Björn B. Brandenburg

Björn B. Brandenburg is a tenured faculty member at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (MPI-SWS), where he leads the Real-Time Systems Group. His role is equivalent to an associate professorship in the US system, and he is deeply engaged in both theoretical and practical aspects of real-time computing.

• Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (MPI-SWS), Kaiserslautern, Germany
• PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2006–2011)
• MSc, Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin, 2003–2006)

His research centers on real-time systems, operating systems, and embedded systems, with a focus on combining formal analysis methods and systems building to create robust, analyzable, and efficient systems. He is particularly interested in work that bridges theory and practice, such as formally verified schedulability analysis and dynamic model extraction from real systems.

The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong trend toward mechanized verification (especially using Coq/Rocq in the PROSA project) and real-world applicability (e.g., Linux, ROS 2). Key themes include response-time analysis, scheduling theory, model extraction, and formal foundations for real-time principles. The work spans from abstract theoretical frameworks to concrete tools like LiME and LITMUS-RT.

His scientific recognition includes:

• ERC Starting Grant (TOROS, 2018)
• ACM SIGBED Early Career Award (2018, inaugural)
• Multiple Best/Outstanding Paper Awards at RTSS, RTAS, ECRTS, EMSOFT
• Fulbright and Klaus Murmann Fellowships
• ACM Future of Computing Academy (2017, inaugural class)
• Distinguished Dissertation Awards (EDAA, CGS/ProQuest, UNC)

He has advised numerous PhD and master’s students, many of whom have secured academic positions or industry research roles. He has received significant research funding, including the ERC Starting Grant and bilateral ANR-DFG grants. His leadership extends to organizing major conferences (e.g., PC Chair of RTSS 2025, ECRTS 2021) and editorial roles (LITES, former associate editor for ACM TECS). He actively contributes to the open-source research ecosystem through tools like PROSA, LiME, LITMUS-RT, and SchedCAT.

He leads the Real-Time Systems Group at MPI-SWS, which focuses on the PROSA and LiME projects. The group brings together systems hackers and formal provers to advance the state of the art in analyzable real-time systems. He collaborates with institutions such as INRIA, ONERA, and TU Braunschweig through funded projects.