U-Path
U-Path

Please note: The program remains dynamic and may be adjusted as speakers are confirmed. Unlike a traditional conference, the Summit is built around active dialogue, executive working sessions, and continued collaboration beyond the event. We therefore ask all participants to plan for full participation on September 3 and 4 and to contribute actively throughout both days. The working sessions are central to the Summit experience and to the cross-industry exchange and collaboration it is designed to enable.


Side events around the Summit

A number of partner and ecosystem events are taking place around the Summit programme.

View all side events here →

EUROPE 2026 AGENDA

From Insight to Execution

 

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 – Welcome Dinner

Location: Bonvivant, Berlin (Goltzstraße 32, 10781 Berlin-Bezirk Tempelhof-Schöneberg)

18:00 | Leadership Reception & Dinner

Official greetings from the City of Berlin, set the tone for the Summit and highlight Berlin’s role as a hub for innovation and collaboration.

Welcome by

  • Franziska Giffey - Mayor and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises
  • Dr. Rainer Seider - President, Asia Berlin Forum
Dinner and informal discussions among participants. No panels, just an open dialogue and connection.

 

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Location: Messe Berlin (CityCube)

08:30 | Arrival & Coffee

09:00 | Opening Welcome

Welcome and framing from the CVC | Open Innovation Summit Co-Hosts.

09:15 | Opening Keynote: Europe in Transition – Competitiveness, Innovation & Strategic Autonomy

A keynote setting the global context for the Summit and asking what Europe must do over the next five years to become a global builder again.

Theme: Strategic Autonomy: What Must Europe Build Next?

  • Dr. Parag Khanna, Global Strategy Advisor and Internationally Bestselling Author
09:40 | Session 1: Building Europe’s Next Industrial Advantage
What must Europe build, fund, and change in the next five years to regain industrial leadership?
  • Axel Deniz – Chief Executive Officer, Bosch Business Innovations
  • Yvonne Lim – Director, Digital Industry Singapore (DISG)
  • Jérôme Brouillet - Minister Counsellor for Economic Affairs, Embassy of France in Germany
  • Brigitte Zypries - Former Minister for Economics and Energy, Supervisory Board Member Expo Berlin 2035
Moderator: Daniel Kennel - Product Line Director, Borgwarner

10:30 | Coffee Break & Networking

  • IFA by Leif Lindner – Chief Executive Officer, IFA Berlin

11:00 | Session 2: Rebuilding Europe’s Tech Leadership

Which technologies must Europe build, own, and scale to remain sovereign and competitive?
  • Dr. Markus Schillo – Representative for Germany, European Investment Fund (EIF) 
  • Moritz Jungmann – Investment Partner, Future Energy Ventures – E.ON 
  • Karina Frille – Partner, RSM Ebner Stolz
  • Nora Oberländer - Chief Digital Officer, HÜBNER GmbH & Co. KG
Moderator: Bernhard Mohr – Managing Director, Evonik Venture Capital

11:45 | Session 3: Building the AI-Driven Enterprise 

What has to change inside the company for AI to deliver a measurable business impact? 
  • Sebastian Graf – Chief AI Officer, Entrepreneur & Technology Builder
  • Prof. Dr. Philipp Slusallek – Scientific Director and Member of the Executive Board, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI)
  • Jan Beger - Global Head of AI Advocacy, GE HealthCare 
  • Corinna Erken - Head of Innovationhub, SIGNAL IDUNA Group
Moderator: Hannah Bug von Stocki – Partner (IP/Data/Tech), Dentons
12:30 | Working Session Introduction

12:45 | Networking Lunch

13:30 | Executive Working Sessions

The working sessions are the core of the Summit. In moderated peer groups, participants will move beyond presentations to explore shared challenges, exchange practical experience, and identify opportunities for collaboration.Discussions will focus on a small number of strategic themes aligned with the Summit agenda. Insights from each group will be shared on Day 2 and form the basis for post-Summit white papers, follow-up working groups, and future cross-corporate initiatives.

Indicative themes include:

  • Funding Transformation Under Structural Pressure
  • From AI Pilots to Enterprise Reinvention
  • Workforce Resilience, Leadership & Demographic Reality

16:00 | Session 4: Workforce Resilience, Human Potential & Productivity

Winning the Global Talent Race in an Aging Europe
  • Dr. Sarah J. Becker – Lead Partner, AI Transformation and Governance, Deloitte
  • Jil Hammerschmidt – Senior Director AI & People Transformation, Lufthansa
  • Prof. Dr. Katharina Janus - CEO & Founder, FourthQuarterLife

Moderator: Philipp Willigmann – Co-founder and co-host, CVC | Open Innovation Summit

16:45 | Closing Reflection: Europe's Capacity to Transform
Closing reflections from the core Summit day, including key tensions, shared strategic bottlenecks, and opportunities for continued collaboration.
  • Dr. Maja Goepel – German political economist, transformation researcher, and sustainability scientist with a focus on transdisciplinarity.
17:00 | Closing Remarks by the CVC | Open Innovation Summit Co-Hosts
17:30 | Break / Location Shift
18:00 | Leadership Reception
Light dinner and drinks at Enjoy Rooftop (Rognitzstraße 8, 14057 Berlin-Bezirk Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf). Open dialogue and connection.
Political Perspective: Building Europe's Next Decade  
  • Thomas Jarzombek – Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation'
20:00 | IFA Lounge Night
A special experience following the reception. Further details have been shared directly with Summit attendees.

Friday, September 4, 2026

Location: Messe Berlin (CityCube)

08:30 | Welcome and Framing for Day 2
08:45 | From Corporate Venture to Industrial Deployment
How can CVC become a strategic tool for building and scaling Europe’s next industries?
Moderator: Ivo Ronner – Venture Capital Principal, Swiss Post Ventures 
09:30 | Break & Networking
09:45 | Working Group Report-Outs
The working groups report back with a focus on action design, concrete next steps, future working groups and white papers, and potential cross-corporate projects.
10:45 | Board & CEO Dialogue: Governing Transformation in the Age of AI.
A senior leadership conversation focused not on further diagnosis, but on the decisions that must now be made.
How should boards and CEOs allocate capital under uncertainty? Which investments cannot be delayed? How must governance, leadership, and organizational models evolve? And what can the strategy, innovation, and venture leaders in the room take back into their organizations and implement?
  • Dr. Ferri Abolhassan, Chief Executive Officer, T-Systems, and Member of the Board of Management, Deutsche Telekom AG
  • Additional CEO, board, and capital perspectives to be announced
11:45 | Transition & Break
12:00 | Government Fireside Chat with IFA
  • Karsten Wildberger – Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation
12:30 | VIP IFA Tour
A private guided tour of selected IFA programming and technology showcases, including AI, robotics, industrial systems, mobility, and consumer technology.
13:30 | Close
Please note: The program remains dynamic and may be adjusted as speakers are confirmed. Unlike a traditional conference, the Summit is built around active dialogue, executive working sessions, and continued collaboration beyond the event. We therefore ask all participants to plan for full participation on September 3 and 4 and to contribute actively throughout both days. The working sessions are central to the Summit experience and to the cross-industry exchange and collaboration it is designed to enable.

Contact Us

info@cvc-summit.com

    Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy

    Please note: The program remains dynamic and may be adjusted as speakers are confirmed. Unlike a traditional conference, the Summit is built around active dialogue, executive working sessions, and continued collaboration beyond the event. We therefore ask all participants to plan for full participation on September 3 and 4 and to contribute actively throughout both days. The working sessions are central to the Summit experience and to the cross-industry exchange and collaboration it is designed to enable.


    Side events around the Summit

    A number of partner and ecosystem events are taking place around the Summit programme.

    View all side events here →

    EUROPE 2026 AGENDA

    From Insight to Execution

     

    Wednesday, September 2, 2026 – Welcome Dinner

    Location: Bonvivant, Berlin (Goltzstraße 32, 10781 Berlin-Bezirk Tempelhof-Schöneberg)

    18:00 | Leadership Reception & Dinner

    Official greetings from the City of Berlin, set the tone for the Summit and highlight Berlin’s role as a hub for innovation and collaboration.

    Welcome by

    • Franziska Giffey - Mayor and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises
    • Dr. Rainer Seider - President, Asia Berlin Forum
    Dinner and informal discussions among participants. No panels, just an open dialogue and connection.

     

    Thursday, September 3, 2026

    Location: Messe Berlin (CityCube)

    08:30 | Arrival & Coffee

    09:00 | Opening Welcome

    Welcome and framing from the CVC | Open Innovation Summit Co-Hosts.

    09:15 | Opening Keynote: Europe in Transition – Competitiveness, Innovation & Strategic Autonomy

    A keynote setting the global context for the Summit and asking what Europe must do over the next five years to become a global builder again.

    Theme: Strategic Autonomy: What Must Europe Build Next?

    • Dr. Parag Khanna, Global Strategy Advisor and Internationally Bestselling Author
    09:40 | Session 1: Building Europe’s Next Industrial Advantage
    What must Europe build, fund, and change in the next five years to regain industrial leadership?
    • Axel Deniz – Chief Executive Officer, Bosch Business Innovations
    • Yvonne Lim – Director, Digital Industry Singapore (DISG)
    • Jérôme Brouillet - Minister Counsellor for Economic Affairs, Embassy of France in Germany
    • Brigitte Zypries - Former Minister for Economics and Energy, Supervisory Board Member Expo Berlin 2035
    Moderator: Daniel Kennel - Product Line Director, Borgwarner

    10:30 | Coffee Break & Networking

    • IFA by Leif Lindner – Chief Executive Officer, IFA Berlin

    11:00 | Session 2: Rebuilding Europe’s Tech Leadership

    Which technologies must Europe build, own, and scale to remain sovereign and competitive?
    • Dr. Markus Schillo – Representative for Germany, European Investment Fund (EIF) 
    • Moritz Jungmann – Investment Partner, Future Energy Ventures – E.ON 
    • Karina Frille – Partner, RSM Ebner Stolz
    • Nora Oberländer - Chief Digital Officer, HÜBNER GmbH & Co. KG
    Moderator: Bernhard Mohr – Managing Director, Evonik Venture Capital

    11:45 | Session 3: Building the AI-Driven Enterprise 

    What has to change inside the company for AI to deliver a measurable business impact? 
    • Sebastian Graf – Chief AI Officer, Entrepreneur & Technology Builder
    • Prof. Dr. Philipp Slusallek – Scientific Director and Member of the Executive Board, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI)
    • Jan Beger - Global Head of AI Advocacy, GE HealthCare 
    • Corinna Erken - Head of Innovationhub, SIGNAL IDUNA Group
    Moderator: Hannah Bug von Stocki – Partner (IP/Data/Tech), Dentons
    12:30 | Working Session Introduction

    12:45 | Networking Lunch

    13:30 | Executive Working Sessions

    The working sessions are the core of the Summit. In moderated peer groups, participants will move beyond presentations to explore shared challenges, exchange practical experience, and identify opportunities for collaboration.Discussions will focus on a small number of strategic themes aligned with the Summit agenda. Insights from each group will be shared on Day 2 and form the basis for post-Summit white papers, follow-up working groups, and future cross-corporate initiatives.

    Indicative themes include:

    • Funding Transformation Under Structural Pressure
    • From AI Pilots to Enterprise Reinvention
    • Workforce Resilience, Leadership & Demographic Reality

    16:00 | Session 4: Workforce Resilience, Human Potential & Productivity

    Winning the Global Talent Race in an Aging Europe
    • Dr. Sarah J. Becker – Lead Partner, AI Transformation and Governance, Deloitte
    • Jil Hammerschmidt – Senior Director AI & People Transformation, Lufthansa
    • Prof. Dr. Katharina Janus - CEO & Founder, FourthQuarterLife

    Moderator: Philipp Willigmann – Co-founder and co-host, CVC | Open Innovation Summit

    16:45 | Closing Reflection: Europe's Capacity to Transform
    Closing reflections from the core Summit day, including key tensions, shared strategic bottlenecks, and opportunities for continued collaboration.
    • Dr. Maja Goepel – German political economist, transformation researcher, and sustainability scientist with a focus on transdisciplinarity.
    17:00 | Closing Remarks by the CVC | Open Innovation Summit Co-Hosts
    17:30 | Break / Location Shift
    18:00 | Leadership Reception
    Light dinner and drinks at Enjoy Rooftop (Rognitzstraße 8, 14057 Berlin-Bezirk Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf). Open dialogue and connection.
    Political Perspective: Building Europe's Next Decade  
    • Thomas Jarzombek – Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation'
    20:00 | IFA Lounge Night
    A special experience following the reception. Further details have been shared directly with Summit attendees.

    Friday, September 4, 2026

    Location: Messe Berlin (CityCube)

    08:30 | Welcome and Framing for Day 2
    08:45 | From Corporate Venture to Industrial Deployment
    How can CVC become a strategic tool for building and scaling Europe’s next industries?
    Moderator: Ivo Ronner – Venture Capital Principal, Swiss Post Ventures 
    09:30 | Break & Networking
    09:45 | Working Group Report-Outs
    The working groups report back with a focus on action design, concrete next steps, future working groups and white papers, and potential cross-corporate projects.
    10:45 | Board & CEO Dialogue: Governing Transformation in the Age of AI.
    A senior leadership conversation focused not on further diagnosis, but on the decisions that must now be made.
    How should boards and CEOs allocate capital under uncertainty? Which investments cannot be delayed? How must governance, leadership, and organizational models evolve? And what can the strategy, innovation, and venture leaders in the room take back into their organizations and implement?
    • Dr. Ferri Abolhassan, Chief Executive Officer, T-Systems, and Member of the Board of Management, Deutsche Telekom AG
    • Additional CEO, board, and capital perspectives to be announced
    11:45 | Transition & Break
    12:00 | Government Fireside Chat with IFA
    • Karsten Wildberger – Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation
    12:30 | VIP IFA Tour
    A private guided tour of selected IFA programming and technology showcases, including AI, robotics, industrial systems, mobility, and consumer technology.
    13:30 | Close
    Please note: The program remains dynamic and may be adjusted as speakers are confirmed. Unlike a traditional conference, the Summit is built around active dialogue, executive working sessions, and continued collaboration beyond the event. We therefore ask all participants to plan for full participation on September 3 and 4 and to contribute actively throughout both days. The working sessions are central to the Summit experience and to the cross-industry exchange and collaboration it is designed to enable.

    Contact Us

    info@cvc-summit.com

      Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy