program of
the sess10n 2026

AI systems learn faster, scale wider, and optimize more efficiently than any human ever could. Yet true innovation has never emerged from optimization alone, but from human–technology interaction. In this keynote, Benjamin Bargetzi explains how human learning truly works - not as a linear process, but through curiosity, emotion, error, and context. 

Drawing on the latest brain research and developments in AI, he explores what machines still cannot replicate: the capacity to wonder, to feel relevance, and to adapt in the face of the unknown. His perspective: the future of learning, leadership, and innovation isn’t just about keeping up with AI; it’s about thinking alongside it. Join this keynote to discover why neuroscience is the invisible link between human intelligence and AI and how they amplify each other. 

One of Europe's most sought-after thought leaders at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the human brain. The Swiss neuroscientist, psychologist, bestselling author, and tech entrepreneur held key roles at Google, Amazon, and the World Economic Forum (WEF), and studied the human brain at Oxford, Singapore, and London. He is the founder of multiple technology companies, personal advisor to global political decision-makers, and a prominent tech investor.

Products used to be simple: manufacture, sell, ship, repeat. Now AI rewrites the rules: Hardware becomes a data stream, a service platform, an ecosystem node.

This panel brings together leaders who are navigating this shift. They're embedding software and AI into products that were analog for decades. Building the tech stack to connect hardware that operated in isolation. Architecting cloud-native backends that turn one-time sales into continuous value streams. The hard questions: At what point does your hardware become an API? How do you build infrastructure that ships software at hardware scale? What's your data architecture when millions of connected products generate real-time telemetry? Which parts of your tech stack do you own versus buy – and how do you prevent hyperscalers from commoditizing your intelligence layer?

This is about technology decisions, architecture trade-offs, and new business models – from executives building intelligent products at scale.

IT organizations are under pressure: silos slow delivery, costs must be justified, and customer value can get lost in organizational complexity. The solution? Shifting from a traditional hierarchical structure to an integrated delivery ecosystem. In this session, Peter Berggren and Alissa Fiedler share firsthand lessons from this transformation at VW Group IT – what worked, what didn't, and what it takes to make the shift stick. The results: Clearer product accountability, stronger prioritization along value streams, and shared standards for greater scalability.

Leads the Sales IT Delivery and Operations units at Volkswagen AG. In 2025 the VW AG Sales IT “Supply” and Demand” functions were merged into one organizational unit, whilst maintaining “100%” availability of applications to importers and dealers and while expanding the global delivery footprint via offshoring. Having had previous leadership roles in the global VW sales & Marketing organization, as well as 14 years’ experience from consulting, Mr. Berggren played a vital role in leading the VW teams to success.

Shrinking timelines, growing complexity, uncompromising quality, tightening budgets – the pressure on automotive software engineering is high. The old playbook isn't working anymore.
 
This is where AI comes into play. More concretely: InDe.ai (Intelligent Design with AI), a solution developed by Embitel. It is an AI-assisted, application-centric framework covering the entire engineering lifecycle. Using agentic AI and retrieval-augmented generative AI (RAG), it delivers multiple AI applications via a unified web-based interface to accelerate, automate, and simplify engineering tasks across the V-Cycle. Beyond software, InDe.ai easily integrates into hardware and laboratory ecosystems, bringing test and validation environments directly to engineers' fingertips.
 
Join this session to learn how end-to-end lifecycle coverage, scalable AI automation, and seamless hardware integration empower teams to ship higher-quality software faster and at optimized cost.

The best ideas don't come from prompts. They come from people. And that's exactly what these table sessions are built for: one topic, a sharp thesis, and an open discourse. Covering four critical perspectives in the human-tech era - trust, touchpoint, mindset, and strategy - we turn friction into progress.

Join the conversation and leave with three action items you can take back to your desk. Join the following conversations:

The biggest barrier to AI adoption isn't technology; it's the fears, doubts, and unspoken concerns that quietly stall transformation from within. In this hands-on workshop, we name what others won't: the real human challenges behind failed AI initiatives. 

In this workshop, we'll run an AI Readiness Check together, challenge assumptions, and explore what change management must deliver for AI transformation to stick – and what role the people in your organization play in making it happen. Join this session and discover the building blocks of successful AI adoption and leave with concrete first steps to start shaping your organization's AI journey. No theory overload – just real talk, sharp tools, and a clear path forward.

Lara Schardey leads projects at Diconium in the areas of AI & Digital Transformation as well as Business and Operating Model Design. She supports organizations from strategic concept to implementation, building bridges between business and technology. Jennifer von Essen leads transformation projects at Diconium at the interface of technology, organization, and people. As a lawyer, she has gathered over 10 years of comprehensive international consulting experience across various industries—including automotive and manufacturing, energy providers, and pharmaceuticals.

Legacy modernization, system migration, process standardization – universally acknowledged as necessary, yet chronically deprioritized. Why? Because their business case has always been framed around cost and risk, never value creation. Generative AI changes that equation entirely. It moves foundational transformation from a defensive obligation to a strategic investment in enterprise capability. This talk shows you how. From system discovery and documentation to testing and transition planning, Generative AI turns slow, expensive programs into launchpads for automation, scalability, and AI adoption. You will leave with a new approach to ROI modeling: one that captures efficiency gains, execution speed, organizational readiness, and long-term business flexibility.

The Managing Director of Diconium Portugal, overseeing the company’s delivery operations in Lisbon and Porto. With over 15 years of experience in the IT industry, he has a strong technical foundation and a proven track record of delivering high-impact digital transformation projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Since joining diconium in 2019 as Director of Software Engineering, Rafael contributed to growing the Portuguese team from 20 to over 200 people, enhancing diconium Portugal's focus on project execution and technical excellence.

AI commerce is rewriting the rules of online retail. New interfaces, contextual recommendations, and agent-driven purchasing decisions are shifting the customer relationship away from traditional touchpoints toward intelligent platforms. Partnerships like OpenAI and Shopify, or Google's Universal Commerce Protocol, show how discovery, inspiration, and transaction are merging seamlessly into AI-powered ecosystems. That raises urgent questions: Who controls access to the customer? Who owns the data? And how does relevance even get established in an AI ecosystem? This panel explores how brands, retailers, and platforms need to position themselves - strategically, technologically, and organizationally - to stay active shapers of the customer interface. Join this panel to get insights on new roles within the ecosystem, data-driven business models, and how to protect direct customer relationships, meaningful differentiation, and long-term value creation.