FOSDEM is happening soon, and there are a *LOT* of interesting talks there this year:
https://fosdem.org/2016/schedule/events/
Here’s a mere teaser of the many hardware/firmware-related ones, from a very quick (incomplete) look at their schedule, there are MANY other interesting talks not listed below.:
Genode’s TrustZone demo on the USB Armory
Developing eco-conscious Libre Hardware
Libreboot – free your BIOS today!
MIPS, the other side of the embedded
open source FPGA toolchain and hardware
NemoTablet, a FOSS DIY tablet using Raspberry Pi 2
Make your own USB device without pain and money!
Security in IoT; more a cultural chock than a technical challenge
IoT meets Security
USBGuard: Take control over your USB devices
Firmware Security 