not only to make the RTOS better known but also to establish it as a sustainable and future-oriented platform in academia and applied research. The conference is intended to strengthen collaboration between universities, research institutions, and industry partners, encourage the integration of Zephyr into academic curricula, and promote hands-on, practice-oriented education in embedded systems.

Over the coming years, students equipped with practical Zephyr RTOS expertise will carry this knowledge into scientific institutions and commercial enterprises, thereby contributing to the broader adoption and long-term establishment of Zephyr RTOS in both research and professional development contexts.

We look forward to welcoming you to the conference in 2026. 

The aims of the planned conference include:

• Increased use of Zephyr in academic education

• Integration of Zephyr in research and science

• Networking of ‘trainers’ to exchange methods and training approaches

• Exchange on teaching content and methodological teaching approaches, particularly in the area of embedded system development