Best of LinkedIn: Digital X 2025

00:00:00: This episode is provided by Thomas Allgaier and Frannis, based on the most relevant linked in-posts talking about DigitalX and Cologne.

00:00:07: Frannis supports ICT enterprises with market and competitive intelligence, decoding emerging technologies, customer insights, regulatory shifts, and competitor strategies, so product teams and strategy leaders don't just react, but shape the future.

00:00:23: Welcome back to the Deep Dive.

00:00:25: So if you missed Digital X and Cologne this year, or maybe you were just drowning in all the LinkedIn posts afterwards, well... You're in the right place.

00:00:33: We've done the heavy lifting, sifted through those feeds to pull out the really key takeaways.

00:00:38: Basically, a shortcut to understanding the top trends shaping digital transformation right now.

00:00:43: That's exactly it.

00:00:44: Our goal today is really to cut through that noise, you know, and give you the highlights, the aha moments everyone was talking about.

00:00:51: Right.

00:00:51: From, well, practical AI applications to those big discussions on European cloud sovereignty, and of course, cybersecurity, we're looking at what was genuinely impactful, what felt actionable, street from the conversations happening there.

00:01:03: Okay, let's dive in there.

00:01:04: Our first major theme, and honestly, probably the lightest buzz at DigitalX was AI, but specifically how it's moving from hype to really hands-on stuff in strategy and applications, even in new devices.

00:01:21: The whole conversation seems to have shifted from what if to, okay, how do we actually do this?

00:01:27: Definitely.

00:01:28: And what was interesting was seeing how many posts echoed that exact sentiment.

00:01:33: Rodrigo Dale, for instance, really hammered home that AI isn't some like future myth anymore.

00:01:37: It's here, it's every day.

00:01:39: He basically urged everyone to... take AI into their hands, use it as a tool.

00:01:44: It's less talk, more action now.

00:01:46: And the kind of action is focused, isn't it?

00:01:48: Yeah.

00:01:48: Efficiency and innovation seem to be the main goals people are targeting with AI now.

00:01:52: Dr.

00:01:53: Fury Applehausen was quite vocal about this.

00:01:55: Stressing AI is, well, essential for competitiveness.

00:01:58: Yeah.

00:01:59: And the speed is noticeable.

00:02:00: These tangible use cases are moving past the pilot stage.

00:02:03: Exactly.

00:02:03: It feels like a strategic shift, not just experimenting, but really integrating it to get ahead.

00:02:07: So what were some concrete examples people saw?

00:02:09: Well, Rodrigo Dale mentioned one involving AI-driven construction site monitoring, something developed with Kogel.

00:02:15: Okay, interesting.

00:02:16: Think about

00:02:16: that tracking progress, safety, resource allocation, really practical benefits.

00:02:22: And it's not just big industry.

00:02:24: Dennis Jacobs saw examples in the automotive aftermarket too.

00:02:27: Ah.

00:02:28: Using AI to improve customer experience, optimize processes, making things smoother.

00:02:34: That's where you get the real edge, isn't it?

00:02:36: And it's also like... Literally, in our hands now, I saw GAN-S posted about the new T-Phone III and T-Tablet II.

00:02:43: Oh,

00:02:44: yeah, the new devices.

00:02:45: Right, with integrated AI right on the device.

00:02:47: They had live demos, apparently.

00:02:48: Yeah.

00:02:49: It shows how AI is getting embedded everywhere, not just kept in the cloud.

00:02:52: Faster, more private, potentially.

00:02:54: But that brings up a really important counterpoint.

00:02:56: Dominic Walther made a great point about, you know, balance.

00:02:59: Okay.

00:03:00: While the tech is powerful, we need to keep human intelligence at the center of every AI strategy.

00:03:05: Basically, don't let the tech run away without

00:03:08: us.

00:03:08: That's crucial.

00:03:09: Keeping the human element values oversight.

00:03:12: Yeah,

00:03:13: that's key for responsible deployment.

00:03:14: Exactly.

00:03:14: And that idea of control of responsibility leads us nicely into the next big theme.

00:03:20: Digital sovereignty, especially for Europe.

00:03:22: and related cloud solutions.

00:03:24: Yes,

00:03:24: a huge topic.

00:03:25: Digital sovereignty, fundamentally, is about Europe maintaining control over its own digital infrastructure, its data, its tech.

00:03:33: So protection.

00:03:34: Protection,

00:03:35: yes, but also opportunity.

00:03:37: Protecting from outside influence, cyber threats, ensuring our data laws are met, but also fostering our own innovation.

00:03:45: Which is vital for independence, data protection, obviously, and like we just discussed, staying competitive in AI.

00:03:52: Christine Neckfest-Nicolik pointed out the risks, didn't she?

00:03:54: She did.

00:03:55: The risk of sensitive data ending up in foreign AI systems that could undermine security, intellectual property, put European companies behind, it really is about controlling our digital future.

00:04:06: Makes sense.

00:04:06: And this is where T-Cloud came in.

00:04:08: It was positioned as a key platform for secure innovation within that sovereign framework.

00:04:12: Right.

00:04:13: I saw Dr.

00:04:13: Ferry Abel Hassan and Lars Neumann were both talking about sovereign cloud services.

00:04:17: Yes, very strongly.

00:04:19: And Ferry actually announced something quite significant.

00:04:22: The first industrial AI cloud in Europe, built with Nvidia specifically to support European industry.

00:04:30: Wow.

00:04:30: Okay.

00:04:30: So not just storage, but the actual processing power for AI kept within Europe.

00:04:35: Exactly.

00:04:36: The high performance infrastructure needed for advanced AI, but under European control.

00:04:41: And Lars Neumann gave more detail on T-Cloud's offerings, right, like public private options.

00:04:46: Yeah,

00:04:47: he detailed the flexibility.

00:04:48: Public or private cloud, a multi-cloud approach so you're not locked in, plus operations and certified data centers across Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland.

00:04:56: So

00:04:56: choice and security.

00:04:57: tailored for Europe.

00:04:58: Precisely.

00:04:59: And connecting this back, Finn Westling really drove home why this is necessary.

00:05:04: He talked about the US Cloud

00:05:06: Act.

00:05:06: Ah, the implications there.

00:05:07: Right.

00:05:08: The potential for US authorities to access data held by US providers, even if it's stored here.

00:05:14: Westlin outlined a roadmap towards true sovereignty data, operational and technological independence within Europe, owning the whole stack.

00:05:21: You really can't have digital transformation without that trust and control, can you?

00:05:26: Which brings us to the next piece.

00:05:29: Cyber security.

00:05:31: Always critical, but especially alongside AI.

00:05:34: Fortifying the future, let's call it.

00:05:36: Absolutely essential.

00:05:38: As we digitize, the attack surface just grows.

00:05:41: Nicholas Horseman introduced something called security on net.

00:05:44: Okay, what's that?

00:05:44: It sounds

00:05:45: pretty innovative.

00:05:46: Automatic, intelligent, scalable protection against cyber attacks launching in twenty twenty six, apparently.

00:05:51: The key thing is it protects via the network.

00:05:54: Oh, so not software on every single machine.

00:05:57: Exactly.

00:05:57: No extra software needed on endpoints like an invisible shield built into the network infrastructure itself could be a big deal for businesses struggling with endpoint security.

00:06:05: That sounds like a step change.

00:06:07: But security isn't just tech, is it?

00:06:09: The human factor is still huge.

00:06:10: Definitely.

00:06:11: So Safe was there and posts from Leonie Michael and Julia Laura Damrath mentioned their focus on cyber awareness, engagement.

00:06:17: Right.

00:06:17: Strengthening defenses that way.

00:06:19: And tying it back to AI, focusing on responsible AI deployment.

00:06:23: Because, you know, the best tech defenses can be undone by human error.

00:06:26: So true.

00:06:27: Training and awareness are key.

00:06:29: Mm-hmm.

00:06:30: And tied into security is secure payments.

00:06:33: Critical for digital commerce.

00:06:35: Hilmar Weichowski introduced Paisy Pro.

00:06:38: Paisy Pro.

00:06:39: What's the angle there?

00:06:40: It lets SMEs turn a smartphone into a payment terminal.

00:06:42: Makes it easier for smaller businesses to accept secure digital payments.

00:06:46: Democratizing it, in a way.

00:06:48: Ah, practical.

00:06:49: Yeah.

00:06:49: And Reynolds Vassili noted the MasterCard team was also heavily involved, talking about driving digitalization with innovative payment solutions, but always with enhanced security baked in.

00:06:59: Makes sense.

00:07:00: Enabling growth, but safely.

00:07:03: Okay, our final theme wraps things up nicely.

00:07:05: Collaboration, innovation, and a real customer focus.

00:07:09: It's not just about the tech itself, but how we work together and who we're building it for.

00:07:13: Exactly.

00:07:13: The event really seemed to emphasize partnerships, innovation, but all geared towards specific customer needs.

00:07:19: Less, build it and they will come.

00:07:21: More, what problem are we solving?

00:07:22: And that partner growth event AI edition sounded like a focal point for this.

00:07:27: Philip Sourtag apparently had a strong message, partner or perish.

00:07:31: Right, moving beyond make or buy.

00:07:33: Yeah, suggesting collaboration is essential now, especially with something as complex as AI, spucking new partnerships across the big players.

00:07:40: It's about collective strength.

00:07:42: And startups are a massive part of that ecosystem too, right?

00:07:45: Acting as innovation drivers.

00:07:47: Absolutely.

00:07:48: Enterprise applications were featured at the tech booth Startup Beach.

00:07:51: Companies like Newing GMBH, Carsten Hauchon's company, presenting fresh ideas.

00:07:58: And Nico Boimer also highlighted that strong interest in startups and innovation generally.

00:08:03: They bring agility, disruptive thinking.

00:08:06: And it all comes back to the customer, especially the mid-market, which sometimes gets overlooked.

00:08:11: Rainer Widman mentioned LBBW and Sparkass showing digital solutions tailored specifically for them.

00:08:17: That's important, addressing their specific challenges.

00:08:19: And IT service providers too.

00:08:21: like NuVision.

00:08:22: Michael Stritzinger showcased their Timo three sixty five platform and end to end process platform to help customers digitalize faster, moving beyond single solutions to integrated approaches.

00:08:33: And you could actually see some of this innovation applied on the floor, right?

00:08:37: Experiential tech.

00:08:39: Jutta Ranbrock observed humanoid robots doing monotonous tasks in medium-sized businesses.

00:08:44: Robots.

00:08:45: Wow.

00:08:46: Yeah, taking over repetitive work, freeing up people.

00:08:49: Yeah.

00:08:49: And Tom Nuber and Yen Sponson were showing smart glasses for AI-assisted tasks.

00:08:54: Like remote maintenance.

00:08:55: Stuff like that, guided assembly, AI in action, improving daily work, making complex tasks more accessible.

00:09:01: Really tangible examples.

00:09:02: If you enjoyed this episode, new episodes drop every two weeks.

00:09:05: Also, check out our other editions on cloud, digital... products and services, artificial intelligence and ICT and tech insights, health tech, defense tech.

00:09:14: Thank

00:09:14: you for joining us on this deep dive into DigitalX Cologne.

00:09:17: It's clear AI is now firmly in the practical stage.

00:09:20: Sovereignty is a strategic must for Europe and security plus collaboration are the bedrock.

00:09:26: Perhaps the biggest thing is how interconnected it all is.

00:09:28: You know, these aren't separate trends.

00:09:30: They're pillars shaping what's next.

00:09:32: What really stands out to you from all this?

00:09:33: for your own work, definitely subscribe so you don't miss our future exploration.

00:09:37: into this constantly shifting digital world.