Open Source Summit + Embedded Linux Conference North America 2026

Ten years ago, Zephyr set out to solve a problem that many embedded teams quietly struggled with: how to build dependable real-time systems without being locked into a single vendor, toolchain, or proprietary stack. Before beginning the project, open source developers were surveyed to identify the key problems they wanted to see a new open source RTOS to solve, such as security and safety certifications.

What followed over the next decade was more than steady adoption. Zephyr introduced a new model built around portability, adoption of security best practices, modern tooling, and a shared ecosystem of drivers and middleware. Contributors collaborate in the open to improve performance, connectivity, and reliability, enabling it to now be found embedded in products which need to last many years, if not decades.

As we head into our next 10 years, the Zephyr project reached out again to survey RTOS users and understand better what they value, and what the project should focus on improving in the years ahead. This talk will go through the results that LF Research team has identified from the survey and interviews, giving a peak at the focus points going forward.