Darmstadt, 11 Feb 2025

ECA Tech Summit 2025

Shaping the European Future of Cybersecurity, Cloud, AI and Sustainability

Sponsors

Empower. Innovate. Collaborate.

We gathered for a transformative day where Europe’s deep tech ecosystem came together to shape a future defined by innovation, collaboration, and strategic foresight.

The event brought together European decision-makers from cutting-edge sectors such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and cloud technology.

Participants connected with leaders, visionaries, and changemakers from corporates, startups, and scale-ups—those actively driving the agenda of European technology sovereignty and laying the groundwork for a resilient digital future.

20 min from Frankfurt Airport

ECA Tech Summit 2025: A Hub for European Innovation

The ECA Tech Summit brought together Europe’s leading tech innovators, offering a dynamic platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the advancement of European technology.

Much like the successful 2023 edition, this year’s event went beyond inspiration—it focused on forging strong and lasting business connections. The summit was driven by collaboration and featured hands-on, workshop-style sessions designed for active participants committed to shaping the European tech ecosystem and making a tangible impact. This wasn’t about passive listening; it was a gathering for those who came to engage, create, and lead.

Focus Topics

The ECA Tech Summit 2025 focused on three pivotal areas that are driving the future of technology in Europe: Cybersecurity, Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

These topics are not only essential for technological advancement but also crucial for maintaining Europe’s competitive edge in the global market.

Sustainability will be an underlying thread woven through all discussions, ensuring that each topic addresses the imperative of building a resilient and responsible tech ecosystem for Europe.

Cybersecurity: Integration to secure Europe's Digital Horizon

How can our European state-of-the-art sovereign cybersecurity solutions team up to be on par with worldwide competition?

Cloud Sovereignty & Sustainability: Shaping Europe's Cloud Future

What’s the best set-up to develop sustainable and regulation-compliant cloud services to uphold European data sovereignty and values?

Artificial Intelligence: Harnessing AI for a Prosperous Europe

How can we strengthen Europe's AI leadership and, beyond technological competition, ensure we have worthful AI solutions that benefit our ecosystem and respect European values?

What we experienced

Participants enjoyed a day packed with keynotes, workshops, and networking opportunities, all designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and business-driven discussions. The event brought together like-minded professionals to develop shared business development projects and explore synergies that drive growth across the European tech ecosystem.

Keynotes & Panels

Attendees gained valuable insights from top European tech pioneers through keynotes and panel discussions on AI, Cybersecurity, and Cloud Sovereignty.

Engage in Workshops

Participants engaged in interactive sessions that tackled sponsor-led challenges focused on today’s most pressing innovation themes.

Networking Opportunities

The event provided exclusive opportunities to connect with industry leaders during curated networking moments and a vibrant evening reception.

Meet Our Speakers, Panelists & Participants

Meet the experts, innovators, and industry leaders who spoke and actively contributed to the ECA Tech Summit 2025.

From visionary keynote speakers to hands-on workshop facilitators, these voices shaped the conversations that defined this year’s summit—driving forward Europe’s tech agenda with insight, experience, and purpose.

Rolf Schumann

Schwarz Digits / Schwarz Group

Co-CEO Schwarz Digits & CDO at Schwarz Group

Eric Saracchi

Audemars Piguet

Chief Digital Transformation and Information Officer

Kemal Görgülü

ARTE

CTO

Olivier Onghena-'t Hooft

GINPI

Founder & Executive chairman

Mali M Baum

WLOUNGE | European Commission

CEO / Founder WLOUNGE and MAGDA GROUP and a Board Member at the European Innovation Council (EIC) European Commission

Daniel Schmid

econsense

Chairman of the Board of econsense / Former Chief Sustainability Officer SAP

Kai Müller

Experience One

Founder and CEO Experience One

Upen Barve

SAP

Chief Fusionist I VP, Future Hub – Engagements, SAP SE

Johann Dornbach

Aleph Alpha

Vice President AI Frontier

Emmanuelle Morice

Profidev Ltd

Co-Founder

Michel Sérié

InnoLifters

Founder & General Manager

Andreas Walbrodt

Enclaive

Co-Founder

Kevin Leslie

Greenpixie

Strategic Advisor

Ayse Engel

Schwarz Digits

Managing Director Schwarz Digits

Pascal Simons

AXA

Global ECM Transformation Director

Grit Karg

Ad Fontes

Partner

Sven Zehl

Ad Fontes

Collaboration Partner Cybersecurity

Steven Wright

Wright Collaborative

Founder

Andrea Vaugan

Wyngs, ECA

Founder & CEO Wyngs.co & Managing Director of the ECA

Sven Schimpf

Fraunhofer

Managing Director Fraunhofer-Group for Innovation Research

Hichem Maya

SK[AI]LINE PARTNERS

Founder, CEO

Dirk Ramhorst

CIO | CTO | CDO

ex-CIO/CDO Evonik, Wacker, BASF

[LOLA]

Artist

Opera singer / Musician – Artist / Performer

Markus Durstewitz

AIRBUS

Director Innovation Methods & Tools

Thomas Otter

Acadian Ventures

General Partner

Ian Kimbel

SAP

Chief AI Storyteller & AI Marketing Leader

Grégoire Germain

HarfangLab

Founder & CEO

Christian Stark

SAP

Chief Product Manager – SAP S/4HANA UX

Dominique Tessier

European Champions Alliance

Head of Cybersecurity

Georgios Kotsougianis

Ergon X Ventures

Managing Partner & Founder

Carlina Bennison

hessian.AI

Co-Lead AI Startup Rising

Tobi Kehl

hessian.AI

Co-Lead AI Startup Rising

Simon Schampijer

hessian.AI

Head of AI Innovation Lab

Anna Tentscher

hessian.AI

Projektmanager

Phillip Maasberg

IONOS

Startup Program Lead & Director of Operations at ECA

Anouck Teiller

HarfangLab

Chief Strategy Officer

Christophe Baroux

HarfangLab

Chief Revenue Officer

Pawel Walczysko

AMD

Cloud Sales Manager – DACH & CEE

Volker Zimmermann

Design Thinks Processes

Founder

Dr. Maiara Giorgi

Conceptboard

Growth Team Lead

Dive Into the ECA Tech Summit 2025 Schedule

The ECA Tech Summit 2025 was packed with a full day of insightful sessions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities designed to inspire and engage participants. Below is the detailed schedule for the day, ensuring participants did not miss any of the exciting events.

09:15 - 09:30

Welcome & Intro

Join us as we kick off the ECA Tech Summit, a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and European leadership in technology. This opening session sets the stage for this day of insightful discussions, inspiring keynotes, and meaningful connections that will shape the future of the European tech ecosystem. Let’s embark on this journey together!

Main Stage | Titanium

09:30 - 10:00

Opening Key Note - The Book of Noble Purpose

Olivier Onghena, Founder & Executive chairman at GINPI – Global Inspiration and Noble Purpose Institute and Author of The Book of Noble Purpose

Main Stage | Titanium

10:00 - 10:35

Why are we here ? How Open Innovation Can Strengthen Europe as a Differentiator

Panel Discussion

Explore how Open Innovation can help establish Europe as a leader in innovation and collaboration.

  • Sven Schimpf, Managing Director Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research
  • Darius Selke, Head of Sopra Steria Ventures Germany
  • Mali Baum, CEO & Founder WLOUNGE and European Innovation Council Board Member at the European Commission
  • Markus Durstewitz, AIRBUS Director Innovation Methods & Tools

Moderator:
Dirk Ramhorst, ex-CIO Evonik

Main Stage | Titanium

10:35 - 11:05

AI for Greener Europe - Driving Sustainable Innovation through Technology

Panel Discussion

Discuss how AI can be harnessed to address environmental challenges and promote sustainability across Europe.

  • Daniel Schmid, Chairman of the Board at Ecosense and Former Chief Sustainability Officer at SAP
  • Kevin Leslie, CRO at Geenpixie
  • Thomas Otter, General Partner at Acadian Ventures
  • Tobias Kehl, Co-Lead AI, Hessian.ai


Moderator:
Hichem Maya, Founder & CEO at SK[AI]LINE PARTNERS

Main Stage | Titanium

11:05 - 11:30

Networking Break

Meet Area

11:30 - 13:00

Working Sessions | Morning

A1 | Cybersecurity & Sovereignty 

Building the EU Cyberplatform: Challenges and Pathways

> learn more

A2 | Open Innovation + AI

Lessons Learned and Future Strategies

> learn more

A3 | Building and Managing AI Innovation Ecosystems in Europe

Infrastructure, Startups, and Industry Transfer

> learn more

A4 | AI & Europe: Shaping the Future Together

Opportunities and Challenges for AI in the European Landscape

> learn more

A5 | Hit or Miss: The Art of Persuasive Presentations

Strategies for Impactful Pitches Across Audiences and Cultures

> learn more

Breakout Rooms

13:00 - 14:15

Lunch & Networking

Meet Area

14:15 - 15:00

The Role of Cloud and Cyber for European Sovereignty

Panel Discussion

This session explores how advancements in cloud technology and cybersecurity are pivotal to achieving European sovereignty.

  • Ayse Engel, Managing Director Schwarz Digits
  • Grégoire Germain, CEO at Harfanglab
  • Kemal Görgülü, CTO at Arte
  • Grit Karg, Partner at Adfontes


Moderator:
Andrea Vaugan, Founder & CEO Wyngs.co and Managing Director of the European Champions Alliance

Main Stage | Titanium

15:00 - 16:30

Working Sessions | Afternoon

B1 | Cybersecurity & Sovereignty 

Building the EU Cyberplatform: Challenges and Pathways

> learn more

B2 | The CIO’s Role in Sustainability: Driving Impact Through IT

Aligning IT Strategy with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

> learn more

B3 | European Sovereignty: A Secure Cloud for Europe: Protecting Data and Sovereignty

Ensuring Cloud Technology Aligns with European Data Sovereignty Goals

> learn more

B4 | Corporate-Driven Growth

Scaling Startups in Europe with the Client 0 Principle

> learn more

B5 | Hit or Miss: The Art of Persuasive Presentations

Strategies for Impactful Pitches Across Audiences and Cultures

> learn more

Breakout Rooms

16:30 - 16:50

Coffee Break

Meet Area

16:50 - 17:45

Ecosystems of Innovation: How to moonshot innovation in Europe

Fireside Chat

Empowering European Startups: Competing Globally and Navigating Corporate Partnerships – How can we collaborate and expand.

  • Eric Saracchi, Chief Digital Transformation and Information Officer Audemars Piguet
  • Rolf Schumann, Co-CEO Schwarz Digits & CDO at Schwarz Group
  • Andreas Walbrodt, Co-Founder Enclaive
  • Dr. Maiara Giorgi, Global Enterprise Lead @ Conceptboard
  • Pascal Simons, Global ECM Transformation Director at AXA
  • Johann Dornbach, Vice President AI Frontier Aleph Alpha


Moderator:

Upen Barve, Chief Fusionist I Futuring Expert I VP@ Research & Innovation, SAP SE

Main Stage | Titanium

17:45 - 18:15

Corporate Rethink Digital in a Redefined World?!

Closing Keynote

Rolf Schumann Co-CEO Schwarz Digits & CDO at Schwarz Group

Main Stage | Titanium

18:15 - 18:30

Closing Statement ECA

Andrea Vaugan, Founder & CEO Wyngs.co and Managing Director of the European Champions Alliance
Michel Sérié, Founder & CEO Innolifters and President of the European Champions Alliance

Main Stage | Titanium

18:30 - 18:45

Artistic Performance

Curious About Opera Singing and Its Reinvention?

Lola Volonakis – [LOLA] – Opera singer / Musician – Artist / Performer

Meet Area | Titanium

18:45 - 19:30

Closing Cocktails

Meet Area | Titanium

Join the Best in European Tech

Are you a European startup or corporate working in the field of in Cybersecurity, Cloud, Cloud Sovereignty & Sustainability or Artificial Intelligence,? The ECA Tech Summit 2025 is the event for you!

We’re bringing together a curated group of industry leaders, innovators, and pioneers to explore the most pressing challenges and opportunities in European tech. Be part of high-impact discussions, exclusive networking opportunities, and sessions led by visionary speakers.

Why Join?

As a participant, you will:

Exclusive Opportunity

We are committed to curating a diverse and high-quality group of attendees to ensure everyone leaves with valuable discussions & connections and actionable takeaways.

Startups and Scaleups

limited seats

150€ for non-members
*100€ for ECA members

Corporates

limited seats

250€ for non-members
*reduced price for ECA members

VC, PE, CVC, or Business Angel

limited seats

250€ for non-members
*reduced price for ECA members

Online/Digital-Only Spot

limited seats

75€ for non-members
*reduced price for ECA members

Partnering & Sponsorship Opportunities

Elevate and engage with Europe’s top tech leaders. Partnering with the ECA Tech Summit 2025 provides exposure and access to leading innovators and decision-makers in the European tech ecosystem, access to an exclusive pre-event VIP-Dinner and a great network of opportunitites & supporting the cause. We look forward hearing from you!

Location & Date

Darmstadt, located in southern Hesse, Germany, is part of the Rhine-Main metropolitan region and lies about 30 km south of Frankfurt, with easy access to cities like Munich, Mannheim, and Strassbourg. It's roughly 500 km from Paris to the west and 450 km from Berlin to the northeast, making it centrally positioned in Europe. Known as the "City of Science", Darmstadt is a hub for cutting-edge technology and research in fields like AI, quantum computing, and space exploration.

DARMSTADTIUM | Darmstadt, Germany

February 11th 2025