IDUG EMEA 2026

In a world powered by Db2, the rapid evolution of AI makes it hard to separate fact from fiction. Are DBAs being replaced? Will AI rewrite COBOL? Can we afford to ignore quantum encryption? Join our session to cut through the noise, demystify the biggest industry myths, and get real answers directly from industry leaders: Namik Hrle, Tracy Hutcheson and a cameo appearance from John Campbell. Bring your questions!

AI is creating new possibilities across every industry, but the enterprises that turn AI into real business value will have one major advantage: trusted access to the data that runs their business. For many of the world’s largest organizations, that data already lives in Db2, powering their most critical transactions across IBM Z and distributed environments. The opportunity isn’t to build yet another copy of that data somewhere else. It’s to unlock the value of the data you already have by bringing AI and analytics closer to where the data lives, reducing cost and complexity while accelerating access to insight.

Join IBM General Manager Priya Srinivasan and Distinguished Engineer & CTO IBM zData and AI Haakon Roberts as they share IBM’s vision for the future of Db2 and Data Integration. They’ll explore how Db2 for z/OS, Db2 LUW, and IBM Data Integration are evolving to help enterprises put their most valuable data to work across AI and analytics, from AI-powered database capabilities to real-time integration, streaming, and accelerated analytics. Learn how these capabilities can help you move faster, simplify your data architecture, and turn the data that powers your business into a competitive advantage.

Technology transforms organizations, but people determine whether transformation succeeds.

Drawing from two decades at the highest level of international sport, Ann Wauters explores what enables teams to perform consistently in environments where change, pressure and complexity are the norm.

Through inspiring stories and practical insights, she shares how trust, leadership, ownership and connection create the foundation for innovation, collaboration and sustainable high performance.

Because the strongest teams are not built on expertise alone—they are built on people who bring out the best in one another.