Explaining AI Track

As part of the AI Summit Brainport 2025, we’re organizing a dedicated Explaining AI Track. A thought-provoking program curated by the AI Innovation Center. In this track, leading AI experts and thought leaders explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, with a strong emphasis on ethics, transparency, and regulatory compliance. This year’s central theme is ‘How to trust AI?’. The audience can expect engaging sessions that address the foundations of trust in AI systems: from ethical frameworks and governance to responsible design and policy alignment.

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TIMETABLE

11:00 Coffee break and expo
11:30 Keynote: Arnaud Hubaux
12:00 Panel: Who Owns the Algorithm?
12:30 Keynote: Willem Sanberg 

13:00 Lunch break and expo
14:15  Live demo: Trust Me, I'm Your Digital Twin 
With Tom Acland 
14:45 Panel: How to earn trust with Generative AI projects, driving employee engagement and adoption

Moderator: Felipe Augusto Chies
15:15  Keynote: Representative from HP (t.b.a.)

15:45 Keynote: Rens van der Vorst

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Keynote: Arnaud Hubaux

Senior Product Manager AI, ASML

Keynote: Integrating AI in Industrial High-Tech Manufacturing



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Panel: Who Owns the Algorithm? A conversation on AI, power, and sovereignty

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Panelist: Oscar Bastiaens

Philosopher, Ethics & Technology and Head of programme Academy of Arts Maastricht



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Two more panellists to be announced

Soon the other two panellists will be announced. 

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Keynote: Willem Sanberg

Senior Research Engineer Embedded AI Systems at NXP Semiconductors

EdgeAI: Where AI and AI agents Meet the Physical World

By bringing agentic AI to the Edge, NXP Semiconductors provides opens new possibilities for robots, vehicles, and smart homes to perceive, interact with, and influence their environments. 



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As artificial intelligence begins to control these systems, it gains the ability to operate autonomously in dynamic, real-world settings. But what lies at the core of these AI systems? How can such complex functionality run on compact edge devices? And most importantly: how do we ensure these intelligent systems operate safely?

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Tom Acland

CEO of 3DEXCITE at Dassault Systèmes

Live Demo: Trust Me, I'm Your Digital Twin

Applying a human and virtual companions approach to enable manufacturing, life sciences and infrastructure projects

Panel: How to earn trust with Generative AI projects, driving employee engagement and adoption

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Panelist: Maarten Kelderman

R&D IT Director at NXP Semiconductors

 

Maarten Kelderman is the R&D IT Director at NXP Semiconductors where he is responsible for the EDA design infrastructure environments that are used globally for hardware design. Maarten has more than 20 years of experience leading IT solution development programs and transformations in the high-tech industry.


Panelist: Hans Nikol

Head of IoT at Signify

Hans Nikol has been with Signify and before Philips for close to 30 years and is currently responsible for Open Innovation and IoT. Signify IoT connects over more than 100 M devices in consumer and professional lighting segments.

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Panelist: Paul Merkus

Head of the Research Support Office at TU/e

Paul Merkus joined the TU/e in 2018 after 30 years of industry experience in high-tech R&D within the Brainport region. Next to being head of the Research Support Office of the TU/e and coordinating public-private partnership projects of the TU/e, he is also active in EAISI, the Eindhoven AI Systems institute. Paul is also active within EAISI (Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute) and is a passionate AI enthusiast. As an early adopter of responsible generative AI in research and innovation, he is actively exploring how to harness the AI wave for both academic and societal benefit—while remaining vigilant about its risks.

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Panel Moderator: Felipe Augusto Chies

Head of Generative AI & ML GTM Europe North at AWS

As a leader in Generative AI and Machine Learning at AWS, Felipe Chies bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and business impact. Felipe drives go-to-market strategies in the Benelux, Nordics, and Baltics, empowering customers to unlock the full potential of AWS's AI stack.

 

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Keynote: HP

HP representative t.b.a.

Keynote: Rens van der Vorst

Technophilosopher @ Fontys University

Keynote: How to Remain Human in Times of Exponential Technology

 

In times of exponential technology it becomes more and more important to understand what it means to be human. After all, only if we understand what makes us unique as human beings we can design, implement and use technology that truly supports us. Rens van der Vorst designed a thought framework based on digital gremlins, to help you reach that goal.

 

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Arnaud Hubaux

Senior Product Manager AI, ASML

Keynote: Integrating AI in Industrial High-Tech Manufacturing



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Panel: Who Owns the Algorithm? A conversation on AI, power, and sovereignty

Image

Panellist: Oscar Bastiaens

Philosopher, Ethics & Technology and Head of programme Academy of Arts Maastricht

Two more panellists to be announced

Soon the other two panellists will be announced. 


Image

Keynote: Willem Sanberg

Senior Research Engineer Embedded AI Systems at NXP Semiconductors

EdgeAI: Where AI and AI agents Meet the Physical World

By bringing agentic AI to the Edge, NXP Semiconductors provides opens new possibilities for robots, vehicles, and smart homes to perceive, interact with, and influence their environments. 
As artificial intelligence begins to control these systems, it gains the ability to operate autonomously in dynamic, real-world settings. But what lies at the core of these AI systems? How can such complex functionality run on compact edge devices? And most importantly: how do we ensure these intelligent systems operate safely?

 

View profile on LinkedIn

Image

Tom Acland

 CEO of 3DEXCITE at Dassault Systèmes

Live Demo: Trust Me, I'm Your Digital Twin

Applying a human and virtual companions approach to enable manufacturing, life sciences and infrastructure projects

 

Panel: How to earn trust with Generative AI projects, driving employee engagement and adoption

Image

Panellist: Maarten Kelderman

R&D IT Director at NXP Semiconductors


Maarten Kelderman is the R&D IT Director at NXP Semiconductors where he is responsible for the EDA design infrastructure environments that are used globally for hardware design. Maarten has more than 20 years of experience leading IT solution development programs and transformations in the high-tech industry.

Image

Panellist: Hans Nikol

 

Head of IoT at Signify

Hans Nikol has been with Signify and before Philips for close to 30 years and is currently responsible for Open Innovation and IoT. Signify IoT connects over more than 100 M devices in consumer and professional lighting segments.

 

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Panellist: Paul Merkus

 

Head of the Research Support Office at TU/e

Paul Merkus joined the TU/e in 2018 after 30 years of industry experience in high-tech R&D within the Brainport region. Next to being head of the Research Support Office of the TU/e and coordinating public-private partnership projects of the TU/e, he is also active in EAISI, the Eindhoven AI Systems institute. Paul is also active within EAISI (Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute) and is a passionate AI enthusiast. As an early adopter of responsible generative AI in research and innovation, he is actively exploring how to harness the AI wave for both academic and societal benefit—while remaining vigilant about its risks.

View profile on LinkedIn

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Panel moderator: Felipe Augusto Chies

 

Head of Generative AI & ML GTM Europe North at AWS

As a leader in Generative AI and Machine Learning at AWS, Felipe Chies bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and business impact. Felipe drives go-to-market strategies in the Benelux, Nordics, and Baltics, empowering customers to unlock the full potential of AWS's AI stack.

View profile on LinkedIn

 

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Keynote HP

 

Soon to be announced

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Keynote: Rens van der Vorst


Technophilosopher @ Fontys University

Keynote: How to Remain Human in Times of Exponential Technology

In times of exponential technology it becomes more and more important to understand what it means to be human. After all, only if we understand what makes us unique as human beings we can design, implement and use technology that truly supports us. Rens van der Vorst designed a thought framework based on digital gremlins, to help you reach that goal.

View profile on LinkedIn