Lead the AI Revolution
Join the invite-only and vendor neutral CIO AI Summit designed exclusively for 500 CIOs. Acquire the proven frameworks you need to move beyond the AI hype and deliver measurable business impact- straight from the peers who are already doing it.
Join your Peers from the World’s Leading Organizations:
An invite-only gathering for CIOs of companies with €50M+ revenue.
Check your Eligibility
To request an invitation you must:
Be the CIO (or a C-level position that aligns with the responsibilities of a Chief Information Officer or a Chief AI Officer)
Work for a company with €50M+ annual revenue
Be part of an organization with 100+ employees
*Participation Policy
The CIO AI Summit is a curated gathering designed for CIOs and senior technology leaders from companies engaged in industrial production and manufacturing (secondary sector). To ensure highly relevant discussions and peer-to-peer exchange, participation is limited to this audience and to one representative per company. Software solution and service providers are warmly invited to join the summit through our official partnership program.
CIOs LEAD THE AI REVOLUTION.
CIO AI
MANDATE
STRATEGIC SUMMIT ADVANTAGE
YOUR
PERSONAL GAIN
What can you expect?
Actionable AI Insights
Learn how leading CIOs are successfully integrating AI into their organizations, beyond pilots, beyond theory, and with measurable business impact.
Expert-Led Roundtables
Join in-depth discussions led by AI specialists, covering strategy, implementation, and governance. Exchange perspectives, ask tough questions, and gain clarity on your AI roadmap.
Peer Networking That Matters
Connect with top CIOs in an exclusive, invite-only setting—ensuring high- value conversations, meaningful connections, and a trusted network for ongoing exchange.
Meet world class AI Founders
Get streamlined access to AI founders and engage in deep dive discussions.
Part of Bits & Pretzels
Engage in a dedicated CIO experience while being immersed in Europe’s most vibrant startup and tech festival— offering unique connections and inspiration.
Preliminary Agenda
Gain exclusive insights from industry leaders and peers.
09:00 am - 09:30 am
09:30 am - 09:45 am
- What boards really expect from CIOs on AI in 2026?
- Why “experimentation” is no longer enough?
- When not using AI becomes a leadership risk?
09:45 am - 10:15 am
- AI-driven operating models
- Decision automation boundaries
- Human-AI collaboration
- What roles disappear — and which gain power
10:15 am - 10:30 am
- Which AI layers must be European-controlled?
- Where US hyperscalers are acceptable — and where not
- Data sovereignty vs. innovation speed
- Why “open-source” alone is not a sovereignty strategy
10:30 am - 11:00 am
- Sovereignty is not binary — it is layered
- Where Europe is structurally dependent (models, compute, chips, platforms)
- Where Europe already has leverage (industry data, regulation, standards)
- Why CIOs are the de facto executors of sovereignty, not politicians
11:00 am - 11:15 am
A European industrial company with…
- deeply integrated production and supply-chain processes
- decades of operational and machine data
- strict regulatory and safety requirements
- heterogeneous legacy systems (ERP, MES, OT, proprietary platforms)
- instead of chasing generic AI tools or foundation models, the organisation chose a domain-driven AI strategy.
11:15 am - 11:45 am
- Why industrial and B2B AI plays by different rules than consumer AI
- How Europe’s Mittelstand, industrial champions, and regulated markets create defensible AI moats
- Why Industrial AI is less about models — and more about data ownership, process depth, and integration reality
- How CIOs and CAIOs can turn legacy systems and complexity into strategic advantage
- What role European startups, accelerators, and ecosystems play in operationalising Industrial AI
11:45 am - 12:00 pm
As AI workloads scale, infrastructure becomes a strategic CIO decision again. This keynote reframes AI infrastructure beyond ideology and sets the stage for a pragmatic discussion on which AI workloads belong where — and why.
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Should AI run in the cloud, in enterprise data centers, or in a hybrid model?
Discussion topics:
- GPU scarcity, energy consumption, and the real cost curves of AI at scale
- When hyperscaler cloud is the right choice — and when it becomes a structural risk
- The renaissance of enterprise data centers in the age of AI
- What “future-proof” really means when models, chips, and regulation change fast
12:30 pm - 12:45 pm
12:45 pm - 01:15 pm
Rules:
- CIOs pitch their real challenges and their answers
- Problems captured for post-event follow-up
01:15 pm - 01:30 pm
Outputs:
- 5 decisions CIOs must take in the next 12 months
- 3 things to stop doing
- 3 things to double down on
02:45 pm - 03:15 pm
03:15 pm - 04:30 pm
This stage serves as a strategic bridge between established corporations and the startup ecosystem, focusing on the practical scaling of AI and further emerging technologies.
10:00 am - 04:00 pm
Join expert-led discussions on AI strategy, implementation, and governance. Exchange ideas with peers and get actionable answers to your toughest questions.
4:30 PM
Relaxed networking to get to know innovative startups & scaleups over drinks before heading to the Wiesn.
Of 06:30 pm
An intimate evening for CIOs to exchange insights, build relationships, and discuss AI strategy over dinner at the famous Oktoberfest.
All-Day
Enjoy a dedicated space for high-value networking. Connect with fellow CIOs in a distraction-free environment.
“The CIO AI Summit at Bits & Pretzels is the annual meeting of tech decision makers of industry leaders.”
MEET THE HOSTS
The CIO AI Summit's program is carefully crafted by our hosts.
Bits & Pretzels
Bernd is an experienced entrepreneur and Co-Founder and Co-Host of Bits & Pretzels. He demonstrated strong results both in the start-up and in the corporate environment. Among other projects, he sold his start-up to a DAX company and successfully set up a corporate venture for another global market leader. He brings a deep understanding of both stakeholders, corporates and startups to the summit.
Board Director (NXD)
Niels Dörje is founder and entrepreneur. As Founding Partner of Chairpeople and Senior Advisor of Drake Star, he is mandated to tech company boards from founders and investors as a member of the Supervisory Board or Advisory Board (NXD). In this role, he advises companies on all strategy, organizational, product strategy and M&A issues.
strategic advisor to the CIO AI SUMmit
Bechtle
Michael works with the CIO Community in Germany and Europe for more than two decades. As a Publisher (CIO Magazine), as a host to some of the most prestigious Community Events, e.g. CIO of the Year Germany and in Europe. As well as the Co-Founder of the CIO Stiftung at WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management. Michaels ambition at the CIO AI Summit @ Bits & Pretzels: Connecting the CIO community with the the most impactful technology of the future. And its Founders.
Solution Partners
Submit Your Request
Thank you for your interest in the CIO AI Summit@Bits & Pretzels 2026.
We will review your application and get back to you within 5 working days.
Takes 2 minutes.
500+ CIOs at Europe’s most unique startup conference
The CIO AI Summit at Bits & Pretzels is the only event where you can engage with your peers while gaining direct access to Europe’s most successful startup founders in one place.
This is your direct line to enterprise-ready technologies and high-potential partners securing purpose-built solutions for your specific business challenges. We provide streamlined access to help you build professional ties and find innovators that align directly with your corporate roadmap. Ensure your company stays competitive by adopting the tools and partnerships that will drive the next decade of industry shifts.
Why do 600+ enterprise Executives join a startup conference?
Want to know who they are? Here is an excerpt of the 2025 attendee list:
Experience the business magic of Oktoberfest
Yes we really take thousands of startup people to a single tent at the real Munich Oktoberfest. And yes, it’s even more about business as it is fun.
Every table hosts a pre-booked meeting of 8-10 attendees. It’s a place where founders pitch, new partnerships are made, and business partners become friends.
It’s a day like nothing you have ever experienced.
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WHERE WE COME FROM.
Bits & Pretzels started as founders breakfast with just 80 participants. We dared to start and the spirit of supporting founders continues in 2026 and beyond.
Join our mission in helping founders shaping a better future.
