The Technical Committee 2.2 is the main technical sponsor of five events, including a symposium, a conference, and three workshops. The flagship event of TC 2.2 is the Symposium on System Structure and Control (SSSC), which was first held as an IFAC Workshop in 1989, in Prague, and achieved the status of an IFAC Symposium in 2001, returning to Prague. The IFAC Workshop on Time Delay Systems (TDS) was initiated in 1998, in Grenoble. The Conference on Fractional Differentiation and Its Applications (FDA) started as an IFAC Workshop in 2004, in Bordeaux, and was first held as an IFAC Conference in 2024, again in Bordeaux. The IFAC Workshop on Linear Parameter Varying Systems (LPVS) was organized for the first time in 2015, in Grenoble. The IFAC Workshop on Control of Complex Systems (COSY) was first held in Bologna, in 2022.
Starting from the early 2010s, TC 2.2 has fostered joint hosting, through a multiple-track structure, of events for which it is the main technical sponsor. From 2013, in Grenoble, and for nearly ten years, the Symposium on System Structure and Control and the Workshop on Time Delay Systems were held together in the format of an IFAC Joint Conference. Following the TC members’ advice, in 2022, the IFAC Joint Conference, held in Montréal, was extended to include the Workshop on Linear Parameter Varying Systems. In 2022, the Workshop on Control of Complex Systems was launched as a standalone event held in Bologna. However, in 2025, it was grouped together with the Symposium on System Structure and Control and the Workshop on Time Delay Systems in the IFAC Joint Conference held in Gif-sur-Yvette. Meanwhile, in 2025, the Workshop on Linear Parameter Varying Systems was held jointly with the IFAC Symposium on Robust Control Design, in Porto, thus reaffirming a well-established collaboration with IFAC Technical Committee 2.5 on “Robust Control”, the main sponsoring committee for the latter event. TC 2.2 aims to further strengthen this trend in the coming years. Indeed, TC 2.2 has approved the organization of two editions of the IFAC Joint Conference comprising the Symposium on System Structure and Control, the Workshop on Time Delay Systems, and the Workshop on Control of Complex Systems, to be held in Seville in 2028 and in Groningen in 2031. The organization of the Joint Symposium on Robust Control Design and Workshop on Linear Parameter Varying Systems 2027 in Fortaleza has received IFAC approval.
An overview of the scope, history, and perspectives of each of the five main sponsored events follows.
The Symposium on System Structure and Control (SSSC)
The IFAC Symposium on System Structure and Control (SSSC) brings together academics and professionals interested in system structure, control, and linear and nonlinear system theory. It provides a forum for discussing research developments and open problems, with particular attention to the mathematical structure of systems and its implications for control design and performance.
The series originated with the IFAC workshops held in Prague in 1989 and 1992, followed by the conferences in Nantes in 1995, Bucharest in 1997, and Nantes again in 1998. In 2001, the event returned to Prague and achieved the status of an IFAC Symposium. Subsequent editions were held in Oaxaca (2004), Foz do Iguassu (2007), Ancona (2010), Grenoble (2013), Istanbul (2016), Sinaia (2019), Montréal (2022), and Gif-sur-Yvette (2025). Joint hosting with other events sponsored by TC 2.2 has become an established feature of the symposium, beginning with the 2013 edition.
TC 2.2 has approved the organization of the 10th and 11th editions, respectively, in Seville, in 2028, and in Groningen, in 2031. Both editions are planned as joint events with the Workshop on Time Delay Systems and the Workshop on Control of Complex Systems.
The Workshop on Time Delay Systems (TDS)
The IFAC Workshop on Time Delay Systems (TDS) brings together the scientific community working on systems with time delays, from fundamental theory to applications. Its scope encompasses modelling and identification, analysis, filtering and estimation, stability and stabilization, structural properties, robustness, numerical methods, and control. It also addresses data-driven and machine learning methods, networked and distributed systems, and applications in areas including manufacturing, automotive systems, vibration control, communications, and systems biology.
The workshop series began in Grenoble in 1998. Subsequent editions were held in Ancona (2000), Santa Fe (2001), Rocquencourt (2003), Leuven (2004), L’Aquila (2006), Nantes (2007), Sinaia (2009), Prague (2010), Boston (2012), Grenoble (2013), Ann Arbor (2015), Istanbul (2016), Budapest (2018), Sinaia (2019), Guangzhou (2021), Montréal (2022), and Udine (2024). The 19th edition took place in Gif-sur-Yvette in 2025, jointly with the Symposium on System Structure and Control and the Workshop on Control of Complex Systems. TC 2.2 has approved plans for further joint editions with these two events in Seville, in 2028, and in Groningen, in 2031. The 20th edition of the Workshop, to be held in Naples in 2027, has received IFAC approval.
The Conference on Fractional Differentiation and Its Applications (FDA)
The Conference on Fractional Differentiation and Its Applications (FDA) is a specialized conference on fractional-order calculus and its applications, bringing together contributions concerned with theoretical developments and their application to scientific and engineering problems.
The series began as an IFAC Workshop in Bordeaux in 2004. Further workshop editions were held in Porto (2006), Ankara (2008), Badajoz (2010), Nanjing (2012), and Grenoble (2013). Subsequent editions took place in Catania (2014), Novi Sad (2016), Amman (2018), Warsaw (2021), and Ajman (2023). In 2024, the event returned to Bordeaux for its 12th edition and was held as an IFAC Conference for the first time, marking twenty years since the establishment of the series. The 13th IFAC Conference on Fractional Differentiation and Its Applications was held in Algiers in 2025. The 14th edition of the Conference, to be held in Delft, in 2027, has received IFAC approval.
The Workshop on Linear Parameter Varying Systems (LPVS)
The IFAC Workshop on Linear Parameter Varying Systems (LPVS) provides a forum for presenting research on linear parameter varying systems and their applications. It brings together researchers and practitioners to discuss new developments, exchange ideas, and promote interactions among the various fields of interest. Special attention is given to the application of LPV models and control strategies to practical systems, including contributions from industry.
The first edition was held in Grenoble in 2015, followed by editions in Florianópolis (2018), Eindhoven (2019), Milan (2021), and Montréal (2022). The Montréal edition was held jointly with the Symposium on System Structure and Control and the Workshop on Time Delay Systems. In 2025, LPVS was held jointly with the IFAC Symposium on Robust Control Design, thus reaffirming a well-established collaboration with IFAC TC 2.5 on “Robust Control”, the main sponsoring committee for the latter event.
This collaboration will continue with the Symposium on Robust Control Design and Workshop on Linear Parameter Varying Systems 2027 in Fortaleza, whose organization has received IFAC approval.
The Workshop on Control of Complex Systems (COSY)
The IFAC Workshop on Control of Complex Systems (COSY) brings together academics and professionals interested in the control of complex systems. The workshop provides a forum for discussing current research developments, open problems, emerging structural properties, and methodologies.
The systems considered typically consist of the interconnection of various basic components (subsystems). Several features can contribute, individually or in combination, to their complexity. These include uncertainty or lack of knowledge about the dynamics of the single components; uncertainty or variability of the interconnection topology; and the hybrid and/or heterogeneous nature of the involved sub-processes. Further sources of complexity include the possibility of implementing different functioning, information and/or decision-making structures in response to goals and operational requirements; the necessity to operate in variable and/or uncertain environments; and large dimensionality.
The first edition was held in Bologna, in 2022. The second edition took place in Gif-sur-Yvette, in 2025, jointly with the Symposium on System Structure and Control and the Workshop on Time Delay Systems.
TC 2.2 has approved plans to continue this joint format in Seville, in 2028, and in Groningen, in 2031.
