ZAWYA: Global tech leaders converge in Berlin to set new AI directions for Europe’s €1.5trln tech economy

ZAWYA: Global tech leaders converge in Berlin to set new AI directions for Europe’s €1.5trln tech economy

Berlin, Germany: Europe is rallying the global tech ecosystem to transform the continent’s AI momentum into tangible business impact, as global tech leaders, policymakers and enterprises converge at Europe’s most international tech and startup event in Berlin.

The 2nd edition of GITEX AI EUROPE takes place from 30 June – 1 July 2026 at Messe Berlin, bringing together 950 enterprises and startups, 600-plus investors, and over 150 global speakers from more than 80 nations to build partnerships and accelerate investment across a European tech market forecast to surpass €1.5 trillion in 2026.

Organised by inD, global organisers of GITEX – the world’s largest tech and AI event network – and supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, and Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, the two-day event will forge the next wave of AI alliances and cross-border collaboration across Europe and international markets.

Berlin is the natural home for that ambition. According to the Dealroom 2025 Report, the city commands €169 billion in startup ecosystem value, comprises 57 unicorns and more than 9,000 AI professionals – the fourth-largest AI talent pool in Europe – making it the continent's most dynamic destination for frontier tech, capital and ideas.

Franziska Giffey, Berlin’s Vice Mayor and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises, said: “As one of Europe’s leading innovation hubs, Berlin brings together world-class research, a dynamic startup scene, established industry and international talents. Hosting GITEX AI EUROPE strengthens Berlin’s position as a gateway for investment, technological collaboration and sustainable economic growth. At the same time, it provides a unique platform to shape a European digital future that combines innovation with security and technological sovereignty.”

A global show-floor featuring AI, cyber and open-source breakthroughs

AWS, Cloudflare, CommScope, HPE, ManageEngine, Red Hat, Salesforce and TrendAI headline a floor packed with the world’s most powerful tech companies, while OpenAI and Google will bring high-demand, practitioner-led learning through masterclasses in AI coding and endpoint security, giving audiences direct access to applied knowledge shaping enterprise AI.

Converging tech communities from over 80 countries, the show features first-time national tech pavilions from Austria, Canada, Greece and Japan, making GITEX AI EUROPE the most internationally diverse tech showcase on the continent.

Germany’s own industrial and digital depth is front and centre. BASF – the world’s largest chemical company developing advanced materials for electronics and semiconductor industries – and Bosch – a global engineering leader – spearhead German enterprise participation, while DeepL, the world’s most accurate AI translator, will demonstrate how European AI solutions can find success globally.

Leonardo Doin, Head of Voice at DeepL, said: “Language is still the largest invisible barrier in global business, and DeepL Voice is built for the complexity global enterprises face: high-stakes conversations, multiple languages, zero tolerance for mistranslation. At GITEX AI EUROPE, we’re looking forward to showing what European AI looks like when it’s built for global scale.”

European policymakers set AI and infrastructure agenda

Beyond the exhibition, the GITEX AI EUROPE 2026 conference programme will deliver 70-plus hours of content across three stages, bringing government and industry leaders together to debate the decisions sharpening Europe’s edge in the global intelligence economy – from compute and data capacity to energy readiness, local hyperscale models, and high-impact use-cases.

Germany’s Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and State Modernisation, Dr. Karsten Wildberger, will tackle the urgent questions around the continent’s ability to regulate, power and connect data infrastructure fast enough to match its sovereign AI ambitions.

Dr. Wildberger said: “To become more sovereign, we must not copy what other players can do better but focus on our own strengths and potential. Germany has a strong industrial base with comprehensive know-how and industrial data. This, and the fact that we are building new compute infrastructure, will help secure our economic and industrial growth and competitiveness.”

US$1 trillion in capital meets unicorn leadership to power Europe’s next innovation cycle

GITEX AI EUROPE’s North Star Europe programme presents 500+ startups spanning quantum security, industrial AI and deep tech. These ambitious startups will look to network with 600-plus investors managing US$1 trillion in assets, including KfW Capital, which has invested €2.5 billion across 132 European VC funds; and UniCredit, the pan-European banking powerhouse with US$865 billion in total assets.

The 20-plus unicorns headlining Europe’s AI Power Play conference agenda include: Niklas Östberg, CEO of Delivery Hero, the German-born global delivery platform generating nearly €15 billion in annual revenue across 70+ countries; and Ryan Foutty, VP of Business at Perplexity, the $20 billion AI orchestration company backed by NVIDIA, Jeff Bezos and Yann LeCun.

Mr. Foutty said: “Search has been largely unchanged for the last 30 years. When we set out to turn the search engine into the answer engine, it was widely unpopular. Now, people see the vision we had. The next step and natural evolution of the answer engine is the action engine, which is an interface where agents can do real work on your behalf. At GITEX AI EUROPE, I’m looking forward to discussing how enterprises can move beyond the pilot phase and make AI the default surface for how work gets done.”

For more information, please visit www.gitexeurope.com

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GITEX AI EUROPE 2026, Europe’s most comprehensive and cross-industry technology event, returns from 30 June to 1 July 2026 at Messe Berlin, following a successful inaugural edition uniting key global enterprises, SMEs, startups, investors and leaders shaping the global technology agenda. In its second edition in 2026, the event reinforces its role as the defining global platform for Europe’s intelligent economy, uniting the continent’s deep tech, research, and engineering excellence across AI, quantum, data centre, cloud, cybersecurity, circularity tech, among more. With dedicated arenas for Europe’s unicorns, scale-ups, and SMEs, GITEX AI EUROPE continues to accelerate startup growth through North Star Europe, the continental edition of the world’s largest and best-rated startup and investor event. The show is organised by inD, global organisers of GITEX, and supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, and Berlin Partner for Business and Technology. For more information, please visit: www.gitexeurope.com

Media registration is available here

For Media Registration & Enquiries: media@gitexeurope.com

Gareth Wright, AVP PR and Communications inD | gareth.wright@dwtc.com

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