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Belgium 27-8-26 AB Members Physical english

Summer Festival: Advisory Board

CIO agendas are crowded: cost pressure, cyber, regulation, talent, data, AI, vendor dependency, business expectations. Most organisations are trying to do too much at once, and the “must-do” work often blocks the strategic work. CIONET only creates value if its agenda matches what CIOs truly need, in the right format, at the right time. The challenge Pick the few priorities that matter most for 2027, then translate them into a clear CIONET agenda. Outcome we leave with A ranked CIO agenda for 2027, and a directly aligned CIONET programme outline (themes, formats, cadence), with a shortlist of speaker and case targets.

Belgium 27-8-26 Country Members Physical english

Summerfest: From Story to Habit

How to align people, shift routines, and prove value Technology transformations often fail not because the tools don’t work, but because people don’t change their work habits. Boards want proof of value, executives want business outcomes, IT wants clarity, and employees want ease. Between these expectations, the CIO’s role is no longer just to deliver platforms; it is to tell the story that motivates people and turn that story into daily habits. This session will explore: The narrative: how to craft a simple, repeatable story that explains the “why” behind change for every stakeholder. From story to routine: practical ways to embed new behaviours through manager rituals, team incentives, and visible leadership. Reskilling and new expectations: preparing teams for evolving roles, from cross-department collaboration to AI-enhanced workflows. Measuring what matters: showing progress in speed, quality, and resilience — not just in licences bought or trainings completed. The aim is to equip CIOs with a leadership toolkit: a story that unites, habits that endure, and proof that convinces even the toughest boardroom.

Belgium 8-9-26 Invitation Only Virtual english

What an AI Architect Actually Does in Practice; Skills, responsibilities, interfaces, and career moves behind one of the most misunderstood emerging roles.

The AI architect role is becoming more visible, and the scope varies across organisations. The challenge is defining what the role owns, where it sits, and how it works with existing architecture, data, security, risk, and business teams. Three pressure points need clarity. - Role definition matters because the position can span solution architecture, data architecture, governance, integration, security, vendor selection, and business process design. - Interfaces matter because the role must connect teams while respecting existing responsibilities. - Skills matter because technical depth needs to be combined with judgement around controls, delivery choices, and operational boundaries. The working question is simple: how do we define the AI architect role so it becomes useful, credible, and connected to delivery? If this role is emerging in your organisation, let’s compare how others are defining it and where they are placing it.

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AI21 Labs Collaborates with Google Cloud to Integrate Generative AI Capabilities with BigQuery

AI21 Labs is using Google Cloud infrastructure to speed its model training and inferencing.

Leading AI research startup, running on Google Cloud's AI/ML infrastructure, to bring industry-specific generative AI capabilities to BigQuery

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Google Cloud today announced a new collaboration with AI21 Labs, an Israeli startup that fundamentally changes the way people read and write using generative AI and large language models (LLMs). AI21 Labs is leveraging Google Cloud's purpose-built AI/ML infrastructure to speed its model training and inferencing, and is also one of the first partners to offer generative AI features on top of BigQuery.

As a result of AI21 Labs' and Google Cloud's collaboration, customers can now use BigQuery connectors and functions to natively integrate several industry-specific generative AI capabilities. For example, retail customers can now use generative task-specific APIs for creating product descriptions or extracting insights from customer reviews, while financial services companies could use them to quickly analyze reports.

AI21 Labs has deployed Google Cloud's home-grown AI supercomputers, Tensor Processor Units (TPUs), for training and serving its advanced LLMs. By leveraging Google Cloud TPUs, AI21 Labs can take advantage of the same custom-designed, machine-learning infrastructure that powers many Google products. In combination with Cloud TPUs, AI21 Labs also benefits from Google Cloud's extensive portfolio of GPU VMs, including the recently announced A3 VMs powered by NVIDIA H100 GPUs. Google Cloud's open approach to AI development and leadership in custom silicon equips AI21 Labs with a more seamless experience rooted in its scalable, secure, and stable infrastructure.

"Google Cloud's vast portfolio of impressive AI hardware is why we chose to work with the company, and we're proud to now double down on expanding our generative AI solutions alongside them," said Ori Goshen, Co-CEO and co-founder, AI21 Labs. "Our partnership with Google Cloud has had a profound effect on our work to advance the possibilities of artificial intelligence and natural language processing, and today's news of our deepened collaboration marks an important step forward in that journey."

"AI21 Labs is a leading generative AI startup that is taking advantage of the incredible performance that Google Cloud's leading infrastructure offers," said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. "Our new BigQuery integrations are a great example of how we are working together to bring the value of generative AI to businesses in every industry."

To explore LLM-based capabilities from AI21 Labs, visit its website. To learn more about the AI/ML infrastructure powering AI21 Labs, visit cloud.google.com/tpu.

Additional Resources

Keep up with the latest Google Cloud news on our newsroom and blog.
Learn more about Google Cloud's BigQuery here.
Learn more about Google Cloud TPUs here and Cloud GPUs here.
Learn more about AI21 Labs here.

About Google Cloud
Google Cloud accelerates every organization's ability to digitally transform its business and industry. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology, and tools that help developers build more sustainably. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

SOURCE Google Cloud

Technologies

Google Cloud A3 instances Google Cloud TPUs

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CIONET’s Cyber Circle: a new three-event programme exclusively focusing on the most urgent, complex, and high-impact challenges in cybersecurity today. Launched in 2026, this initiative brings together CISOs, CIOs, and senior IT executives with a strong interest in cybersecurity for three curated gatherings each year. As part of CIONET’s trusted executive community, the Cyber Circle provides a confidential, peer-driven environment to exchange insights, share real-world experiences, and address evolving cyber threats. Each session is designed to foster strategic dialogue, strengthen resilience, and elevate cybersecurity as a core driver of business value.

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Découvrez la dynamique du leadership numérique aux Rencontres de CIONET, le programme francophone exclusif de CIONET pour les leaders numériques en Belgique, rendu possible grâce au soutien et à l'engagement de nos partenaires de programme : Deloitte, Denodo et Red Hat. Rejoignez trois événements inspirants par an à Liège, Namur et en Brabant Wallon, où des CIOs et des experts numériques francophones de premier plan partagent leurs perspectives et expériences sur des thèmes d'affaires et de IT actuels. Laissez-vous inspirer et apprenez des meilleurs du secteur lors de sessions captivantes conçues spécialement pour soutenir et enrichir votre rôle en tant que CIO pair. Ne manquez pas cette opportunité de faire partie d'un réseau exceptionnel d'innovateurs numériques !

Female Leadership Circle

CIONET is committed to highlighting and celebrating female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, creating a leadership programme that empowers and elevates women within the tech industry. This initiative is dedicated to showcasing the achievements and successes of leading women, fostering an environment where female role models are recognised, and their contributions can ignite progress and inspire the next generation of women in IT. Our mission is to shine the spotlight a little brighter on female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, and to empower each other through this inner network community.