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This second edition of Industrial AI Summit 2026 brings together selected senior executives and visionary leaders from across Europe to explore and accelerate the transformative potential of AI for the Manufacturing Industry, across R&D, Production, and Supply Chain Management.
As part of the prestigious EU AI Champions Initiative, which is chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and leading investor General Catalyst, this invitation-only executive event offers a rare opportunity to exchange perspectives within an elite, curated community that is shaping Europe's industrial AI future. You will have the chance to also network with policy, technology and academic industrial AI thought leaders. Together, we will explore how Europe can lead the way and remain a global industrial leader.
Co-hosted by the industrial AI scale-ups Ethon (Switzerland), SPREAD (Germany) and Pelico (France), the summit will facilitate meaningful conversations and action-oriented discussions to foster new collaborations and open new paths to AI impact together.
Senior executives, policymakers and AI pioneers from across European industry. More speakers announced soon.
Eric Enselme is a board advisor, former Fortune 50 Global Vice President, and Executive Fellow at the World Economic Forum's Centre for AI Excellence. Over a 30-year career spanning Europe and North America, he led large-scale innovation, supply chain, and digital transformation programs, including as a member of the Executive Committee of Procter & Gamble's largest business sector. Today, he advises multinational companies, investors, academic institutions, and international organizations on leadership, operational transformation, and the responsible scaling of AI. Eric is widely recognized for helping organizations move from experimentation to scalable execution.
Peter Weckesser is the Chief Digital Officer of Schneider Electric and a member of the Executive Committee since June 2020, when he joined the company.
In his role at Schneider Electric, Peter leads the global Schneider Digital organization responsible for the digital transformation strategy of the company in multiple dimensions: (1) transforming Schneider Electric’s digital technology landscape to support business objectives and enable transformative growth, (2) leading the evolution of the EcoStruxure IoT platform to empower end-to-end industry, building, and sustainability solutions and software, and (3) driving AI at scale through business-value-focused applications across the solution and service portfolio, as well as internal processes.
Peter Weckesser is also the current President of DIGITALEUROPE, the leading trade association representing digitally transforming industries in Europe.
Prior to working at Schneider, Peter served as the Digital Transformation Officer of Airbus’ Defence & Space division since 2017. Before joining Airbus, Peter had extensive experience as a Senior Executive at Siemens, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer of Siemens’ Product Lifecycle Management, leading the IoT and Digital Enterprise business and activities. He also held other executive-level positions with Siemens such as the CEO of Industry Services and CEO of Value Services.
He holds a degree in physics as well as a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Karlsruhe, Germany. He currently resides in Germany.
Harald joined Reckitt as Chief Supply Officer in July 2024 and is responsible for Reckitt’s end-to-end supply chain operations, Procurement, H&S and Sustainability. He is a seasoned supply executive who has led multiple large scale supply chain transformation efforts. Harald brings many years of supply chain leadership across all regions of the globe and has held senior leadership roles at Beiersdorf AG, Unilever and Mars.
Bill Karnazes is a member of Viohalco’s Executive Committee and serves as Group COO and GM of Corporate Services, Viohalco. He is responsible for the Group’s operational areas of International Business Operations, Marketing, Communications, European Affairs, Sustainability (ESG), Energy Management, Metals & Central Procurement, Supply Chain & Logistics, Operational Excellence, Information and Security Technology, and Corporate Human Resources. He is also President of TEKA Systems, a Viohalco subsidiary, recognized as one of the leading Business Solutions providers of IT services and is one of the largest SAP consulting companies across Southeast Europe.
He previously served as Vice President of Global Business Operations for Qualcomm Incorporated. He was responsible for Global Business Operations activities within Qualcomm’s semiconductor business unit. He has held several executive-level positions at Qualcomm over the last 24 years.
Stefan Imme is SVP Group Sales IT at Volkswagen Group. Since joining the group in 2011, he was the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) of Volkswagen Financial Services AG, responsible for scaling primary insurance activities across Europe as well as for Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). Before joining Volkswagen, Stefan worked for six years as a management consultant for The Boston Consulting Group in Munich and Hamburg. He started his career as an entrepreneur and co-founder of an online real estate financing platform. Stefan holds a Master's degree in Computer Science.
Alexander von Seckendorff is a Management Board Member and Head of Transformation at Airbus Helicopters Technik GmbH. In his current role, he leads the post-acquisition operational turnaround, digital transformation, and site expansion across the company's MRO and production operations. Over a 15-year career with Airbus, his previous roles included directing key commercial accounts at Airbus Commercial and leading global spares supply planning at Satair, building broad experience across operational leadership, commercial strategy, and supply chain management. Alexander holds a Diplôme Grande École from ESCP Europe and an Executive MBA from IESE Business School.
Yves Bonnefont brings executive leadership experience at the intersection of automotive engineering, brand strategy, and large-scale software transformation. As Chief Software Officer at Stellantis, he led the group’s global software strategy across 14 brands, driving the transition toward software-defined vehicles, over-the-air platforms, and the insourcing of critical software capabilities. His mandate covered vehicle software architecture, digital platforms, and the integration of software into product development and lifecycle strategy.
Prior to this role, Bonnefont was the founding CEO of DS Automobiles, where he built the premium brand as a standalone entity within Groupe PSA. He defined its product strategy, electrification roadmap, and connected vehicle positioning, and led its global rollout. Earlier, as PSA’s Corporate Strategy Executive Vice President, he played a key role in the company’s turnaround and in shaping its brand and technology architecture during a period of significant industry disruption.
Verena Kuhn leads the World Economic Forum’s Innovator Communities, which includes the Technology Pioneers, Global Innovators, and Unicorns. Together with her team, she identifies and engages some of the world’s most promising mission-driven startups, connecting them to the Forum’s initiatives and global platform.
She has been with the World Economic Forum since 2017. Prior to joining the Forum, she held roles in brand management and finance at Procter & Gamble.
Robin is a partner at General Catalyst and leads the European resilience thesis with a focus on seed investing. He's drawn to companies that are tackling problems in the physical world including manufacturing. Robin previously founded a field service software company for utilities that was acquired by Kraken Technologies. He began his career at P9 Capital, investing in software across the stack.
Clara Köster focuses on Portfolio Operations for General Catalyst's European portfolio, empowering founders with the extensive resources of a global platform and driving a comprehensive, value-focused approach to portfolio management.
Prior to joining General Catalyst, she led Platform and Portfolio Support at Cavalry Ventures, a Berlin-based early-stage fund, where she managed stakeholder relations, supported go-to-market strategies, and helped founders navigate fundraising and scaling. Before that, she spent over three years working on an M&A rollup in healthcare, leading acquisitions, due diligence, and post-merger integration. She is also the initiator of a community of VC platform professionals and operators in the DACH region, fostering collaboration and co-development for best-in-class portfolio and founder support.
She holds a Master’s degree in International Management from ESADE Business School in Barcelona and a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Technology from the Technical University of Munich, with a minor in Chemistry.
Outside of work, Clara is passionate about cycling, yoga, art, and food. She also enjoys singing and rapping, hidden talents that occasionally make an appearance.
Philipp Noll is Co-Founder and Managing Director of SPREAD AI. A mechanical engineer by training, Philipp served as Production Integration Engineer at Mercedes-Benz and Strategy Consultant at MHP, A Porsche Company, where he specialized in machine connectivity and production integration. SPREAD and his team help leading manufacturers leverage the power of data and AI to master product complexity, accelerate development, and achieve excellence in software-defined products. His profound practical engineering expertise makes him a trusted partner and advisor for executives across industries re-shaping the future of engineering.
Julian Senoner is Founder and Co-CEO of Ethon, a fast-growing Industrial AI company backed by top investors like General Catalyst and Index Ventures, Ethon counts Siemens, Bosch, and Roche among its customers. Senoner holds a PhD from ETH Zurich, where he worked with several Fortune 500 companies to bring cutting-edge AI to the manufacturing sector. His award-winning research has been published in leading field journals such as Management Science and Production and Operations Management. His thought leadership extends to publications with organizations such as the World Economic Forum Agenda and the United Nations. In 2022, Forbes recognized Julian in its 30 under 30 list.
Tarik Benabdallah is Co-Founder and CEO of Pelico, an AI-powered platform that is transforming supply chain orchestration for global manufacturers. Pelico is trusted by industry leaders such as Airbus, Safran, Eaton and Daikin and backed by investors like General Catalyst, 83North and Serena. Tarik is a serial entrepreneur. With a background in AI & enterprise software, he helped multiple manufacturers to conduct award-winning large scale digital transformations. He is passionate about empowering operational teams to conduct step-change transformations leveraging data & AI.
Join us as we advance Europe's industrial capabilities through innovation, collaboration and visionary AI, strengthening the backbone of European manufacturing for decades to come.
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Member of the European Parliament
Eva Maydell is a third-term Member of the European Parliament from the European People's Party, serving in the Industry and Economic Affairs Committees, and as Vice President of the Parliament's delegation for relations with the United States. She was a lead negotiator on the EU Chips Act and Artificial Intelligence Act, with a focus on innovation, technology, and global democratic cooperation. Maydell is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, sits on the WEF Digital Europe Board, and co-founded the Council on the Future with the Munich Security Conference.
Head of POM, ETH Zurich
Prof. Netland is a leading voice in global manufacturing innovation. He heads the Chair of Production and Operations Management at ETH Zurich and serves on the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council. As President of EurOMA and a Fellow of the European Academy for Industrial Management, his work has shaped both academic and industrial thinking. A recipient of the Jack Meredith Best Paper Award and two Shingo Research Awards, he co-authored the definitive 800-page textbook Introduction to Manufacturing.
Chief Science Officer, Intrinsic
Torsten Kroeger is the Chief Science Officer of Intrinsic, a robotics software and AI company at Alphabet. Intrinsic aims to unlock the creative and economic potential of industrial robotics by making industrial robots easier to use and train. He has more than two decades of experience in robotics and AI. Before joining Intrinsic, he was founder and CEO of Reflexxes GmbH, a real-time motion generation software startup, and co-founder and CEO of Loom Vision GmbH, a robotics software startup.
Head of Artificial Intelligence, TRUMPF
Sarah Engel shapes the future of industrial innovation as Head of Artificial Intelligence at TRUMPF, spearheading AI programs that turn technological opportunities and human potential into actual value. Drawing on director-level stints in AI at Capgemini Invent and her former role as IBM's EMEA Lead for Trustworthy AI, she unites deep technical rigor with strategic vision to help European industry harness AI responsibly and competitively.
CIO, Siemens Smart Infrastructure
Sébastien Bey is CIO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure, headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology. He drives IoT transformation, fosters collaboration in digital ecosystems, and leads Siemens' IT Northstar. A champion of employee empowerment, he promotes Agile practices, inclusion, and diversity across his organization, working closely with customers, stakeholders, and partners to create sustainable, impactful change.
Head IT Value Center, Siemens Smart Infrastructure
Alexander Dierolf heads a global Value Center for Data Intelligence and Automation, bringing over two decades of experience driving the company's transformation into a data-driven enterprise. His team supports internal processes across all domains, functions, and business units to unlock their data potential. A strong advocate for innovation through collaboration, Alex champions partnerships between large enterprises and start-ups, particularly in manufacturing, to unite rapid AI development with Siemens' extensive data and process expertise.
Delivery Manager New ID. Family, Volkswagen
Frank Ortmann leads the delivery management of Volkswagen's MEB platform-based products. He ensures the on-time, on-budget and high-quality launches of the new models on the platform, orchestrating cross-disciplinary teams. Based on his experience, also from his former role as SVP in Volkswagen Group's Software Unit, where he was responsible for R&D Tooling, he has a deep understanding of the importance of data-driven development, troubleshooting and decision-making in Automotive Engineering.
Director of Policy, Mila
Jonathan Barry serves as Director of Policy to Professor Yoshua Bengio at Mila, the Quebec Institute of Artificial Intelligence, where he advances frameworks for beneficial AI. Previously he advised two Canadian Prime Ministers and two Ministers of National Defence on technology and security strategy, working across Canada, the United States and Europe. His expertise informs initiatives with the United Nations, OECD, World Economic Forum and the International AI Safety Report. He holds a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University.
Research Vice President, IDC
As Research Vice President, Industry Ecosystems & Business Networks, Manufacturing Insights at IDC, Jeff Hojlo focuses on the creation and optimization of trusted industry ecosystems and next-generation value chains across discrete and process manufacturing, construction, and retail. He also manages IDC's Manufacturing Insights Global Research, with a focus on Industry 4.0/5.0, digital twins, and the impact of AI, including product innovation platforms and the closed-loop digital thread from design and engineering through manufacturing, supply chain, and field service.
Senior Germany Correspondent, The Economist
Vendeline von Bredow reports on Germany's business, economics and politics as The Economist's Senior Germany Correspondent, based in Berlin. Over more than two decades she has been deputy Europe editor, European business correspondent and Midwest correspondent in Chicago. Earlier she worked for the Financial Times Deutschland and Merrill Lynch in London and wrote editorials for The Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels. She holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a diploma from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques, Paris.
