BIG-EU advances cybersecurity and interoperability in building automation
In December 2025, the BACnet Interest Group Europe (BIG-EU) successfully hosted the CES 2025 Certificate Exchange Summit – Plugfest in Berlin. The event was hosted by Beckhoff and brought together experts, manufacturers and developers from the BACnet community to jointly advance secure and interoperable building automation.
A key focus of the Plugfest was the secure handling of digital certificates – one of the central foundations of modern building automation. Against the backdrop of increasing cybersecurity requirements, the event clearly demonstrated that BACnet/SC provides a robust, practical and market-ready solution for secure communication in building automation systems.
Over the course of three days, participants tested a wide range of multi-vendor pairing scenarios, exchanged certificates, validated trust chains and signed operational certificates. The results confirmed that certificate-based security can be implemented efficiently while fully meeting current cybersecurity requirements. The insights gained flow directly into ongoing device and system development and help manufacturers deliver solutions that are both secure and easy to use.
In addition to the technical tests, personal exchange and open discussions played a central role. Different project and implementation approaches were discussed, helping to translate complex security concepts into scalable and practical solutions for planners, system integrators and manufacturers.
A special highlight was the “Meeting the Experts” session, where participants engaged in a direct online discussion with Dave Robin, one of the key contributors to certificate and security specifications within SSPC 135. This exchange underlined the close and effective collaboration between BIG-EU, BACnet International and SSPC 135.
With the successful completion of the CES Certificate Exchange Summit Plugfest, BIG-EU sends a clear message to the market: secure, interoperable building automation is available today and ready for practical implementation.