We are hosting a two-day, in-person workshop on the Crypto Proof Ladders project and related tools for cryptographers. Growing out of a post-HACS discussion, the workshop brings together a small group of researchers from cryptography and formal methods to discuss and work on problems at the intersection of the two fields. Please note that the workshop is invitation-only.
Please sign up as soon as possible via the Google Form sent by email.
Costs
There is no registration fee. Participants are expected to cover their own travel, accommodation and meal expenses. If you need financial support, please indicate so in the form and we will reach out to you.
The format is flexible and hands-on: rather than a series of talks, participants collaborate on concrete questions, problems and ideas.
Topics and working groups (tentative)
The following topics are starting points. The working groups are expected to evolve according to participants' interests.
Organization
Participants do not have to work on one topic exclusively, but we plan to organize working groups dynamically. To support this, we have set up a joint communication channel on Zulip. Please join via the link sent by email.
If there is interest in a more tutorial-style session for a particular tool or topic, we will try to accommodate that.
| Wed, Jan 6 | Thu, Jan 7 | Fri, Jan 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 – 10:30 | — | Welcome & overview, then session | Session |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | — | Coffee break | Coffee break |
| 11:00 – 12:30 | — | Session | Session |
| 12:30 – 14:00 | — | Lunch | Lunch |
| 14:00 – 15:30 | — | Session | Presentation of results and closing remarks (ends at 15:00) |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | — | Coffee break | Get-together (Optional) |
| 16:00 – 17:30 | — | Session | |
| 19:30 | Dinner in Saarbrücken (Optional) | Dinner in Saarbrücken (Optional) |
Session content and dinner venues are still being finalized and will be shared closer to the event.
CISPA has multiple buildings spread across different locations. Please note that the workshop does not take place in the main building on campus, but in Building D1 (Kaiserstraße 21) in St. Ingbert, so please refer to the travel information below. Feel free to reach out if anything is unclear.
Venue
CISPA, Building D1, Kaiserstraße 21, 66386 St. Ingbert
We will have a small number of meeting rooms available for breakout sessions, as well as a large conference room and an open common area to gather.
Coffee and snacks will be provided throughout the workshop. For lunch, we will coordinate going to nearby restaurants, takeout places and bakeries.
Travel
Arrival by train: Saarbrücken Hauptbahnhof is the main station to travel to. Most long-distance connections from within Germany run via Mannheim or Frankfurt, usually with a change. There are also a few direct high-speed trains from Paris each day. Connections can be checked in the DB Navigator app or on the website.
Arrival by plane: The closest major airports are Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Luxembourg Airport (LUX). Saarbrücken also has its own small regional airport with limited (mostly domestic) connections.
From Frankfurt Airport: The most convenient option is the direct regional train (RE3), which runs roughly every two hours and takes 2:46 h. In the alternate hours, there is also a regional connection with one short change (RE2 + RE3) and the same travel time. Both are covered by the Deutschland-Ticket. Slightly faster connections (2:00–2:30 h) are available with ICE trains, but none are direct. By car, the trip takes less than 2 hours.
From Luxembourg Airport: For connections within Europe, Luxembourg Airport is also worth considering. It is about 1.5 hours away by car. By public transport, you can take the tram to Luxembourg City (20 min) and an express bus (L40) from there to Saarbrücken (1:20 h).
Using the Deutschland-Ticket: When taking the regional train from Frankfurt Airport or planning other regional travel, it is worth considering the Deutschland-Ticket, which can then also be used for local trains and buses. It does not cover ICE connections. Please note that it is sold as a subscription that runs per calendar month. You can use it for just one month by canceling by the 10th (€66.80 in January 2027). It used to require a SEPA bank account, though it could be bought on behalf of someone else. This may have become easier, as Deutsche Bahn now lists other payment methods. In any case, let us know if you need help.
Where to stay
Staying in Saarbrücken: We recommend staying in Saarbrücken close to the main station (see location), which has frequent trains to St. Ingbert (see Getting to CISPA). There are several hotels right around the corner, e.g., H2 Hotel Saarbrücken, Mercure Hotel Saarbrücken City, Premier Inn Saarbrücken City Centre Hotel and IntercityHotel Saarbrücken. Popular choices closer to the pedestrian area include Hotel Madeleine (10 min to main station), Hotel Domicil Leidinger (18 min to main station, 2 min to St. Johanner Markt bus stop) and Motel One Saarbrücken (15 min to main station, 1 min to Staatstheater bus stop).
Staying in St. Ingbert: Options in St. Ingbert are rather limited. There are mostly privately rented apartments that can be booked via Booking.com or Airbnb.
Getting to CISPA
Saarbrücken and St. Ingbert are well connected by public transport. You can look up connections and buy tickets in the DB Navigator app or on the website.
From Saarbrücken main station: There are several regional trains per hour (RE1, RB68, S10, S11, S12), which get you to St. Ingbert in 9–15 min. From St. Ingbert station, it is an 8 min walk to CISPA.
From Saarbrücken city center: There is a bus connection (Bus 506) directly to Rendezvous-Platz in St. Ingbert (3 min walk to CISPA). It stops at Staatstheater, St. Johanner Markt and more, and takes up to 30 min.
By car: We have a parking garage (key required) and a parking lot close by. Please contact us for more details.