DATA festival
Program 2026
We’re working at full speed on an exciting new program!
In the meantime, take a look at our highlights to get a preview of what’s coming your way.
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As soon as there is news about the program, you will be the first to know.
Beyond the Hype Curve
Thomas Zeutschler, Senior Analyst Data & AI | BARC
Thomas is a BARC Fellow and Senior Analyst at BARC in the area of data & analytics. His focus is on modern data strategy, data lake(house)-based data management concepts, API-based process integration and in particular the definition, implementation and operationalization of data-driven business processes and business models.
The AI Act Reference Architecture: A Practical Blueprint – from Law to System Design
The EU AI Act is about to reshape how we design and operate intelligent systems — and software architecture sits right at the center of this shift. This talk explores how to build AI solutions that are compliant by design, using architectural patterns that enforce transparency, traceability, and governance without slowing teams down. We’ll look at how to structure domains, data flows, and decision points so that risk classification, documentation, and monitoring become natural outputs of the system, not last-minute compliance work. You’ll also see how Domain-Driven Design and event-driven architectures help organizations embed safety, explainability, and accountability into their AI products. Whether you’re an architect, product owner, or engineering leader, this session will show you how to turn regulation into an accelerator — not an obstacle. Join to learn how future-proof architecture can make the EU AI Act a strategic advantage.
Dr. Nikita Golovko, Portfolio Architect (Industrial AI) | Siemens
Dr. Nikita Golovko is a Solution Architect with 16+ years designing scalable, secure, cost-effective architectures for industrial and mission-critical systems. With an academic ML background, he bridges cutting-edge AI with shop-floor reality, translating business needs into robust designs and aligning cross-functional teams. He focuses on AI, IoT, and edge to drive sustainable improvement and is writing a book on managing technical debt through culture and decision frameworks.
The Future is Conversational: Bosch’s Integrated Data Product Ecosystem with Generative AI
Explore Bosch’s journey integrating Generative AI into a holistic data product ecosystem. Discover how we’re building conversational interfaces and democratizing data access to unlock new possibilities for innovation and efficiency.
Wolfgang Klein, Director Data-as-a-Service | Robert Bosch GmbH
Simeon Rilling, Chief Product Owner for the Data Mesh Ecosystem | Robert Bosch GmbH
After his studies at Karlsruhe and Grenoble Wolfgang joined Accenture 2002 as an IT Consultant. In 2007 he entered the Bosch Group and focused on data topics as inhouse consultant and project lead. Since 2019 he is driving the evolution of the Bosch data platforms from data lake to data mesh and now towards an integrated data product ecosystem bringing conversional AI features into reality.
Simeon Rilling is the Chief Product Owner for the Data Mesh Ecosystem at Bosch. In his current role for the past three years, he has been instrumental in shaping and driving the data mesh strategy at Bosch. He has been with the company for a decade, holding various data-centric positions ranging from consultant to program lead for data analytics strategy for different Bosch divisions. Before joining Bosch, he worked as a data analytics consultant and graduated in Physics from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
From Solo Agents to Agentic Ecosystems: Enabling Production-Ready AI for the Energy Transition
The rise of Agentic AI marks a shift from single-task copilots to multi-agent ecosystems that can collaborate, reason, and act within enterprise environments. In the energy sector, this evolution is critical: agents need not only intelligence but also interoperability with trusted data foundations and enterprise systems to become production-ready. In this talk, we’ll explore how to move beyond isolated experiments with single agents toward scalable, multi-agent architectures that can optimize grid operations, accelerate decarbonization, and empower customers. We’ll highlight the role of data governance, orchestration, and integration in making agentic AI safe, reliable, and impactful for the energy transition.
Kapil Gupta, Chief Data Technologist | E.ON
Kapil Gupta is Chief Data & AI Technologist at E.ON Digital Technology, where he leads global strategy for Data & AI platforms. He focuses on building scalable foundations for GenAI, AI agents, and advanced analytics to deliver high-value use cases across the energy business. Previously, Kapil established and led the MLOps function at E.ON, enabling enterprise-wide adoption of AI in production. Earlier in his career, he headed Managed Cloud Services at Deutsche Telekom, where his team was instrumental in developing the Corona Warn App during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kapil is passionate about creating AI-native operating models, advancing agentic AI in the enterprise, and driving the energy transition through responsible and impactful AI.
From slides to systems: Lessons learned from implementing AI governance in a decentral global organisation
A practical look at how the ZEISS Responsible AI Office moved from powerpoint principles to practice — turning global AI legislation such as the EU AI Act into a concrete AI governance and risk-management framework. Learn how a decentralized global organization develops its Responsible AI playbook and operating model to embed accountability and enable compliance without slowing innovation. Walk away with lessons learned, key enablers, and a look ahead at the next phase of Responsible AI maturity.
Alexandra Wander, Program Manager Responsible AI | Zeiss
Alexandra Wander is Responsible AI Program Manager at ZEISS. She leads the company’s global AI governance strategy with the ZEISS Responsible AI Office, bridging compliance, technology and culture to ensure trustworthy AI at scale. An aerospace engineer by training, she previously worked on autonomous systems in space, on the street and on rails before turning her focus to governing AI on Earth. Passionate about responsible innovation, she advocates for AI that advances both technology and trust.
From Discovery to Scale: Building Shared Pathways for Enterprise AI at Henkel
What does it really take to scale AI across a 47,000-person organization, beyond pilots, isolated use cases, and hero teams?
At Henkel, we learned that sustainable AI adoption is less about pushing more projects into production and more about designing the right conditions: technical foundations that reduce friction, governance that’s embedded rather than enforced, and communities that make learning and discovery visible across the organization.
In this talk, Florian Roscheck from Henkel’s Data & Analytics Strategy team shares how Henkel is building a shared environment for enterprise AI, anchored by a central AI Engineering Hub and complemented by initiatives like the Henkel Data Club community and an interactive AI Explorer for non-experts. Together, these elements help teams discover what’s possible, reuse proven patterns, and move from experimentation to production without reinventing infrastructure or becoming governance specialists.
Rather than presenting a rigid, one-size-fits-all framework, the talk shows how Henkel connects discovery, learning, and production through shared pathways. Florian will briefly outline the principles behind the AI Explorer – starting from use cases rather than technology, making constraints visible early, and clearly linking discovery to next steps – before showing how this orientation flows into the AI Engineering Hub as the central place for compliant architecture blueprints, reusable patterns, and embedded governance. The Data Club complements this setup by turning individual learnings into shared knowledge. Attendees will leave with practical ideas they can adapt to support responsible, human-centric AI at scale, starting where they are.
Florian Roscheck, Senior Data Scientist – Data & Analytics Strategy, | Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Florian Roscheck is a Senior Data Scientist in Henkel’s Data & Analytics Strategy team, where he focuses on the human side of enterprise AI: how a global organization of 47,000 can build habits, skills, and shared standards beyond single use cases. Partnering with teams across functions, he co-founded the Henkel Data Club (1,000+ members), a grassroots community of practice, and the Henkel Data & Analytics Blog. Florian’s work translates what teams discover in practice into shareable frameworks, so AI adoption becomes a strategic capability.
Discussiongroups
Join the various informal discussion groups on the afternoon of the first day of the event.
- Modernizing Data Architectures – Data Warehouse, Data Lake or Lakehouse?
- FinOps – how do we keep cloud costs for Data & AI in check?
- Data & AI Young Professionals Circle (U30)
- Data & AI Communication – what do you communicate to positively influence data culture?
- Data Quality – Best Practices
- AI Act – Lessons learned
- Data Science – #notimeforllms
- Skills, Teams and Culture for Scalable Data & AI
- Data& AI in your specific Industry
- More topics to come…
Evening Event
Continue your conversation with colleagues and like-minded people in a relaxed atmosphere in the beer garden right on the Isar river.
*Preliminary schedule, subject to change.
Any questions?
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