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Sovereign IT Forum

The platform for needs-based digital sovereignty

10th Sovereign IT Forum

Wednesday, 7 October 2026, 01:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Berlin

Bertelsmann Representative Office: Unter den Linden 1

Digital agility will determine how successfully organizations can operate in the future. However, the operating environment is undergoing fundamental changes: AI agents are increasingly taking on tasks and making decisions, global platform providers are expanding their influence over digital value chains, and geopolitical developments are creating new dependencies. At the same time, demands for security, resilience, and compliance are rising.

 

The 10th Sovereign IT Forum brings together decision-makers from politics, government, business, and academia to discuss the future of digital agency. The focus is on issues of control, responsibility, and sovereignty in a digital world that is changing faster than ever before. Look forward to inspiring insights, contrasting perspectives, and an open exchange on the prerequisites for a sovereign digital future.

Ten Forums, One Central Question

Since 2022, the Forum Souveräne IT has been supporting the development of digital sovereignty in Germany. What began as a discussion of data protection and the sovereign use of cloud technologies has evolved into a platform for addressing the major strategic issues of the future in the realm of digitalization. Topics such as cloud sovereignty, cybersecurity, resilience, regulatory requirements, and the digital transformation of critical infrastructure have shaped past forums. Today, the discussion is expanding to include new challenges: artificial intelligence, global platform ecosystems, and the question of how organizations can maintain their digital agency amid profound technological change. The 10th Sovereign IT Forum thus spans the arc from the early days to the critical issues of the coming years.

 

The Lecturers

Prof. Dr. Michael Groß

German Olympic swimming champion and entrepreneur

Dr. Rüdiger Hein

Group IT Director at Sennheiser

Benjamin Hilbricht

Editor at Tagesspiegel Background

© Nassim Rad

Mario Zillmann

Senior Partner, Prokurist Lünendonk & Hossenfelder GmbH

© Lünendonk & Hossenfelder Christian Schneider Photography

Matthias Moeller

CEO Arvato Systems Group and CIO Bertelsmann

Nils Bursy

Head of Digital Sovereignty (Technology & Transformation) & Head of Customer Success Management

Klaus Fetzer

Managing Director of Public & Health at Arvato Systems

Sebastian Kespohl

Lead Public Sector

Image and Sound Recordings at the Sovereign IT Forum

Image and sound recordings will be made at this event. By participating, you agree that Arvato Systems has the right to use, reproduce, distribute, and publish these recordings.

 

You can find more information on the possible use of your data in our privacy policy.

Organizational Matters

Location

We will meet again in 2026 at the Bertelsmann Representative Office, Unter den Linden 1, in Berlin. It is a place of communication, cultural exchange, music and literature, as well as an architectural gem with a historical backdrop. It has developed into a lively and diverse place in Berlin and is a meeting point for opinion leaders in politics, business and science.

 

© Bertelsmann

Arrival

Car

We recommend parking under Bebelplatz (Q-Park Unter den Linden/Staatsoper). From there it is only a four-minute walk to the Bertelsmann Representative Office. To get to the underground parking garage, enter the following address in your navigation system: Bebelpl. 2, 10117 Berlin

Public transportation

The following stations are in the immediate vicinity of Unter den Linden 1: Museumsinsel (U5) 1 minute walk, Staatsoper (bus lines 100, 300) 3 minutes walk, Bahnhof Berlin Friedrichstraße (S1, S2, S3, S5, S7, S9, S25, S26, U6) 12 minutes walk.

Our hotel recommendations

Hotel de Rome - 400m

Hotel Eurostars Berlin - 900m

ARCOTEL John F Berlin - 280m

Hotel ZOE by AMANO - 900m

TITANIC Hotel Gendarmenmarkt - 500m


Please book your hotel room in good time, as other major events are taking place in Berlin at the same time.

Further Information

Arvato Systems is a registered lobbyist in the lobby register of the German Bundestag and acts in accordance with its code of conduct.

Your Contact for The Sovereign IT Forum

MA_Ines_Biscan-Kosfeld_Corporate
Ines Biscan-Kosfeld
Senior Marketing Consultant