Join us when decision-makers from Industry, Tech, IT and B2B marketing come together to address one of the defining questions of this decade: how do you move from first AI pilots to sustainable, measurable business value?
There is no question that AI is reshaping industries, business models, and value chains. The real challenge lies elsewhere—in implementation. The Merkle Manufacturing Summit 2026 brings together leading experts and industry peers from the manufacturing sector and the MedTech industry to discuss what it truly takes to make AI work in practice: organizationally, technologically, and legally.
What to expect:
- A keynote on building an in-house AI Centre of Excellence – across the four dimensions of people, process, data and tech
- Breakout sessions on data sovereignty, open source vs. hyperscaler, AI in development and tokenomics
- Legal and governance perspectives: how to anchor AI properly in contracts and day-to-day operations
- Real-world cases from content creation and the integration of AI into existing ecosystems
- An outlook from ETH Zurich on bespoke AI for manufacturing
- Networking with decision-makers from industry, marketing, IT and sales – over finger food and drinks
Secure your spot now
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Confirmed speakers:
Joel Flammann
Country Manager Merkle DACH
Kevin Kohnke
Principal AI Consultant dentsu
Jochen Steinmann
Global Digital Product Manager Arrow
Anand Joshi
Global Digital Product Manager Arrow
David Hohl
Senior Enterprise Architect Merkle DACH
Nicolas Torrent
Legal Counsel Merkle DACH
Marco Mariani
Senior Enterprise Architect Merkle DACH
Agenda:
- 15:30-16:00 | Arrival
- 16:00-16:15 | Opening Speech - Joel Flammann / BVIK / MSG
- 16:15-16:30 | Intro Participants - Joel Flammann / Participants
- 16:30-17:00 | Keynote AI in Business: From Ambition to Real-World Implementation - Kevin Kohnke
- 17:00 - 17:30 | Arrow: AI as Translation Service - Impact and Learnings - Jochen Steinmann, Anand Joshi - Arrow Electronics
- 17:30 - 18:00 | Client case 2: will be announced shortly
- 18:00 - 18:15 | Short Break, Refreshments
- 18:15 - 19:30 | Three AI Impulses + Breakout Sessions - Impulses: David Hohl - AI Demand Model, Nicolas Torrent - Legal, Marco Mariani - Tokenization and Pricing
- foll. | Feedback from Speakers, Q&A, open discussions - Participants
Give up control of your data and you give up control of your AI. Why data sovereignty is not a compliance footnote but the basis of any viable AI architecture.
Control versus speed, flexibility versus operational effort. An honest assessment of two routes that can both work – but not equally well for every organisation.
What changes when AI becomes part of the development process. And what the shift from fixed software licences to consumption-based pricing per AI token means for your cost model.
Jens Reufsteck, Client Portfolio Director Merkle interviews Nicolas Torrent, Legal Counsel Merkle on the legal handling of AI in business relationships and contracts. David Hohl, Senior Enterprise Architect Merkle then shows how governance for AI requirements is set up from an internal company perspective.
Alex, Surname missing (dentsu creative) on the tension between AI-driven flexibility in content creation and the demand for photorealism. Michi Kemser, Title missing an Kevin, Surname and title missing, use the BMW case to show how AI can be integrated into an existing ecosystem.
Key Facts
Join us for an exclusive after-work event full of hands-on insights, honest conversations and strategic impulses – designed for decision-makers in manufacturing. Secure your place now and take away what will genuinely move your AI initiatives forward.
- Date: 20 October 2026
- Doors open: 15:30
- Start: 16:00
- Venue: Merkle Office Frankfurt, Speicherstraße 53, 60327 Frankfurt am Main
