Draft agenda
DAY ONE - Thursday, 19th November 2026
08:15 - 08:55
REGISTRATION, REFRESHMENTS AND NETWORKING
09:00 - 09:10
Chairs Welcome and Opening Scene Setting
THINK TANKS
We kick off the summit with our NEW ‘Think Tanks,’ delivered over three separate 25-minute sessions. The sessions consist of 10 tables of 8-10 attendees, including sponsors and industry leaders.
The 10 tables will be labelled with a specific industry challenge. Pre-event, all guests will choose 3 out of the 10 challenges that are most interesting and relevant to them. During each session, the group of like-minded attendees will work together to find a solution and potential business impact.
09:15 - 09:40
Think Tank Challenge 1
TABLE ONE:
From Pilot to Plant: Scaling Digital Initiatives Successfully
Explore strategies to transition from pilot projects to full-scale digital implementations.
TABLE TWO:
Building Resilient Operations in a Disruptive Landscape
Learn how to enhance operational agility amidst rapid industry changes.
TABLE THREE:
Enhancing Supply Chain Integration and Security
Discover methods to create connected and secure supply chains.
TABLE FOUR:
Industrial AI: Transforming Manufacturing Processes
Understand the practical applications of AI in manufacturing.
TABLE FIVE:
Digital Twins: Bridging Physical and Digital Worlds
Explore the use of digital twins to optimise manufacturing operations.
TABLE SIX:
Cybersecurity in Smart Manufacturing
Address the growing cybersecurity challenges in digital manufacturing.
TABLE SEVEN:
Data-Driven Decision Making in Manufacturing
Leverage data analytics to inform strategic decisions.
TABLE EIGHT:
Sustainable Manufacturing: Achieving Green Goals
Incorporate sustainability into manufacturing processes.
TABLE NINE:
Workforce Transformation in the Digital Age
Prepare your workforce for the demands of modern manufacturing.
TABLE TEN:
Leveraging IoT for Operational Excellence
Utilise IoT technologies to enhance manufacturing efficiency.
TABLE ELEVEN:
Predictive Maintenance: Minimising Downtime
Implement predictive maintenance strategies to improve reliability.
TABLE TWELVE:
Advanced Robotics and Automation
Explore the integration of robotics into manufacturing workflows.
TABLE THIRTEEN:
Cloud Computing in Manufacturing
Understand the role of cloud technologies in modern manufacturing.
09:45 - 10:10
Think Tank Challenge 2
Think Tanks Challenge topics repeated as above
10:15 - 10:40
Think Tank Challenge 3
Sven Seipp, Senior Manager – Supply Chain & Network Operations, Deloitte Consulting GmbH
10:45 - 11:10
NETWORKING AND REFRESHMENTS
11:15 – 11:40
OPENING KEYNOTE
Elevating smart manufacturing with agentic AI: is the industry – and the technology – ready?
- The latest Deloitte survey reports manufacturers “largely view smart manufacturing as the primary driver of competitiveness over the next three years”. Agentic AI can help
- Identify and engage alternative suppliers in response to supply chain disruptions
- Capture institutional knowledge from retiring employees and make jobs more attractive to younger generations
- Maximize production uptime with autonomously generated shift handover reports and work instructions
- But is the industry prepared in terms of cost, talent, data, technology, governance, and workflow transformation that will be required at scale?
Peter Sorowka, CEO Cybus GmbH
Meeting session 1
11:45 – 12:10
INNOVATOR PANEL DISCUSSION
Decoupling software from hardware: building flexible and scalable platform-based control systems for manufacturing through software-defined automation (SDA)
Key takeaways:
- Increasing flexibility, reducing costs, and supporting modern workforce engagement through low-code/no-code environments and digital twin capabilities
- Using SDA to deploy virtualised, adaptable, and interoperable automation systems on versatile computing platforms such as industrial PCs, edge servers, or cloud environments
- Uncovering rapid deployment and reconfiguration of virtual controllers across various hardware, supporting modular system design and reducing downtime
Johan Majlov, Executive Director of Operations, Nature’s Sunshine Products
Meeting session 2
12:15 – 12:40
TECHNOLOGY KEYNOTE
Unifying IT/OT systems with seamless edge data integration for an interoperable IIoT infrastructure
Key takeaways:
- Best practices for modernising outdated OT to enable secure and resilient IT/OT convergence.
- How to ensure the integrity and reliability of data streams from integrated legacy and OT systems for accurate insights and automation?
- What proven cybersecurity protocols mitigate escalating risks in interconnected IT/OT environments, considering evolving regulations?
- What network segmentation architectures are critical for a disruption-ready factory, safeguarding converged IT/OT systems?
Shashank Sharma, Senior Product Marketing Manager, HiveMQ
Meeting session 3
12:50– 13:50
NETWORKING LUNCH
13:55 - 14:30
OPENING AFTERNOON KEYNOTE / CASE STUDY
How digitalisation can drive sustainable manufacturing practices
Key takeaways:
Regulatory initiatives like the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act are pushing companies to align with low-carbon goals. Technologies such as green hydrogen, closed-loop recycling, and energy-efficient production systems are being deployed at scale. So how can digital transformation drive sustainable, profitable manufacturing?
- Utilising IoT technology, advanced energy management systems, and predictive analytics to drastically cut energy usage and emissions
- Understanding the role of data optimisation in demand planning and sustainable manufacturing supply chains to create cost efficiencies
Hand Ramdani, Head of Global Digital Workforce, Sanofi
Meeting session 4
14:35 - 15:00
DATA PANEL
Progress and missteps of the data optimisation + visualisation journey in smart manufacturing
Key Takeaways:
- How is real-time data visualisation improving demand planning and margins in manufacturing operations?
- What are the most effective strategies in applying data analytics to provide accurate visibility with manufacturing data visualisation?
- What are the risks to data pooling, cloud solutions and remote management / connectivity posed by vulnerabilities in IoT / cybersecurity?
Simon Levinson, Head of Digital Manufacturing Innovation, Danone
Meeting session 5
15:05 - 15:30
CASE STUDY
Optimising Data-Driven AI for Predictive Maintenance
Key takeaways:
- How do operators derisk their operations through AI application?
- What are the most successful roadmaps in applying predictive maintenance technologies to reduce downtime?
- Insights into current predictive maintenance projects, installation of PM systems, and the efficiencies being created
Laurent d’Izarny-Gargas, Senior Director Digital Sales, GE Vernova
Meeting session 6
15:35 - 16:00
AFTERNOON NETWORKING AND REFRESHMENTS
16:05 - 16:30
CASE STUDY
Connectivity is Critical: Building Real-Time Data Collection, Automation and Scalable Network Expansion
Key takeaways:
- Evolution of 5G private networks: defending against data loss, protecting data storage and enhancing transmission capabilities
- Network connectivity and real-time equipment monitoring: Network APIs, Intelligent Overlays and Hyperconnectivity
- Real-time data transmission to multiple field operators: facilitating collaboration across operating regions, optimising IoT deployment and enhancing plant safety
Jürgen Friedrich, Managing Partner & Head of Manufacturing & Automotive Consulting Europe, alongside Alexander Linke, Head of IIoT Offering Europe DXC
Meeting session 7
16:35 - 17:00
MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE PLENARY
Building an adaptive workforce planning framework to address manufacturing volatility and increase skill requirements
Key takeaways:
- The competition for skilled workforces is increasing, especially as manufacturers invest in advanced digital tools and smart manufacturing facilities
- The primary concern for more than a third of 600 manufacturing executives in a 2025 Deloitte survey was “equipping workers with the skills and knowledge they need to maximize the potential of smart manufacturing and operations”
- Learn how following a “build, buy, or borrow” framework for workforce planning could help manufacturers remain agile while continuing to build and strengthen their workforce for the future
Sounavo Dey, Sr Solutions Architect Manufacturing, AWS Industry
Meeting session 8
17:05 - 17:30
CASE STUDY
From factory floor to cloud: Enabling scalable interoperability through OPC UA
From factory floor to cloud: Enabling scalable interoperability through OPC UA
- Discover how OPC UA enables seamless IT/OT integration and supports scalable digital manufacturing architectures.
- Learn how the new OPC UA Cloud Initiative connects factory floor data with major cloud platforms and analytics tools.
- Explore real-world use cases showing OPC UA in action for digital twins, predictive maintenance, and edge-to-cloud deployments.
- Understand the role of open standards in modernizing legacy systems and unlocking long-term interoperability.
Stefan Hoppe, President, OPC Foundation
Meeting session 9
17:30 - 17:40
CHAIR'S DAY ONE SUMMARY AND CLOSING REMARKS
17:45 onwards
END OF DAY ONE - NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION
DAY TWO – Friday, 20th November 2026
08:00 - 08:55
REFRESHMENTS AND NETWORKING
09:00 - 09:10
Chair’s Day Two Welcome and Opening Remarks
09:15 – 10:00
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
Small group discussions tackling your most critical challenges
ROUNDTABLES:
- Integrating AI into Legacy Systems
- Strategies for Effective Change Management
- Enhancing Supplier Collaboration through Technology
- Implementing Digital Twins for Quality Control
- Cybersecurity Best Practices for Manufacturing
- Optimising Supply Chain Visibility
- Leveraging Data Analytics for Forecasting
- Developing a Roadmap for Digital Transformation
- Sustainable Practices in Manufacturing Operations
- Training, Retaining & Upskilling a Digitally Skilled Workforce
10:05 - 10:30
FUTURE-FACING DIGITAL KEYNOTE
Monitoring performance, predicting failures and improving product design
Key Takeaways:
- Optimising manufacturing processes to mitigate equipment failures and reduce downtime
- Leverage real-time insights to anticipate demand, streamline logistics and improve supplier collaboration across the value chain
- Leverage AI-driven monitoring and analytics to protect critical manufacturing systems by detecting threats and preventing breaches
Jean-Christophe Lamodière, Industrial Manufacturing Global Practice Director, NetApp
Meeting session 10
10:35 - 11:00
REFRESHMENTS AND NETWORKING
11:05 - 11:30
CASE STUDY
Applying Agentic AI for Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) in Smart Manufacturing
Key Takeaways:
- Applying effective MRO lifecycle data in optimising hardware and technology performance across the manufacturing sector
- How are data quality issues undermining real-time asset management and maintenance workflows in manufacturing operations
- Uncovering agentic AI-driven tools which resolve reliability data gaps and improve margin gains
Marc Olivé Torralba, Data Solutions Director, AG Solution Group
Meeting session 11
11:35 - 12:00
CYBERSECURITY PLENARY
Manufacturing in the Crosshairs: lessons from cyberattacks on the world’s most targeted industry sector
Key Takeaways:
- Protecting against ransomware attacks and cyber-physical impacts from nation-state and criminal actors
- Future-proofing entry points in smart factories connecting thousands of sensors, controllers, and analytics tools
- Uncovering latest advanced protection as IT and OT systems converge
- Securing remote access, vendor connectivity, and identity-based controls to OT assets to prevent downtime and ensure operational continuity
John Rogelstad, Managing Consultant, Logic Factory
Meeting session 13
12:05 - 12:45
VALUE CHAIN PANEL DISCUSSION
Where We Are On The Transformation Journey: Data Management, Optimised Analytics and Digital Transformation in Manufacturing
Key takeaways:
- Mitigating the risks of inconsistent data, incompatible systems, and manual processes that derail transformation
- The importance of data management in improving data integrity and compliance, and how it can streamline operations
- Avoiding journey stumbles caused by data fragmentation, preventable operational delays and plant shutdowns
- Using digital transformation to create agility across your operating architecture, incorporating a unified data hub and cloud operating model
- Unlocking value from data management to increase improvements in predictive maintenance of your operating assets
Sven Seipp, Senior Manager – Supply Chain & Network Operations, Deloitte Consulting GmbH
12:50 - 12:55
Chair’s DMS Summit Summary and Closing Remarks
13:00 onwards
FAREWELL LUNCH
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