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Europe's sovereignty in focus

Navigating the future: The Tech Leadership Conference at HPI

What does the future hold for artificial intelligence and digital sovereignty in Europe? Decision-makers, researchers, AI pioneers, and students discussed this topic on July 17 and 18 at the Tech Leadership Conference hosted by HPI and HPI d-school. The motto: “Navigating the Future: AI-Driven Transformation and Emerging IT Trends.”

The speakers included the following:

Dr. Julia Reuss, Director Public Policy Central Europa, Meta
Hans Koenigsmann, Ex Vice President of Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
Patrick Löber, Senior Developer Relations Engineer, Google DeepMind
Jonathan Weiss, Managing Director, Amazon Developement Center Germany
Prof. Dr. Katja Mombaur, Chair for Optimization and Biomechanics for Human-Centred Robotics, Karlsruhe Institut für Technology (KIT)

Save the date

The next Tech Leadership Conference will take place on July 23 and 24, 2026, at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam.

TLC website

The Hasso Plattner Institute pursues the vision of strengthening Europe's technological sovereignty. At the heart of this vision is the desire to take responsibility for innovation, collaboration, and digital development that will strengthen Europe in the long term.

Prof. Falk Uebernickel, Co-Head HPI d-school & Head of “Design Thinking and Innovation Research”

Day 1 of the conference (Photos: HPI/Reinhardt & Sommer)

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Embracing change as an opportunity

The agenda included keynote speeches, panel discussions, and student-moderated Spotlight Talks with companies such as Aleph Alpha, Appian, Airbus, Microsoft, Brighter AI Technologies, and OpenAI. “It's a great opportunity for us students to get in touch with corporate leaders. And, of course, it's good practice for being on stage,” reports Leonard Dreessen, who moderated the spotlight talk “AI and Business Processes – Use Cases from the Industry” with Appian.

“Confident, empathetic, curious”: These are the qualities that Laura Spies, moderator of the Spotlight Talk “Empowering Innovation and Sovereignty: Aleph Alpha's Mission for the Age of Trustworthy and Explainable AI,” believes a good tech leader should have. “For me, tech leadership means not just enduring change, but seeing it as an opportunity for personal growth, new perspectives, and creative solutions,” adds the HPI student.

Regulation that enables innovation

In the opening talk, “Digital Sovereignty Needs Vision – Europe's Opportunity in the Age of AI,” Dr. Julia Reuss from Meta examined Europe's position in the field of AI and emphasized the importance of talent and cooperation, while criticizing overregulation and fragmentation. She called for optimism, openness, and a proactive mindset to promote innovation and technological sovereignty while fostering global partnerships: “I am a tech optimist and see the wonderful opportunities that AI offers in Europe. We need regulation that enables innovation, not hinders it. I have confidence in the great tech talent we have here in Europe.”

Understanding mistakes instead of hiding them

Another highlight was the fireside chat with Hans Koenigsmann. In conversation with Prof. Ralf Herbrich, head of the “Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability” research group at HPI, the former vice president of construction and flight reliability at SpaceX gave honest insights into the early days of the American space company. Koenigsmann said that the failure of SpaceX's first rocket launches was very painful for him and the team at the time. But in the end, it was precisely these setbacks that led the company to success.

Koenigsmann and Herbrich emphasized that mistakes shouldn’t be hidden but understood - because only when you know why something failed, you can truly learn for the next time. They called for a mindset of experimentation, courage, and action - in organizations and AI alike - for a balance to be found between regulation and experimentation. Koenigsmann encouraged students to always pursue their own interests and passions. This would be his most important advice to the technology leaders of tomorrow.

The podcast about the conference

In the HPI Science Podcast “Neuland,” Leon Stebe talks to TLC host Prof. Falk Uebernickel about the role of tech leadership for Europe’s digital sovereignty and why we need a clear understanding of values and leaders who not only understand the speed and complexity of technological developments, but are also willing to question the status quo, navigate uncertainty, and make courageous decisions with integrity.

listen here (in German)

I wish for participants to return to their organizations with a sharpened vision of the future and concrete ideas for their leadership roles. The TLC aims to be a place where tech leadership is not only discussed but redefined at the intersection of people and technology.

Flavia Bleuel, Head of Professional Development at HPI d-school