Sovereign AI Summit | 16 - 17 November 2026, Brussels
16 November: Evening Welcome Reception
17 November: Sovereign AI Summit
Join Google Cloud, our sovereignty partners, senior industry and policy leaders as we unpack Europe’s sovereign future. Discover how our unique partnership ecosystem and sovereign AI capabilities empower organizations with European control, operational autonomy and unmatched security, backed by real-world case studies.
16 November: Evening Welcome Reception
17 November: Sovereign AI Summit
Join Google Cloud, our sovereignty partners, senior industry and policy leaders as we unpack Europe’s sovereign future. Discover how our unique partnership ecosystem and sovereign AI capabilities empower organizations with European control, operational autonomy and unmatched security, backed by real-world case studies.
November 16 & 17, 2026
Day 1: 18:00—21:00 CEST
Day 2: 09:00—18:00 CEST
Bd du Souverain 25/1,
1170 Watermael-Boitsfort, Belgium
As Europe accelerates its digital transformation, balancing rapid AI innovation with robust digital sovereignty has become a strategic priority. In this summit, we bring together C-level executives, public sector technology leaders, EU policymakers and sovereignty experts who are actively shaping the continent's digital future, to exchange their experiences in implementing digital sovereignty:
- See Sovereignty in Action: Move beyond theoretical debate to explore real-world examples of how organisations are successfully leveraging Google Cloud's sovereign solutions to achieve their business and organisational objectives.
- European Partnerships in Action: Understand how trusted local providers are collaborating hand-in-hand with Google Cloud to build a secure, globally competitive, resilient, and AI-ready digital infrastructure, offering choice and control.
- Exclusive Networking with top EMEA and global execs: Connect with peers, EU policymakers, and Google Cloud leadership to share actionable strategies, influence emerging policy discussions, and build a strong pan-European community.
This is your opportunity to gain the strategic and architectural clarity needed to lead in Europe's digital era.
Register today by completing the form to secure your place for the Sovereign AI Summit on 17 November 2026 in Brussels.
Arrive early! We will be hosting an evening welcome networking reception on 16 November from 18:00 to 21:00 (CEST) at MIX Brussels.
Accommodation: We have a special event accommodation offer with the MIX hotel. Please book directly here. Special offer ends on 28 September 2026.
Confirmed Speakers
Dean IE University
Président Jacques Delors Institute
Managing Director
Proximus
President and VP Critical Information Systems
S3NS
CEO
Thales DE
CEO and co-founder
Deepset
Director, Assistant General Counsel for Policy & Digital Trust
Palo Alto Networks
CTO
Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ukraine
VP, Global Cloud Lead, Public Sector
Capgemini
Head of Workspace
Schwarz Digits
CIO
Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital (UKSH)
VP/GM, Distributed & Sovereign Cloud
Google Cloud
Vice President Global Customer Engineering & GTS
Google Cloud
Senior Director Government Affairs & Public Policy Cloud Europe
Google Cloud
Vice President, Regulated and Sovereign Cloud,
Google Cloud
Managing Director, EMEA, Office of the CTO
Google Cloud
Country Lead BeNeLux
Google Cloud
Chief Operating Officer
Google Cloud, EMEA
Director Public Sector EMEA
Google Cloud
Vice President, EMEA North
Google Cloud
Global Consulting Services (GCS) Engineering Offering Leader, Deloitte Belgium
Country Manager, AVP for France, South EMEA and Benelux, PIGMENT
Senior Staff, Key & Secrets Management, Google Cloud
Director, Office of the CISO
Sales Lead Digital Sovereignty, Google Cloud
Agenda
09:00 - 09:30 | Registration |
|---|---|
09:30 - 09:35 | Welcome Niall McDonagh, Director Public Sector EMEA - Google Cloud |
09:35 - 09:50 | Made with Europe: How Sovereign Innovation can power an independent AI Stack Chris Lindsay, Vice President of Global Technology and Solutions, outlines how Google Cloud is delivering a complete, secure, and open AI stack made with Europe. Chris Lindsay, Vice President Global Customer Engineering & GTS, Google Cloud |
09:50 - 10:10 | Fireside Chat with Enrico Letta European competitiveness and open sovereignty in the age of AI. Enrico Letta, Dean of the IE School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs, IE University Madrid Giorgia Abeltino, Senior Director Government Affairs & Public Policy Cloud Europe, Google Cloud |
|---|---|
10:10 - 10:35 | Customer Panel This session will explore the current state of sovereign controls and discuss future expectations from European Customers. Jai Haridas, VP/GM, Regulated and Sovereign Cloud, Google Cloud Fabrice de Windt, Managing Director, Proximus Robert Kernahan, Vice President, Head of Sovereign Cloud, Northern & Central Europe, Capgemini |
10:35 - 11:00 | Building Europe’s hyperscale sovereign cloud THALES is now operating the first European hyperscale cloud based on Google Cloud Dedicated technology. This session will explore the project's creation, its successful ANSSI qualification and rapid adoption by European customers. Marianne Janik, Vice President, EMEA North, Google Cloud Helene Bringer, President and VP Critical Information Systems, S3NS Marcus Mühling, CEO Thales DE, NewCo Yves Rombauts, Global Consulting Services Engineering Offering Leader, Deloitte Belgium |
11:00 - 11:20 | Coffee Break |
11:20 - 11:50 | Made with Europe: Advancing Europe's Digital Sovereignty A strategic discussion on connecting local control with global technological excellence, highlighting how open partnerships help European businesses scale and innovate responsibly. Matthew Woelfel, Executive Director, POLITICO Giorgia Abeltino, Senior Director Government Affairs & Public Policy Cloud Europe, Google Cloud Thibaut Kleiner, Director for Future Networks, DG CONNECT, European Commission Diego Solier, Member of the European Parliament, ECR Spain |
11:50 - 12:20 | Sovereign AI in Action: Creating a Sovereign Ecosystem Strategic software partners will showcase real-world examples of localised AI solutions made with Europe to navigate complex regulatory landscapes. Meagan Tanner, Director, EMEA Head of Partner & Alliances, Google Cloud Nathalie Barrera, Director, Assistant General Counsel for Policy & Digital Trust, Palo Alto Network Tim-Henrik Reuter, Head of Workspace, Schwarz Digits IT |
12:20 - 13:00 | Applied Sovereignty: Real-World Use Cases The panel explores how high-stakes organisations are implementing sovereign cloud solutions to overcome complex operational and compliance challenges. Eliot Danner, Managing Director, Google Distributed Cloud Sales & Technology, Google Cloud Rudolf Dück M.Sc. CIO, UKSH Mauro Capo, Digital Sovereignty Lead EMEA, Accenture Oleksandr Savchenko, CTO, MoD of Digital Transformation of Ukraine |
13:00 - 14:15 | Lunch |
14:15 - 15:00 | Breakout 1: Model Choice & Agentic Control Model Choice and Agentic Control in Sovereign Environments Learn how to configure AI models & agent control layers under strict sovereign constraints as enterprise AI shifts toward autonomous multi-agent workflows. Marc Crandall, Senior Director and Global Head of Privacy, Google Cloud Matt Garr, Group Product Manager, Google Cloud Tobias Regenfuss, Digital Core Lead, Accenture, CEE |
14:15 - 15:00 | Breakout 2: Augmented Security, Compliance, and Operational Survivability This session outlines technical and organisational mechanisms required to build automated compliance directly into the AI request path to meet rigorous European regulatory mandates. Igor Podebrad, Director, Office of the CISO Christiane Peters, Senior Staff, Key & Secrets Management, Google Cloud |
14:15 - 15:00 | Breakout 3: Applications of AI on sovereign platforms Gain actionable insights into satisfying strict regulatory standards like DORA, managing external cryptographic keys, and successfully moving highly regulated AI workloads from pilot to production. Grégory Mendes, Sales Lead Digital Sovereignty, Google Cloud Vincent Fournier, Country Manager, AVP for France, South EMEA and Benelux,PIGMENT |
15:00 - 15:15 | Coffee Break |
15:15 - 16:00 | Breakout 4: Strategic Autonomy Through Open Source and Interoperability Explore how combining open architectures with sovereign cloud infrastructure, strengthens Sovereign AI strategy by preventing architectural lock-in, preserving flexibility and fostering regional competitiveness. Isabel Povoa, Product Manager, Google Cloud Stefan Zosel, VP Global Cloud Lead Public Sector, Capgemini Milos Rusic, CEO, DeepSet Olivier Lacombe, Engineering Director, GEMMA Flavio Castelli, Distinguished Engineer, Suse |
15:15 - 16:00 | Breakout 5: Economic Autonomy and Cultural Alignment in AI Presenting a "dynamic alignment" framework that addresses economic and cultural AI challenges by combining partner-operated infrastructure with localised datasets and open architectures to enforce cultural fidelity and optimise costs. Sanjay Jacob, Product Executive, Sovereign AI, Google Cloud Théo Chamley, Chief Product Owner AI, Thales |
15:15 - 16:00 | Breakout 6: Sovereignty in Action: Scaling European Hyperscale Clouds with S3NS & Thales In this executive fireside chat, leaders from S3NS and Thales will share insights from deploying Europe’s first partner-operated sovereign cloud; exploring how these platforms enforce strict regulatory compliance while delivering cutting-edge AI capabilities. Marc Waters, COO, Google Cloud Marcus Mühling, CEO, Thales DE Blaise Vignon, CMO & CPO, S3NS |
16:00 - 16:15 | Coffee Break |
16:15 - 16:50 | Bringing AI on-prem Where do we see the need for more local control to evolve and how can global technology help? We bring together a senior defence technology leader to share a European view in exchange with Google's engineering leadership. Joost Smit, Country Lead BeNeLux, Google Cloud Michiel Borgers, CIO, Dutch MoD Ankur Mehrotra, VP/GM, Distributed & Sovereign Cloud, Google Cloud |
16:50 - 17:00 | Wrap up and Closing Remarks Niall McDonagh, Director Public Sector EMEA, Google Cloud Giorgina Abeltino, Snr Director Government Affairs & Public Policy Cloud Europe, Google Cloud Chris Lindsay, VP Global Customer Engineering, Google Cloud |
17:00 - 18:30 | Social reception and networking |
18:00 | Welcome Drinks and Networking |
|---|
Sovereign AI Summit - 17 November
09:00 - 09:30 | Registration |
|---|---|
09:30 - 09:35 | Welcome Niall McDonagh, Director Public Sector EMEA - Google Cloud |
09:35 - 09:50 | Made with Europe: How Sovereign Innovation can power an independent AI Stack Chris Lindsay, Vice President of Global Technology and Solutions, outlines how Google Cloud is delivering a complete, secure, and open AI stack made with Europe. Chris Lindsay, Vice President Global Customer Engineering & GTS, Google Cloud |
09:50 - 10:10 | Fireside Chat with Enrico Letta European competitiveness and open sovereignty in the age of AI. Enrico Letta, Dean of the IE School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs, IE University Madrid Giorgia Abeltino, Senior Director Government Affairs & Public Policy Cloud Europe, Google Cloud |
|---|---|
10:10 - 10:35 | Customer Panel This session will explore the current state of sovereign controls and discuss future expectations from European Customers. Jai Haridas, VP/GM, Regulated and Sovereign Cloud, Google Cloud Fabrice de Windt, Managing Director, Proximus Robert Kernahan, Vice President, Head of Sovereign Cloud, Northern & Central Europe, Capgemini |
10:35 - 11:00 | Building Europe’s hyperscale sovereign cloud THALES is now operating the first European hyperscale cloud based on Google Cloud Dedicated technology. This session will explore the project's creation, its successful ANSSI qualification and rapid adoption by European customers. Marianne Janik, Vice President, EMEA North, Google Cloud Helene Bringer, President and VP Critical Information Systems, S3NS Marcus Mühling, CEO Thales DE, NewCo Yves Rombauts, Global Consulting Services Engineering Offering Leader, Deloitte Belgium |
11:00 - 11:20 | Coffee Break |
11:20 - 11:50 | Made with Europe: Advancing Europe's Digital Sovereignty A strategic discussion on connecting local control with global technological excellence, highlighting how open partnerships help European businesses scale and innovate responsibly. Matthew Woelfel, Executive Director, POLITICO Giorgia Abeltino, Senior Director Government Affairs & Public Policy Cloud Europe, Google Cloud Thibaut Kleiner, Director for Future Networks, DG CONNECT, European Commission Diego Solier, Member of the European Parliament, ECR Spain |
11:50 - 12:20 | Sovereign AI in Action: Creating a Sovereign Ecosystem Strategic software partners will showcase real-world examples of localised AI solutions made with Europe to navigate complex regulatory landscapes. Meagan Tanner, Director, EMEA Head of Partner & Alliances, Google Cloud Nathalie Barrera, Director, Assistant General Counsel for Policy & Digital Trust, Palo Alto Network Tim-Henrik Reuter, Head of Workspace, Schwarz Digits IT |
12:20 - 13:00 | Applied Sovereignty: Real-World Use Cases The panel explores how high-stakes organisations are implementing sovereign cloud solutions to overcome complex operational and compliance challenges. Eliot Danner, Managing Director, Google Distributed Cloud Sales & Technology, Google Cloud Rudolf Dück M.Sc. CIO, UKSH Mauro Capo, Digital Sovereignty Lead EMEA, Accenture Oleksandr Savchenko, CTO, MoD of Digital Transformation of Ukraine |
13:00 - 14:15 | Lunch |
14:15 - 15:00 | Breakout 1: Model Choice & Agentic Control Model Choice and Agentic Control in Sovereign Environments Learn how to configure AI models & agent control layers under strict sovereign constraints as enterprise AI shifts toward autonomous multi-agent workflows. Marc Crandall, Senior Director and Global Head of Privacy, Google Cloud Matt Garr, Group Product Manager, Google Cloud Tobias Regenfuss, Digital Core Lead, Accenture, CEE |
14:15 - 15:00 | Breakout 2: Augmented Security, Compliance, and Operational Survivability This session outlines technical and organisational mechanisms required to build automated compliance directly into the AI request path to meet rigorous European regulatory mandates. Igor Podebrad, Director, Office of the CISO Christiane Peters, Senior Staff, Key & Secrets Management, Google Cloud |
14:15 - 15:00 | Breakout 3: Applications of AI on sovereign platforms Gain actionable insights into satisfying strict regulatory standards like DORA, managing external cryptographic keys, and successfully moving highly regulated AI workloads from pilot to production. Grégory Mendes, Sales Lead Digital Sovereignty, Google Cloud Vincent Fournier, Country Manager, AVP for France, South EMEA and Benelux,PIGMENT |
15:00 - 15:15 | Coffee Break |
15:15 - 16:00 | Breakout 4: Strategic Autonomy Through Open Source and Interoperability Explore how combining open architectures with sovereign cloud infrastructure, strengthens Sovereign AI strategy by preventing architectural lock-in, preserving flexibility and fostering regional competitiveness. Isabel Povoa, Product Manager, Google Cloud Stefan Zosel, VP Global Cloud Lead Public Sector, Capgemini Milos Rusic, CEO, DeepSet Olivier Lacombe, Engineering Director, GEMMA Flavio Castelli, Distinguished Engineer, Suse |
15:15 - 16:00 | Breakout 5: Economic Autonomy and Cultural Alignment in AI Presenting a "dynamic alignment" framework that addresses economic and cultural AI challenges by combining partner-operated infrastructure with localised datasets and open architectures to enforce cultural fidelity and optimise costs. Sanjay Jacob, Product Executive, Sovereign AI, Google Cloud Théo Chamley, Chief Product Owner AI, Thales |
15:15 - 16:00 | Breakout 6: Sovereignty in Action: Scaling European Hyperscale Clouds with S3NS & Thales In this executive fireside chat, leaders from S3NS and Thales will share insights from deploying Europe’s first partner-operated sovereign cloud; exploring how these platforms enforce strict regulatory compliance while delivering cutting-edge AI capabilities. Marc Waters, COO, Google Cloud Marcus Mühling, CEO, Thales DE Blaise Vignon, CMO & CPO, S3NS |
16:00 - 16:15 | Coffee Break |
16:15 - 16:50 | Bringing AI on-prem Where do we see the need for more local control to evolve and how can global technology help? We bring together a senior defence technology leader to share a European view in exchange with Google's engineering leadership. Joost Smit, Country Lead BeNeLux, Google Cloud Michiel Borgers, CIO, Dutch MoD Ankur Mehrotra, VP/GM, Distributed & Sovereign Cloud, Google Cloud |
16:50 - 17:00 | Wrap up and Closing Remarks Niall McDonagh, Director Public Sector EMEA, Google Cloud Giorgina Abeltino, Snr Director Government Affairs & Public Policy Cloud Europe, Google Cloud Chris Lindsay, VP Global Customer Engineering, Google Cloud |
17:00 - 18:30 | Social reception and networking |
Welcome Reception - 16 November
18:00 | Welcome Drinks and Networking |
|---|
In association with:
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