Company Overview
o6 Automation brings a long history and deep expertise for industrial communication and control. The accumulation of experience and the steady progress showcases the trusted partnership with our industrial clients.
Technical and Organizational Milestones
Technical Milestones
Organisational Milestones
open62541 First Commit
The first commits lay the groundwork of the software architecture. An early decision was the emphasis on code generation. This lead to the nodeset compiler and the generation of datatypes from the standard-supplied XML files.
open62541 Community
The open62541 project is founded by a group of PhD students from different universities* and enthusiastic about the potential of OPC UA. The project quickly gains contributors from both academia and industry.
* RWTH Aachen, KIT Karlsruhe, TU Dresden
open62541 0.1 Release
After two years of work the first release is marked. The release version hints at early days in the development. Still, the library quickly gains industrial users - testament to the quality of the software.
OSADL Community-Funded Projects
Together with the Open Source in Automation Development Labs (OSADL), community-funded projects are defined to fast-track specific feature development. The technical work is supervised by Julius Pfrommer and Andreas Ebner.
Encryption Support
Encryption is a major selling point for OPC UA. Hence it was important for the open62541 project to support the different SecurityPolicies. The open62541 plugin architecture allows different backend providers for the crypto algorithms - with initial support for OpenSSL and mbedTLS.
Fraunhofer Research Group
Julius Pfrommer moves from KIT to Fraunhofer IOSB, where he establishes a research group for "Cyberphysical Distributed System". As the maintainers of the open62541 project, the group establishes professional services and training offerings for open62541.
PubSub Support
An outcome of the first OSADL projects was the development of OPC UA PubSub support for open62541. Being released mere months after completion of the specification by the OPC Foundation.
open62541 1.0 Release and First Certification
The 1.0 release marks a special milestone. An example server based on open62541 is officially certified to be compliant with the Embedded Server profile.
Fraunhofer Department
The research group at Fraunhofer IOSB grows fast - to the point where it becomes its own department. Andreas Ebner is promoted to group leader within the department. His research group is now the center for the open62541 development and maintenance.
Standard Server Profile Certification
The 1.4 release family of open62541 is the first to have an example server certified according to the Standard Server 2017 Profile.
o6 Automation Spin-Off
open62541 is widely established with many users from the automation industry. Enterprise users now require a level of support that leaves the scope of research-only projects. To enable the increased adoption of open62541, the o6 Automation GmbH is founded as a spin-off from Fraunhofer IOSB with Dr. Julius Pfrommer and Andreas Ebner at the helm.
Management Team
Dr. Julius Pfrommer
Managing Director
In his work, Julius bridges computer science and
industrial automation. After earning his PhD at the Karlsruhe Institute of
Technology (KIT), he built and led the department for “Cognitive Industrial
Systems” at Fraunhofer IOSB. Since 2013, he has been a co-founder of the
open62541 project and is still responsible for “good taste in its technical
foundations”. He further holds a lectureship at KIT on mathematical
optimization for machine learning and engineering.
Andreas Ebner
Chief Operating Officer
Andreas oversees all operational activities, channeling his passion for
software engineering and industrial automation. Before, he led the Adaptive Production Systems group at Fraunhofer IOSB, driving research that bridges
connectivity and smart manufacturing. Since 2017, Andreas has been an integral
contributor to the open62541 project, implementing subsystems like PubSub. He
lectures on software development and industrial control systems at
Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen.
We are hiring!
We offer a lot and we expect a lot. All the while having fun solving technical puzzles and producing solutions that drive critical industrial applications around the world.
- Extremely talented and motivated team of colleagues
- Highly technical and also highly professional company culture
- Work on open-source software that impacts large-scale and critical industrial applications
- Opportunities for career development in a fast-growing environment
- Modern office building with a vibrant atmosphere in Karlsruhe’s Oststadt district
Our hiring process is highly selective — because we are looking for colleagues who truly fit. If you recognize yourself in the above description, we’d love to get to know you.
Please send your application, including your CV, to career@o6-automation.com.
The open62541 library is written in C — just like the Linux kernel or the PostgreSQL database. If you enjoy diving deep into the architecture of critical applications using the low-level language C as well as Python, this is the right challenge for you.
In your role as High-Performance Systems Architect, your responsibilities include:
- Architecture and design of high-performance software systems for o6 Automation’s products
- Technical leadership in customer projects using the open62541 library
- Foundational contributions to the further development of the open62541 library itself
In this role, you should be willing to work hands-on on technically demanding tasks and, over time, grow into a position of technical leadership.
What we’re looking for
You should have developed a strong sense for technical solutions that enables you to make both high-impact architecture decisions and code contributions.
- Experience in system architecture and development in a UNIX/Linux environment
- Strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python
- Experience in performance benchmarking and optimization
- Team-oriented mindset and willingness to grow into a technical leadership role
- Good communication skills in both German and English
- Optional: Visible code contributions to open-source projects
- Optional: Experience with operating systems for embedded systems and real-time requirements
- Optional: Knowledge in the field of industrial automation and PLC programming
Include the code O6-PERF-SYSARCH in the subject line of your email. If you have any questions, you can also contact us in advance using this code via email.
The open62541 library is written in C — just like the Linux kernel or the PostgreSQL database. If you enjoy diving deep into the architecture of critical applications using the low-level language C as well as Python, this is the right challenge for you.
In your role as Embedded Systems Engineer, your responsibilities include:
- Development of technical solutions to employ the open62541 library in resource-contrained environments
- Porting of the open62541 library to additional operating systems and processor architectures
- Design, development and testing of customer-specific embedded solutions
What we’re looking for
You should have developed a strong sense for technical solutions in resource-constrained environemnts.
- Strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python
- Experience with operating systems for embedded systems and real-time requirements
- Team-oriented mindset and willingness to grow into a technical leadership role
- Good communication skills in both German and English
- Optional: Visible code contributions to open-source projects
- Optional: Knowledge in the field of industrial automation and PLC programming
Include the code O6-EMBEDDED-ENG in the subject line of your email. If you have any questions, you can also contact us in advance using this code via email.
The Web-Application Developer builds user interfaces for complex industrial applications. We are looking for a full-stack developer that can handle both frontend and backend. The starting point is a REST API as a Python implementation. You take it from there.
What we’re looking for
- Strong programming skills in JaveScript (TypeScript) and Python
- Experience using the React Framework for web development
- Team-oriented mindset and willingness to grow into a technical leadership role
- Good communication skills in both German and English
- Optional: User interface design experience
- Optional: Knowledge in the field of industrial automation and PLC programming
Include the code O6-WEBAPP-DEV in the subject line of your email. If you have any questions, you can also contact us in advance using this code via email.
At o6 Automation, we create the next level of industrial connectivity — from the open62541 OPC UA stack to scalable solutions for future-proof automation systems. If you’re passionate about helping technical customers succeed and thrive in the world of industrial software, this is your opportunity.
In your role as Customer Success Manager, your responsibilities include:
Building long-term relationships with enterprise clients using o6 Automation products and services
Coordinating onboarding, support, and training for customers adopting OPC UA and open62541-based solutions
Acting as a communication bridge between customers and our development team
Gathering feedback to help improve our products and documentation
Ensuring customers get measurable value and satisfaction from our offerings
What we’re looking for
You should have a strong customer focus and a solid understanding of industrial or software environments.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills in German and English
Technical understanding of software development or industrial automation
Experience in customer success, technical account management, or software consulting
Structured, proactive, and empathetic work approach
Optional: Familiarity with OPC UA, open62541, or industrial communication standards
Include the code O6-CUSTOMER-SUCCESS in the subject line of your email. If you have any questions, you can also contact us in advance using this code via email.
At o6 Automation, we are building the future of open industrial communication — enabling companies worldwide to connect machines, data, and people through modern OPC UA technology. If you love shaping a company’s voice, telling stories that inspire engineers, and building communities around cutting-edge industrial innovation, this is the right challenge for you.
In your role as PR and Social Media Manager, your responsibilities include:
Developing and executing PR and social media strategies that reflect o6 Automation’s mission and values
Writing and publishing engaging content across LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and relevant tech/industry platforms
Managing media relations and coordinating with press and partners for product and company announcements
Collaborating with the engineering and product teams to translate technical topics into clear, compelling narratives
Monitoring analytics and feedback to continuously improve reach and engagement
Maintaining a consistent brand voice and visual identity across all communication channels
What we’re looking for
You should have a strong sense for storytelling in a technical or B2B context, combined with hands-on execution skills.
Proven experience in PR, content marketing, or social media management — ideally in a tech or industrial setting
Excellent writing and communication skills in German and English
Ability to understand and communicate complex technical concepts clearly
Self-driven, creative, and structured mindset — able to manage your own topics end-to-end
Optional: Experience with community building, developer relations, or event communications
Optional: Familiarity with OPC UA, open-source software, or automation technologies
Include the code O6-PR-SOCIAL in the subject line of your email. If you have any questions, you can also contact us in advance using this code via email.
We are always looking for highly motivated and qualified student workers and interns for the above subjects. Internships at o6 Automation are generally paid.
We provide the opportunity to learn and grow in a highly technical and also highly professional work environment. On the other hand, we expect excellent talent, drive and motivation from everybody in the team, also the young colleagues!
Shoot us an email so we can get to know you.