About
The Meeting on Feature-Oriented Software Development (FOSD Meeting) is a yearly informal meeting to bring together the community of researchers working on feature-oriented software development, including, but not limited to:
- Product lines
- Software variability
- Configuration management
- Software architecture
The meeting series started 18 years ago to bring several research groups with common interests closer together. It has successfully been repeated 17 times with 20 to 50 participants each, and has established countless collaborations since. For example, see the recent past FOSD meetings: FOSD 2026 in Odense, FOSD 2025 in Köthen, and FOSD 2024 in Eindhoven.
The main objective is that researchers at different career stages (including undergraduate and early-career graduate students) come together to present their research, to get feedback from peers, to discuss new directions, and to initiate collaborations.
The format of an FOSD meeting consists of short presentations from each participant with plenty of time for discussion. Young researchers (graduate and undergraduate students), as well as more senior community members, present their research, provide and get feedback from others, engage into discussions and establish new collaborations. FOSD is a place for discussion, not a publication venue. Participants can present previously published work as well as unpublished work, including early ideas and work in progress. The key is to encourage discussions, to receive feedback and to grow the network of collaborating researchers.
Important Dates
| Abstract Submission Deadline | TBD |
| Notification of Acceptance | TBD |
| Registration Deadline | TBD |
| FOSD Meeting 2026 | March 23 - 27, 2026 |
Venue & Travel Information
The FOSD Meeting 2027 will take place at Saarland University in Saarbrücken.
Saarbrücken is the capital and largest city of Saarland, Germany’s smallest non-city-state federal state, situated along the Saar River near the French border. With a population of around 180,000, it has a distinctly Franco-German character shaped by centuries of shifting sovereignty between France and Germany. The city is home to Saarland University and a lively cultural scene, and its economy has transitioned from its coal and steel industrial roots toward services, technology, and research. The historic Saarbrücker Schloss and the St. Johanner Markt square are among its most beloved landmarks.
Saarland University, founded in 1948 as a bilingual institution under French auspices, reflects the city’s cross-border identity and has developed strong ties to partner institutions across Europe and beyond. Its pronounced international focus, close relationship with France, and broad range of cross-border academic programmes make it more internationally oriented than almost any other medium-sized German university. It has earned a particular reputation for excellence in computer science and informatics, making it one of Germany’s premier locations for computing research. This strength is underpinned by an exceptional concentration of world-class research institutes on and around campus, including two Max Planck Society institutes (among them the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, MPI-SWS), two Leibniz Association institutes, two Fraunhofer institutes of applied research, a Helmholtz research centre, and a Helmholtz institute. University departments and external institutes collaborate closely in both teaching and research, creating a campus environment that is unusually rich in scientific exchange and expertise.
Traveling to Saarbrücken
Arrival by Train
Saarbrücken is well connected by rail and can be reached via Saarbrücken Hauptbahnhof (Saarbrücken Hbf).
Direct ICE connections are available from Frankfurt (approximately 2.5 hours), and direct trains also run from Mannheim (approximately 1.5 hours). Regional services run from Mainz, Trier, and Strasbourg. Connections from other major German cities typically require one change.
Arrival by Plane
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA): Take a direct train from Frankfurt Airport to Saarbrücken Hbf. Travel time: approximately 2.5 hours.
- Luxembourg Airport (LUX): Take a bus or taxi to Luxembourg City train station, then a direct regional train to Saarbrücken. Travel time: approximately 2 hours.
Getting around in Saarbrücken
The city centre is compact and many destinations can be reached on foot from the main station. For longer distances, Saarbrücken has a network of buses and urban rail operated by Saarbahn. To reach the university campus from the main station, take buses 102, 112, or 124 to the stop “Universität Campus”, which run every 10 minutes on weekdays.
Contact
For questions and abstract submissions, please send an email to fosd27@lists.se.cs.uni-saarland.de.