AI infrastructure and sovereignty — build, buy or federate?

Chair: Nicolai Schaettgen, Founder & CEO, Match-Maker Ventures

15:45 - 16:05
Fireside chat: Building a $2B ARR start-up by 2028 by leading in AI-powered sovereign solutions 

• How to create rapid growth leveraging Bell Canada’s 146-year-old platform strengths 
• What is Bell’s Sovereign AI full-stack solution? 
• Leadership, culture, and talent required to unlock the possibilities of AI 

John Watson, Group President, Bell Canada

16:05 - 16:25
Operationalizing AI at scale: Governance, delivery alignment and strategic integration 

• Telefónica AI Strategy & Governance - Embedding AI across the SDLC with clear governance, standards and alignment between internal and vendor-led initiatives. 
• Coordinated AI Delivery Model - Aligning multiple AI workstreams to ensure consistency, interoperability, and controlled rollout. 
• Hansen AI in Context - Showcasing Hansen’s AI roadmap and AI initiatives aligned to Telefónica’s strategy, SDLC and delivery priorities. 

Brian Cappellani, CTO, Hansen
Ashish Kar, VP, Head of BSS & AI Solutions, Telefónica Germany

16:25 - 16:45
Sovereign AI -  When AI becomes infrastructure

• Sovereign AI is a competitive advantage—not a constraint. How building an AI Factory is combining risk management with growth.
• Sovereignty means far more than data residency or choosing a model. It requires controlling the model layer, governing autonomous agents, and enforcing consistent oversight across every workload.
• Responsible AI and AI adoption at scale start with infrastructure that embeds governance and security by design

Liv Brekkenes, IT and AI Adoption Strategy Director, Telenor Group Technology

16:45 - 17:15
Panel: Public, private, or hybrid: Choosing the right AI infrastructure

• Compare the advantages and limitations of building AI in-house, buying commercial solutions, or federating across partners
• Showcase architectures that optimize scalability, interoperability, and cost efficiency in telecom operations
• Offer guidelines for aligning infrastructure choices with long-term AI strategy and network demands

Mohammad Rubbyat Akram, Director, Infrastructure Management, Robi Axiata PLC
Anthony Behan, Global Industry Director, Cloudera 
Brian Cappellani, CTO, Hansen
Michael Elkabas, Principle Technology Architect, TELUS

Timings are provisional only and may be subject to change.