The InterCoML Working Group 3 workshop "Energy Systems: Control and Machine Learning in Action" took place on 14-15 September 2026 at Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany. The event brought together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry working at the interface of control theory, machine learning, and energy systems. More than 30 participants from across Europe attended the workshop, representing universities, research institutes, industrial partners, and public utilities.
The scientific program featured invited talks from leading experts covering a broad range of topics, including reinforcement learning for energy systems, machine learning for power systems and industrial applications, smart buildings, battery management, renewable energy integration, and data-driven control methods. The diversity of perspectives highlighted both the opportunities and the challenges arising from the growing interaction between control theory and machine learning in modern energy systems. A particular highlight of the workshop was the poster session. Following a series of poster pitches, participants discussed contributions on topics such as battery health estimation, reinforcement learning for energy-efficient control, adaptive protection of inverter-dominated power systems, edge-cloud resource orchestration, photovoltaic control, water distribution systems, and energy-aware hydraulic actuation. The poster session stimulated lively technical discussions and enabled intensive exchanges between junior and senior researchers.
Beyond the scientific presentations, the workshop placed a strong emphasis on interactive networking and community building. Two dedicated interactive sessions were organized under the theme "From Connections to Collaborations." Their objective was to move beyond traditional networking formats and to create concrete opportunities for future cooperation within the InterCoML community. The interactive format was exceptionally well received. Participants actively engaged throughout both sessions, and the atmosphere was characterized by openness, curiosity, and a strong willingness to explore interdisciplinary collaboration. Rather than ending with informal networking alone, the workshop succeeded in providing a structured pathway from initial conversations to actionable ideas, strengthening existing connections while creating new ones across the Action.
Overall, the workshop demonstrated the growing importance of combining control-theoretic and machine-learning approaches for addressing challenges in future energy systems. Equally importantly, it highlighted the value of creating dedicated spaces for interaction and collaboration development. By bringing together researchers at different career stages and from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, the event contributed significantly to strengthening the InterCoML network and establishing foundations for future joint activities.
kathrin.flasskamp@uni-saarland.de
Universität des Saarlandes, Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany