CIOmove@Brussels & Paris on June 25–28, 2026

• Agenda 2026

  

  Thursday, June 25, 2026 – Welcome Day in Brussels

  Time	Program item	Description
  11:04 a.m.	Departure of the London delegation	Departure of the London delegation from St. Pancras Station on Eurostar service ES9126. Professor Art Langer, your team captain, will meet the group at 10:00 a.m. at the Eurostar security gates and assist with security and immigration before boarding.
  10:35 a.m.	Departure of the Frankfurt delegation	Departure from the main station (Hauptbahnhof) on ICE 16. Stanislaw Rahm, CIOmove editor and your team captain, will meet you at the reserved seats in carriage 28.
  11:43 a.m.	Departure of the Cologne delegation	Departure from the main station on ICE 16, which continues from Frankfurt. Stanislaw Rahm is also your team captain on ICE 16. He will wait for you at the reserved seats in carriage 29.
  11:55 a.m.	Departure of the Paris delegation	Departure from Gare du Nord on Eurostar service ER9435. Ursula Soritsch-Renier, CDIO of Saint-Gobain and your team captain, will join you on board with her husband, James, and coordinate the group during the journey.
  Until 2:00 p.m.	Individual check-in	Hotel Amigo (Rue de l’Amigo 1, 1000 Brussels)
  3:00 p.m.	Guided tour of the European Parliament	A behind-the-scenes look at how Europe’s legislative heart operates.
  4:30 p.m.	Keynote: “Decision-Making at the EU” by Gregor Peter Schmitz, Editor-in-Chief of “Stern” magazine and Stefan Borst, former Brussels correspondent and editor at “Focus” Magazine.	What can we expect in Brussels? Horst Ellermann spoke with Gregor Peter Schmitz, editor-in-chief of „Stern“, to find out.
  5:15 p.m.	Keynote: “Challenges and Responses for AI and IT Security” by Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer, Inaugural CIO of NATO
  6:00 p.m.	Panel discussion: “The Strategic Role of Europe in IT, Security & AI” by Stefan Borst and Horst Ellermann	
  8:00 p.m.	Welcome reception – Networking evening	Brasserie Surréaliste (Place Du Nouveau Marché Aux Grains, 23, 1000 Brussels)

  

  

  

  

  

  Friday, June 26, 2026 – From Brussels to Paris

  Time	Program item	Description
  10:00 a.m.	CEPS Think Tank: “The Eurostack Initiative – What’s in It for CIOs?” More infos: CEPS – Our Experts at the European Union	CEPS, Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Rue des Tanneurs 60A, 1000 Bruxelles
  10:30 a.m.	World Café discussion: 1. “Buy European” – Industrial Policy or Market Distortion? – European preference must be measurable, not ideological. – Reference frameworks beat new certifications. 2. Security, Certification & Trust – Can EUCS Create a Market? – Immunity from extraterritorial law is a core, unresolved concern. – Certification must reduce risk, not just signal alignment. – Cyber resilience depends on the weakest links. 3. Data Protection, Data Act & Data Spaces – From Law to Usability – Sector-led data spaces are essential – but only if governance is clear. – Interoperability matters more than central control. – Regulatory overlap is becoming a cost factor. 4. Architecture, Federation & Scale – How can EuroStack Actually Work? – Mapping dependencies before declaring sovereignty. – Harmonisation beats national solutions. – Financing federation requires long-term instruments.
  12:40 p.m.	Departure of Eurostar from Brussels Midi
  2:05 p.m.	Arrival of Eurostar in Paris, Gare du Nord
  Until 3:00 p.m.	Arrival and check-in at the hotel	Melía Paris (3 Boulevard de Neuilly, 92400 Courbevoie, La Défense France)
  3:00 p.m.	Arrival at the Headquarters of Saint-Gobain	Tour de Saint-Gobain (12 Place de l’Iris, 92400 Courbevoie)
  3:15 p.m.	Keynote: “Transforming a 360-Year-Old Company for Solutions, Sustainability, and AI” by Ursula Soritsch-Renier, Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO), Saint-Gobain
  4:00 p.m.	CIO Session 1: Innovation	Peer-moderated discussions across the innovation track
  5:00 p.m.	Deep dive discussion
  7:30 p.m.	Reunion with companions	Rooftop reception at the Saint-Gobain tower

  

  

  

  

  

  Saturday, June 27, 2026 – Paris Academic Day

  Time	Program item	Description
  10:00 a.m.	Bus departure
  10:45 a.m.	Arrival at Columbia University	Columbia University (4 Rue de Chevreuse, 75006 Paris)
  11:00 a.m.	Welcome Address by Professor Art Langer, Columbia University
  11:15 a.m.	Keynote: “Digital Sovereignty at Crédit Agricole” by Emmanuel Sardet, Group Chief Technology Officer, Crédit Agricole
  12:00 p.m.	Keynote: “Digital Sovereignty at EDF” by Martine Gouriet, Director of Digital Transformation at EDF and IT Manager of the Year 2025 in France (awarded by Le Monde Informatique)
  12:45 p.m.	Lunch at Columbia Campus
  1:30 p.m.	CIO Session 2: Integration	Peer-moderated discussions across the innovation track
  2:30 p.m.	Deep-Dive Discussion
  4:00 p.m.	Coffee break
  4:30 p.m.	CIO Session 3: Intelligence	Peer-moderated discussions across the innovation track
  6:00 p.m.	Reunion with companions	Garden Reception (Flying Buffet)
  8:00 p.m.	Return to Meliá Paris La Défense	Enjoy a scenic evening transfer through Paris – with stopovers at the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Champs-Élysées for unforgettable views.

  

  

  

  

  Sunday, June 28, 2026 – Closing Day in Paris

  Time	Program item	Description
  7:00–8:00 a.m.	Morning activities	Guests can choose between an optional yoga session at the hotel or a running session in Paris.
  7:30–9:00 a.m.	Breakfast	Breakfast at the hotel before departure preparations begin.
  9:00–9:30 a.m.	Luggage shuttle	Luggage collection and transfer.
  9:30 a.m.	Hotel check-out & meeting point	Check-out and gathering point in front of the hotel / in the lobby before the group departs.
  9:30–11:30 a.m.	Tour de CIOs Special experience	Guests choose between three different Paris experiences: a vintage 2CV tour, the “Tour de CIO’s” by bike or e-bike, or a relaxed tuk-tuk tour. All routes lead to Les Invalides.
  11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Pétanque in the park	A friendly outdoor pétanque session at Les Invalides, offering a distinctly French group activity.
  12:30–2:00 p.m.	Lunch in the park	Picnic-style lunch in the park before departure.
  2:00 p.m.	End of event & departure	Guests collect their luggage and depart.

  

  

  

  

  🖨️

Brussels is the place where Europe’s digital future is shaped and negotiated. With landmark regulations such as the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, and the EU AI Act, Brussels is defining how technology is built, governed, and deployed across the continent. 

CIOmove participants will gain first-hand insights into EU decision-making, explore the EuroStack initiative with leading think tank experts, and engage with senior stakeholders to assess whether regulation becomes Europe’s competitive advantage — or an operational challenge for global companies. 

The city therefore frames a central strategic question: How can organizations innovate at speed while navigating increasing compliance requirements and evolving ethical standards? 

Paris represents the industrial execution of this strategy. As a hub for global enterprises and emerging AI ecosystems, Paris demonstrates how digital sovereignty, platform governance, and sustainable technology are reshaping traditional sectors. 

Through discussions with leaders from companies such as Saint-Gobain, Airbus, EDF, and AXA, CIOmove participants will examine how carbon reduction, resilient IT operations, data autonomy, and AI adoption are being implemented in practice. 

Together, Brussels and Paris illustrate Europe’s distinct vision for the digital era – regulated where necessary, competitive where possible, and collaborative by design. For CIOs navigating technological complexity, talent transformation, sustainability imperatives, AI disruption, and platform strategy decisions, these two cities provide the ideal environment to exchange perspectives openly, challenge assumptions, and return home with actionable insights.