The WFCS is the largest IEEE conference especially dedicated to communications for industrial automation systems. The Factory Communication area is facing the leap of new generation wired and wireless technologies e.g. TSN, WiFi6, 5G, and more, expanding from automation to the IIoT. Induced by the rapid change in consumer electronics towards high performance wireless, also many new industrial applications are about to move into the wireless domain. Nevertheless, wired communication is also substantially developing, e.g. TSN, thus improving dependable real-time communication. More and more distributed control applications have an increasing need for real-time data exchange. Hence, challenging questions arise on wireless and wired communication in IT and OT industrial networks supporting data, sensor, and actuator communication. In those systems, security is a major concern to lay base for safe processes. The 17th edition of WFCS will focus on these challenges.