22 Jan 2026
IDC & NTT DATA Executive Event
Sovereign AI: Strategy, Autonomy and Compromise
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Sponsored by
As organizations continue to explore and adopt AI, they are increasingly asking questions about whether their approaches to procuring, implementing, deploying and managing AI systems gives them enough choice and control. IDC studies are clear that organizations are looking beyond simple answers: for example, 81% of European organizations say it’s critical or important to have full control over AI models used or developed internally, and 86% want the freedom to choose platforms other than public cloud for when they are deploying AI at scale.
So conversations about AI sovereignty – the ability to have free choice and control over the design, development, deployment, accessibility, operation, maintenance and governance of AI systems and applications – are becoming increasingly common. However, the pursuit of AI sovereignty requires investments, skills, processes and capabilities that may not be easy to come by.
This event will explore the potential benefits of sovereign AI, but also highlight the tradeoffs and compromises that may emerge. We will explore the drivers accelerating the shift to sovereign AI, the challenges of infrastructure readiness, and the implications for organizational independence.
Key topics will include:
- A framework for AI sovereignty decision-making
- Strategies for building AI-native infrastructure and governance frameworks that support sovereign AI ambitions
- The critical role of technical expertise in managing AI infrastructure and ensuring data sovereignty
- Governance and responsible AI innovation in the context of sovereign AI
- The role of trusted partners in navigating AI adoption complexities
By bringing together C-suite executives and infrastructure professionals, this event aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the sovereign AI landscape and practical insights for navigating its challenges.
Event Highlights
- Keynote addresses on the strategic imperatives of sovereign AI
- Roundtable discussions on building AI-native capabilities and addressing AI sovereignty opportunities and challenges
- Strategic insights into the future of AI infrastructure and governance
This event is designed to foster a collaborative environment where leaders can share experiences, challenges, and solutions in the pursuit of sovereign AI.
Agenda
IDC & NTT DATA Executive Event
One day event
Delegate Arrival & Coffee/Networking
IDC Keynote
NTT DATA Keynote
Tom Winstanley
CTO, NTT DATA
Bridging the AI Readiness Gap
As organisations accelerate their adoption of AI, most are discovering a growing gap between ambition and execution. Models and agents are easy to access, but scaling them securely, economically, and reliably inside the enterprise is not. This session explores how to bridge the AI readiness gap by reframing AI as an industrial capability, a secure AI factory where tokenomics as the new operating model that maps directly to infrastructure cost, performance, and business value.
Roger Dickinson
Cisco Cloud and AI Infrastructure Outbound Technical Marketing, Cisco
Coffee/Networking
Roundtable Discussions
Drinks Reception
Speakers
Neil Ward-Dutton
Vice President, AI and DX European Practices
IDC
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Neil Ward-Dutton
Tom Winstanley
CTO
NTT DATA
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Tom Winstanley
Tom is the CTO for NTT DATA in the UK and leads our New Ventures and R&D teams, providing expert foresight into effective innovation and leading our startup and scaleup partnering programme, Bento Box. Tom has a background in consulting and programme delivery with over 20 years of international experience in telecoms, media, retail and financial services, always on the interface between business, customer experience and technology. Having co-founded the digital practice for NTT DATA in the UK, Tom remains active in client engagements, where he leads business, creative and technology teams, helping our clients rethink their businesses.
Roger Dickinson
Cisco Cloud and AI Infrastructure Outbound Technical Marketing
Cisco
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Roger Dickinson
Roger Dickinson is part of Cisco’s worldwide Cloud & AI Infrastructure team, advising enterprises on how to translate AI industry trends into business outcomes. He helps leaders address adoption challenges and make strategic infrastructure decisions that accelerate value creation. His technical expertise spans the full AI stack—from secure infrastructure to building AI Factories, and operationalising AI across hybrid multicloud environments
Partners
Sponsored by
NTT DATA
NTT DATA – a part of NTT Group – is a trusted global innovator of IT and business services headquartered in Tokyo. We help clients transform through consulting, industry solutions, business process services, IT modernization and managed services. NTT DATA enables clients, as well as society, to move confidently into the digital future. We are committed to our clients’ long-term success and combine global reach with local client attention to serve them in over 50 countries.
Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Network and follow on Twitter.
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