Thinking Machines Ahead
Event

Thinking Machines Ahead

How Autonomous Systems will Transform the Way we Work.
Where: ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT
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Smart tractor in a field with digital data overlays representing precision farming technology.

This conference will highlight possible future developments of automated and autonomous work environments, such as university laboratories, agriculture, and healthcare. While automation refers to the use of technology to perform tasks with minimal human intervention, often following predefined rules and processes, autonomous systems are capable of making decisions independently, adapting to new situations without human input.

We will discuss emerging trends and how these technologies may evolve over the next decade. What changes can we expect in the collaboration between humans and machines? Will humans continue to play a central role, or could work environments be fully autonomously managed by machines?

In expert talks and a podium discussion, we will explore the future of autonomous systems, which promise to revolutionize industries by offering greater flexibility and decision-making capabilities. These systems have the potential to transform our daily lives and society at large, far beyond what traditional automation can achieve. Join us for this engaging discussion about the future of work and the transformative power of both automation and autonomous systems.

Agenda

The conference will take place on 19th November, with a day of informative sessions, engaging discussions and valuable networking opportunities. After the conference we will be hosting a series of workshops centered around the ZEISS Catalyst Program. Invitations to these workshops will be sent separately.

Please note that this agenda might be subject to change. 

ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT

November 19th 2025 | Agenda

12:00 - 13:00

Registration & welcome lunch

13:00 - 13:10

Welcome & introduction to the conference

13:10 - 13:20

Viewing back on 5 Years of the Innovation Hub
Max Riedel | Head of ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT

13:20 - 14:00

Keynote - the Future of Computing
Prof. Wolfram Pernice / University of Heidelberg

14:00 - 14:30

The Future of Robotics in AgTech
Ing. EJ Erik Pekkeriet / Wageningen University & Research

14:30 - 15:00

Coffee break

15:00 - 15:30

Physical AI for the Next Wave of Industrial Digitalization and Robotics
Timo Kistner - NVIDIA

15:30 - 16:00

The Future of Life Science Automation
Prof. Ute Schepers / Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

16:00 - 16:30

How will Automation transform the Way we work
Dr. Matthias Peissner / Fraunhofer IAO

16:30 - 17:15

Panel Discussion: Automation - Curse or Blessing?

17:30 - 18:30

Tour through the ZEISS Innovation Hub

17:30 - 20:00

Dinner & Networking

Speaker

Portrait of Timo Kistner. He has short grey hair und a dark brown beard. Timo is wearing a black jacket over a white button-down shirt.

Dr. Timo Kistner

EMEA Industry Lead for Manufacturing and Industrial at NVIDIA

Timo is the EMEA Industry Lead for Manufacturing and Industrial at NVIDIA based in Munich. In this role, Timo drives NVIDIA’s business with companies in this sector, including, e.g., semiconductor, industrial automation and aerospace. Prior to joining NVIDIA, Timo was leading Manufacturing Solutions at Google Cloud in EMEA. Before that, Timo was a Partner at Siemens Management Consulting in Munich and Beijing with a focus on discrete and process manufacturing. Timo holds a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology from the University of Karlsruhe.

Portrait of Erik Pekkeriet. Erik has short grey hair. He is wearing round glasses and a light blue button-down shirt. He is standing in front of a bright white background, smiling.

Erik Pekkeriet

Programme Manager for Vision + Robotics at Wageningen University and Research

Erik is Programme Manager Vision + Robot at Wageningen University and Research. He started is career as Mechanical Engineer at a Philips production plant and moved from there via a horti-tech branch organization to Wageningen. As programme manager he manages the Vision + Robotics project portfolio with a team op 60 researchers at the applied side of V+R solutions in B2B and Public Private Partnerships. Next to his daily word he is also: chair of the topicgroup on Agricultural Robotics at EU Robotics; Chair of topicgroup Greenhouse Horticultuire at the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Techniek in de Landbouw (Dutch Society of Technology in Agriculture), network coordinator at the European agROBOfood network and project leader of the Dutch NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood program.

Portrait of Matthias Peissner. He has short brown hair, longe on top, shorter at the sides. Matthias is wearing a navy blue jacket over a blue button-down shirt. He is standing in a hallway lined with wooden elements on his left. Matthias is slightly smiling at the camera.

Matthias Peissner

Director and head of the Human-Technology Interaction research area at Fraunhofer IAO

Director and head of research area Human-Technology Interaction at Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO. His interdisciplinary teams work on solutions that enable efficient interaction between people and intelligent technology. His work focuses on adaptive systems, future work environments and the design of positive user experiences. He coordinates the AI Innovation Center "Learning Systems and Cognitive Robotics", the applied branch of the Cyber Valley ecosystem to transfer machine learning technologies into commercial use. For the human-oriented design of future work with AI, he is involved in Germany’s "Plattform Lernende Systeme" and the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI).

Location & Direction

How to get to ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT

ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 6 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Germany

Register now

Please note that there are limited seats available, therefore your registration is binding after you have received a confirmation.

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FAQs

  • The conference will start at 1pm on 19th of November, including keynote speakers and reception, followed by informative sessions, engaging discussions, and valuable networking opportunities. On November 20, we will be hosting a series of workshops centered around the ZEISS Catalyst Program. Invitations to these workshops will be sent separately.

     

  • You are warmly invited to register for our conference at the ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT on November 19th. If there are available spots, we are looking forward to getting to know you!

  • The conference will be held in English.

  • No, the event is free of charge. However, please note that participation requires prior registration.

  • Depending on how close to the event location you would like to stay, we can recommend the following hotels:

  • In case you are staying in Karlsruhe city, we recommend taking public transport which includes tram and bus to the stop "KIT-Campus Nord Südtor". Alternative options are the KIT shuttle or a taxi.

Impressions

Partner Summit 2022, 2023 and 2024
  • One of 2022s highlights was the collaboration with Emmanuel Witzthum, a composer and artistic director of creative digital experiences.