An overview of the SEMANTiCS 2025 Industry Track, highlighting key themes and trends
The SEMANTiCS conference has always fostered a unique environment where cutting-edge academic research and real-world industry use cases converge. This distinctive blend creates a vibrant discussion, bringing together innovative ideas and practical applications of semantic technology.
Over the years, we’ve observed a significant increase in the business impact and scale of industry use cases. Notably, the gap between academic research and practical implementation has shrunk considerably. It’s now common to see an academic submission one year evolve into a compelling industry use case the next. Last year, we even encountered academic papers that were so close to real-world applications they could have easily fit into the industry track.
The expanding horizon of semantic technology
Semantic technology is now permeating fields that might not have traditionally incorporated it. For instance, the advancements in Artificial Intelligence are driving language technology forward. Explainable AI (XAI), trustworthy AI, and responsible AI all depend on language technology to comprehend full-text documents and communicate results in natural language.
In the day-to-day operations of data-intensive organizations, semantics continues to be a critical component of data management. Challenges like data quality, interoperability, and data reuse have amplified the need for semantic solutions. Linked data not only enhances data discoverability, reuse, and interoperability but also connects data to explicitly modeled meaning and quality. This progression is enabling organizations to build global knowledge graphs, making information available and reusable far beyond its initial scope.
Despite these advancements, there’s still much to explore. The rapid proliferation of AI and machine learning technologies highlights an urgent need for transparency, responsible solutions, and ethical considerations. While large language models (LLMs) can tackle highly complex problems and generate expert-level answers, they sometimes struggle with seemingly simple tasks. Most experts are convinced that a blend of traditional symbolic knowledge representation and LLMs is needed.
This raises fundamental questions: How can knowledge graphs serve as a foundational knowledge backbone for LLMs? How can knowledge from knowledge graphs be most effectively integrated into LLMs? And how can LLMs help us to create knowledge graphs? Do we need new types of LLMs, or perhaps new types of knowledge graphs? These are critical questions for which some answers are already presented in last year’s Semantics and we anticipate more to come!
SEMANTiCS 2025 submission trends
For those attending the SEMANTiCS 2025 Industry Track, get ready for a deep dive into the practical applications of semantic technologies. An analysis of the submitted abstracts reveals the key themes and highlights you can expect to see in the talks, offering a glimpse into the current trends and future directions of the field.
Expect to see a strong emphasis on how organizations are tackling the challenges and opportunities presented by vast amounts of data. Talks will frequently revolve around the concepts of data and knowledge, showcasing innovative approaches to managing and leveraging information effectively.
A central theme will be the application of semantic technologies and graph structures, particularly knowledge graphs. You’ll learn how these are being used as fundamental tools for organizing, enriching, and connecting data in meaningful ways. Be prepared for discussions on information management, the development of robust systems, and a wide array of applications powered by these technologies.
The growing influence of advanced AI will be palpable, with many presentations integrating LLMs (and various models) into semantic solutions. You’ll gain insights into the latest advancements in combining AI with semantic technologies.
Other recurring topics will include discussions on the architecture and development of these sophisticated systems as well as the practical process of their implementation. You may also encounter talks focusing on specific application areas, such as clinical contexts, highlighting specialized industry adoption.
This year’s SEMANTiCS also features a very broad spectrum of domains for presented use cases. We have received submissions from manufacturing, healthcare, public services, logistics, utilities (energy & environmental care), culture, and much more.
Conference talk excellence: what to look for
Based on our analysis of this year’s submitted papers, here are the key elements that we believe will make talks particularly compelling for conference attendees:
- Practical, Real-World Applications: The most compelling talks are those that clearly demonstrate practical applications of semantic technologies to solve tangible business problems. These talks go beyond theoretical discussions and showcase how these technologies are making a real difference in various industries.
- Robust Architectures and Implementations: Talks that dive into the architecture of successful semantic systems and discuss their practical implementation are also highly valuable. They provide insights into building scalable and effective solutions.
- Innovation in Action: Particularly impactful are talks that highlight innovation within specific markets or industries. These showcase how semantic technologies are used in different ways to create new opportunities and overcome existing challenges.
- Clear Business Use Cases: Presentations that articulate clear and compelling business use cases for semantic technologies resonate strongly with attendees. They help participants understand the value proposition and potential ROI of implementing these solutions.
- Bridging Research and Industry: Some talks may represent a bridge between academic research and industrial potential, exploring cutting-edge concepts and technologies. While these may not always present fully established commercial applications, they offer valuable insights into the future of the field.
To wrap it up
The SEMANTiCS 2025 Industry Track promises a wealth of knowledge and insights into the practical side of semantic technologies. By focusing on real-world applications, robust architectures, innovation, and clear business use cases, the talks will provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the current trends and future possibilities in this dynamic field.
Get ready to be inspired by how semantic intelligence is transforming industries!
