With landmark initiatives announced to advance Europe’s digital sovereignty, including the €200billion AI pledge and significant emphasis on quantum, cloud, semiconductors and data storage, GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything is set to open its doors in Germany in May to bring the tech industry together.
GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything will kick off on 21 May at Messe Berlin for a three-day event organised by KAOUN International and hosted in partnership with the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, and the European Innovation Council (EIC).
The world’s third-largest economy and host nation for GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything, Germany’s role as the European economic and technology chieftain comes into sharp focus, as transatlantic tensions ramp up in the race for global digital and AI leadership. Germany’s ICT sector is projected to reach €232.8billion in 2025.
“Partnering with one of the largest tech and startup global events and hosting the debut of GITEX EUROPE in Berlin strengthens our commitment to solidifying Germany’s position as a global magnet for investment and frontier-pushing technologies, spearheading Europe’s edge in the next digital decade,” said Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises.
The momentous first edition of the event hopes to bring together over 1,400 big tech enterprises, startups and SMEs, including platinum sponsors AWS and IBM, alongside Cisco, Cloudflare, Dell, Fortinet, Lenovo, NTT, Nutanix, Nvidia, Opswat, and SAP, to forge consensus in new partnerships and business outcomes for more agile, business-friendly, and responsible global digital systems.
GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything will also host a lineup of tech companies from over 100 countries and 34 European states, including tech pavilions from India, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, South Korea, UK, UAE, and more.
Attention remains on AI
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of KAOUN International, organiser of GITEX worldwide, also added: “Amid the AI whirlwinds, there is a coordinated consensus and renewed urgency and unity across Europe to assert its digital sovereignty and leadership as a global innovation force. The region is paving its way as a centre-stage where AI, quantum and deep tech supremacy will be debated, developed, and scaled, and GITEX EUROPE strategically hosted in this vantage nexus and watershed time in history shall define Europe’s technological future in an epoch where leadership is earned through bold action and solidarity.”
Over 500 global speakers are set to take to the stage to debate the new strategic priorities, from AI and quantum supremacy to cloud and data sovereignty. Among the global headliners are Geoffrey Hinton, Physics Nobel Laureate (2024), so-called ‘Godfather of AI’, and the neural network pioneer who sparked worldwide debate by questioning AI consequences.
Other speakers will include: Kai Wegner, Mayor of Berlin; Jager McConnell, CEO of Crunchbase; Mark Surman, president of Mozilla; and Sandro Gianella, head of Europe and Middle East policy and partnerships at OpenAI.
Across the event’s show floor, speakers and attendees will be able to discuss AI breakthroughs, from Brazil’s Ubivis presenting smart factories powered by IoT and digital twins, to Hexis’ AI-driven nutrition trusted by more than 500 Olympic and elite athletes.
Quantum focus
With nearly €7billion in quantum investment, second only to China, Europe is accelerating its push for quantum leadership by 2030. GITEX Quantum Expo (GQX), in partnership with IBM and QuIC – Europe’s largest quantum industry association, dives into advanced quantum research and cross-industry impact with exclusive showcases and conferences.
Alessandro Curioni, vice president Europe and Africa and director IBM Research Zurich, commented: “IBM’s investments in AI and quantum computing directly reflect our commitment to Europe, and underscore the key role of collaboration with industry, academia and policymakers for a pan-European ecosystem. These state-of-the-art technologies and facilities will foster innovation, creating new opportunities for talent attraction and ensuring that Europe will always be at the forefront of global technological advancements.”
With SMEs making up 99 per cent of European businesses, GITEX SMEDEX also connects SMEs with international trade networks and investors, for funding, legal advisory and market access to scale innovations globally. Backed by EISMEA and ICC Digital Standards Initiative, the event features key SME ecosystem leaders advising on stage.