Nordic AI and Metaverse Summit 2024 - Programme and Speakers

Programme

* Program was last updated on January 29th 2024

Summit info

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ARRIVAL & CHECK-IN

08.30

Welcome! Introduction to the programme

09.30

Speakers:
Camilla Ley Valentin, Director of DI Digital
Mie Bilberg, Senior Advisor & Head of DI e-commerce
Bugge Holm Hansen, Senior Futurist & Head of Innovation and Technology, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies
Sofie Hvitved, Senor Futurist & Head of Media, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

Keywords: Welcome, overview and practicalities

Anticipatory Leadership in an Age of Digital Transformation

09.45

How can leaders anticipate and navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by AI and the emerging immersive technologies? Discover the essential leadership skills needed to successfully guide organizations in this new digital era, where the boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds are increasingly blurred. Attendees will gain insights into how anticipatory leadership can drive transformative change, preparing organizations to be future-ready in a world shaped by advanced technologies.

Speaker: Lasse Jonasson, Director & Futurist, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

Keywords: Future perspectives on leadership

Be My Eyes - Tech for Good and a Collaboration with OpenAI

09.55

In 2023, Be My Eyes announced a groundbreaking collaboration with OpenAI to develop an innovative AI-powered Virtual Volunteer feature. But how did this partnership start? How did a Nordic company come to work together with one of the world's largest AI firms? Hear the founder, Hans Jørgen Wiberg, share his thoughts on this remarkable story.

Since its launch in January 2015, Be My Eyes has seen exponential growth, garnering over 10K users within the first 24 hours. Fast forward to today, the app has become a global phenomenon, aiding the 250 million people who are blind or have low vision, supported by an impressive network of 7.1 million volunteers. Operating in 150 countries and available in 180 languages, Be My Eyes is a testament to the power of technology for social good.

Speaker: Hans Jørgen Wiberg, Founder, Be My Eyes

Keywords: A Nordic AI success

A world in transition: The state of AI and the Metaverse in 2024

10.05

Last year at the Summit, we introduced the Basic Metaverse Map together with Peter Hesseldahl from Mandag Morgen. This year we bring you an update on the state of AI and the metaverse. What happened in the space since last year? Where are we now? What will it mean for the industry both from a short and long-term perspective? And how can you as a company navigate this?

Speaker: Peter Hesseldahl, Editor for Digital Transformation, Mandag Morgen

Keywords: The bigger picture

COFFEE BREAK & NETWORKING

10.25

Fireside Chat: NVIDIA's take on what's next for AI & the Metaverse

10.55

Nvidia is a leading player in connecting our physical and digital worlds and in the implementation of AI. The company is regarded as a pioneer and leader in AI and is a global cornerstone in the infrastructure of Generative AI with their chips being used to train and run various Large Language Models (LLMs) including ChatGPT by OpenAI.

Join this fireside chat with Rasmus Bisgaard, Nvidia Regional Business Lead, for a talk about Nordic approaches – both when it comes to timing and strategy on entering the metaverse and integrate AI, and on the future perspectives as seen from one of the leading players in the industry.

Speaker: Rasmus Bisgaard, Regional Business Lead, NVIDIA

In a fireside chat with Sofie Hvitved, Senior Futurist & Head of Media, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

Keywords: What's next

Usecases: The AI & the Metaverse vs. the Nordic industry

11.15

What best practices have we seen this year? Join 3 cases that showcase the new space of AI and the Metaverse in different ways and hear from the people behind the initiatives who will share their projects, experiences and lessons learned. Hear about the AI-fueled campaign Coke Y3000, how Semco Maritime is using immersive meetings to accelerate sales and product design processes, and how Siemens has created an industrial metaverse experience centered around battery manufacturing.

Coca Cola's 'Y3000'
Coca Cola's 'Y3000' project has been recognized by AdAge as the most important AI-driven marketing campaign globally of 2023. The project provided an intuitive AI tool for Gen Z to imagine & celebrate an optimistic vision of the future, and was lauded for proving that cultural presence and engagement can move products just as well as big advertising campaigns. What is less known is that the project was conceived in Copenhagen, and now you can hear Tao Legene Thomsen, talk about the creation and activation of the project.

Siemens' Metaverse in Nordic Battery manufacturing
The industrial metaverse is a tool to help manufacturers collaborate and work in new ways. In partnership with Freyr, a Norwegian clean battery producer, Siemens has created an industrial metaverse experience centered around their new Freyr Gigafactory. Get insights behind the project, hear about the lessons learned and what to pay attention to in 2024.

Semco Maritime's immersive meetings in the Metaverse
Learn how immersive and easily accessible virtual meetings in the Metaverse can help companies in the Nordics accelerate sales and product design processes on a global scale - and how AI integrates into the experience. Jens Lauritsen, Chief Product Officer at Virsabi and a veteran in the XR industry introduces the next generation of online meetings on steroids. The session will include a short demo with Semco Maritime where Martin Ejlskov Hansen, Head of Innovation, will provide Semcos perspective on what opportunities these technologies create for them as a Nordic player in a global market.

Speakers:
Tao Legene Thomsen, Creative Director, Innovation, VICE Media Group
Nikolaj Kyhn, Head of Siemens Xcelerator & Digital Services, Siemens
Jens Lauritsen, Chief Product Officer, Virsabi
Martin Ejlskov Hansen, Head of Innovation, Semco Maritime

Keywords: Nordic best practice on opportunities & case presentation

LUNCH

11.55

Breakout #1: Metaverse and Creativity: Adobe's Vision for a Future with AI

12.40

Join Adobe for an insightful discussion on the future of creativity. Explore a future marked by unparalleled transformations across diverse industries. Discover how AI create personalized experiences for individual segments and delve into emerging technologies like the metaverse and 3D, focusing on scalable personalization.

Speakers:
Johan Lopes Helgesson, Principal Solutions Consultant, Adobe

Keywords: Emerging technologies & scalable personalization

Breakout #2: Do you speak the language of the future generations?

12.40

This presentation focuses on why understanding Gen Z and Gen Alpha – the first generations to grow up fully immersed in a digital world – is crucial for anyone looking to grasp the future of consumer behaviour and customer journeys. The session will explore how these generations interact with technology, their expectations for digital experiences, and how their virtual habits are shaping future trends in retail and beyond. Get insights into the digital behaviours and preferences of the youngest generations from the inspiring speaker Anna Katrine Matthiesen.

Speaker:
Anna Katrine Matthiesen, Partner, Vertica

Keywords: Future consumers & Gen A & Gen Z

Breakout #3: How Volvo solve large problems at scale using new transformative design paradigms of the future

13.10

"Let’s retire sense of urgency and instead look for sense of purpose". Timmy Ghiurau is an XR pioneer & Innovation Leader at Volvo Cars and has been working on initiatives around virtual and augmented reality, and works with virtual simulations, eye tracking, and virtual reality as enablers for self-driving cars and user experience research. Learn from the Swedish car company how they e.g. work with digital twins and real-time 3D technology to democratize R&D processes and create new innovations.

Speaker:
Timmy Ghiurau, Innovation Leader, Volvo Cars, Co-founder, The Point Labs

Keywords: Innovation, R&D & XR

Breakout #4: Welcome to the age of live virtual production, world building and storytelling.

13.10

With clients like LEGO, UN, Danish Radio (DR) - Copenhagen Rig is a new kid on the block in virtual storytelling. This session will explore the new innovative technologies used for the future of storytelling and how they might revolutionize the way stories are told and experienced. Get insights into projects that showcase the innovative approaches to creating virtual world-building and next-level immersive storytelling. And hear why the Nordics have the potential to become a global powerhouse in this space.

Speaker:
Christian Faber, Creative Director and founder, Copenhagen Rig

Keywords: Virtual Storytelling best practice

Breakout #5: The future of the metaverse as seen from inside Metas Reality Lab

13.40

Karen Borregaard is one of the world's leading UX researchers working inside at Meta's Reality Labs. Drawing on experiences and research, she will unveil the latest developments and future potential of the metaverse. Attendees will be treated with insights from innovative projects and cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the future virtual worlds. Come get a sneak peek into the future as seen from a Nordic perspective.

Speakers:
Karen Borregaard, Senior UX research, Meta Reality Labs

Keywords: User experience in the future

Breakout #6: Navigating the ethical landscape of AI and the metaverse: Ask your hard questions!

13.40

We've invited a panel of experts to discuss the ethical and societal aspects of AI and the metaverse. Come and get answers to your hard questions about the development: What are your concerns? What ethical considerations is your organisation facing? Is there anything you think we as Nordic companies are overlooking in the development? Join us for a discussion on a range of issues from what to consider before choosing software/hardware to the bigger philosophical questions and the societal impact of new technologies.

Speakers:
Katrine Konyher, Partner, Khora
Pernille Tranberg, Data Ethics
Christina Melander, Director of digital transition, Danish Design Center

Keywords: Ethics

Breakout #7: Inside Varjo's Vision: Pioneering the Future of Industrial VR and XR.

14.10

Varjo, the Finnish pioneer in VR/XR, is not just a technology company; they are visionaries redefining the frontiers of virtual and extended reality. Their mission is ambitious and transformative – to seamlessly merge the virtual and physical worlds. Welcome to the immersive future.

Speaker:
Jussi Mäkinen, Chief Brand Officer, Varjo

Keywords: Industrial XR/VR

Breakout #8: From Hype to Reality: Examining web3's uncertain journey, legal controversies, and possibles futures

14.10

This breakout session delves into the journey of Web3 from its initial hype to its current state, highlighting the complexities, legal controversies, and potential futures. Gain insights into the different dilemmas arising from Web3 technologies, such as regulatory challenges, privacy concerns, and the implications for digital identity and ownership. The presentation aims to provide a balanced perspective on its potential benefits and pitfalls from a nuanced, openhearted perspective from one of the Nordic stakeholders who has been part of the turbulent journey of Web3.

Speaker:
Morten Rongaard, Ex-CEO, Reality+
Magnus Jones, Nordic Blockchain & Innovation Lead, EY

Keywords: The state of Web3

COFFEE BREAK

14.40

Keynote: What's next: Bridging the metaverse with real life

15.10

Imagine a portal through which you can explore the full spectrum of the metaverse. This is the vision of VIVERSE – an open spatial platform developed by HTC, led by the newly appointed Director, John Dabill. Designed to interlace a network of virtual worlds enriched with augmented reality and powered by AI, VIVERSE unites XR headsets, engaging social apps, and versatile content creation tools to deliver a comprehensive spatial experience.

Gain a broader perspective on the industry's direction, including some of the latest customer deployments and projects anticipated in the near future. Join John Dabill as he shares insights on the industry's evolving trajectory. His presentation will reveal recent customer deployments and forthcoming projects, illustrating how VIVERSE is merging the metaverse with real-world applications and highlighting future expectations.

Speaker: John Dabill, Director of Viverse , HTC Vive

Keywords: Full spectrum metaverse

Summit Reflections: Ask your questions to the panel

15.40

What are the main key takeaways from the Summit '24? What are the most urgent questions we need to ask ourselves in the Nordics regarding the future of AI and the convergence of our virtual and physical lives? Join with your questions to the panel of selective speakers of the day!

Wrap-up

16.00

Speakers:
Jacob Kjeldsen, Director, DI Handel
Lise Thomsen, Senior Advisor & Head of DI Kreative Erhverv
Bugge Holm Hansen, Senior Futurist & Head of Innovation and Technology, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

DRINKS & NETWORKING

16.15 - 17.15

Speakers

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Anna Katrine Matthiesen

Partner, Vertica

Anna Katrine Matthiesen is a partner at the commerce consultancy firm Vertica. In 2021, she was recognized on Berlingske's Talent 100 list for her extensive expertise in the e-commerce industry. At Vertica, she has assisted companies such as Normal, Bolia, and Søstrene Grene in leveraging new technology for business opportunities, with a special focus on the potential of Artificial Intelligence, younger generations, and emerging retail trends. Additionally, she publishes several trend reports annually, including the yearly commerce trend report.

Christian Faber

Creative Director and founder, Copenhagen Rig

Christian Faber has a background as an Art Director working with some of the biggest toy brands worldwide. For many years he was responsible for LEGO Technic and the creation of the original BIONICLE toy line that was LEGO’s first self-produced full-blown IP. The aim has been to create entire universes of engaging stories, games, and music on many different platforms. In 2020 he founded Copenhagen Rig, a Virtual Production Studio and High-Tech Innovation Lab continuously pushing the boundaries of creative storytelling.

Christina Melander

Director of Digital Transition, Danish Design Center

Christina is a passionate advocate for placing humans at the heart of the digital transition and believes that the essence of this transformation lies in values rather than just digital technologies. She has over two decades of experience with strategic design, business development, and innovation, developing programs and projects across various industries. She is renowned as an experienced design leader who believes in the power of co-creation, collaboration, and cross-sector partnership to build a better future. She is currently serving as the President of the European Design organization BEDA and part of the Think Tank for Design at the Danish Design Council. Christina is one of the driving forces behind the Digital Ethics Compass.

Hans Jørgen Wiberg

Founder, Be My Eyes

Hans Jørgen Wiberg is visually impaired and got the idea of a volunteer video service for the blind using the great cameras in todays smartphones hence he founded Be My Eyes with one main goal: to make the world more accessible for blind and low-vision people. The app launched in January 2015, and currently 7,163,242 volunteers have signed up to assist blind and low-vision users. Be My Eyes users can request assistance in over 180 languages making the app the biggest online community for blind and low-vision people as well as one of the largest micro-volunteering platforms in the world. Recently Be My Eyes partnered with OpenAI in creating a GPT-4 powered Virtual Volunteer within the Be My Eyes app that can generate the same level of context and understanding as a human volunteer.

Johan Lopes Helgesson

Principal Solutions Consultant, Adobe

As a Principal Solutions Consultant at Adobe, Johan Lopes Helgesson helps transform businesses and enterprises by leveraging the power of creativity, design, business, and technology. With a core as a software developer and creative technologist, Johan is passionate about the intersection between art (content), science (data) and business. An entrepreneur with keen eye for design and user experience, he's known for delivering digital services of the highest standards working within several media, design & advertising agencies in the UK and Sweden.

Bugge Holm Hansen

Senior Futurist and Head of Innovation & Technology, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

Bugge has spent the past years researching the impact of the emerging technologies on culture, society, businesses, and individuals. He has over 20 years of experience in media and education in both advisory and industry roles. He has participated in think tanks and political committees and was involved in developing the first Nordic metaverse whitepaper and the world's first Delphi study on the Metaverse. He has lived and worked in various cities around the world and has an MA in Educational Science & Semiotics.

Sofie Hvitved

Senior Futurist & Head of Media, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

Sofie is Senior Futurist and Head of Media at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, where she has spend time working on the possible futures of the convergence of our physical and virtual lives and how this direction may impacts our lives and businesses. She is deeply involved in the intersection of media, technology, and entertainment and has a strong strategic background in the media industry, including work at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). She is also a member of the Danish Media Board under the Minister of Culture as well as in the advisory board for Future Media Hubs. She is an experienced keynote speaker, facilitator and host. She has an MA in Media Studies from Aarhus University in Denmark.

Jens Lauritsen

Chief Product Officer and Senior Strategic Advisor, Virsabi

Jens Lauritsen is a digital veteran and explorer of how XR and spatial computing can improve skills and support first-line workers to make them more efficient, safer and improve work life balance. Jens collaborates closely with global players in the manufacturing, maritime, energy and transport sectors.

John Dabill

Director of VIVERSE, HTC Vive

John is a seasoned technology veteran with a distinguished track record in the tech sector. His tenure at HTC has seen him transition from a leadership role in HTC VIVE for the EMEA region to spearheading global growth for HTC's VIVERSE division. In his current role, John is pivotal in shaping the content ecosystem, establishing strategic partnerships, and driving business development for HTC's VIVERSE solution. His efforts have been central in collaborating with partners across the EMEA region to develop innovative XR solutions and immersive experiences, aimed at defining the next generation of spatial computing across hardware, software and spatial experiences.

Jussi Mäkinen

Chief Brand Officer, Varjo

Jussi Mäkinen works with founders, coders, engineers and VC’s creating new brands and new technologies. Jussi has helped guide Varjo’s marketing, branding, PR and products from its beginning, currently serving as Chief Brand Officer. Jussi has more than 15 years of experience of leadership positions at the intersection of global marketing, R&D and design and acts as a marketing advisor for multiple deep-tech startups.

Karen Borregaard

Senior UX research, Meta Reality Labs

Karen Borregaard has more than 15 years of experience in UX research and has an insatiable curiosity for understanding people’s everyday lives, at home, in the office, or out and about. To understand why people act and feel as they do. She has been working on immersive experiences and mixed reality for Meta for more than three years with a focus on Metas Horizon Workroom.

Katrine Konyher

Partner & Head of XR Marketing, Khora

Katrine Konyher specialises in guiding businesses in the development of immersive technology-driven campaigns and marketing strategies at Khora, utilizing Augmented- and Virtual Reality. Her focus on these technologies has made her an expert in the field of immersive technologies and the Metaverse. Additionally, Katrine is ambassador for the Women in Immersive Technologies (WIIT) network, which focuses on encouraging more women to pursue careers in the tech industry.

Lasse Jonasson

Director & Senior Futurist, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

Lasse Jonasson is heading the advisory department at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies where he is engaged in advisory of organisations within long term strategic transitions through scenario planning and CIFS concept around Anticipatory Leadership. His competencies lie in anticipating changes and driving forces within industries and industry players, analysing new business models, and driving a transformational change at leadership level to equip leaders to future conditions.

Magnus Jones

Nordic Blockchain & Innovation Lead, EY

Magnus is an experienced advisor in blockchain and Web3, working closely with key stakeholders such as authorities, banks, and academia. He helps clients with everything from regulatory challenges to technical implementations and has extensive experience with NFTs and DeFi. He is also part of the Global EY Metaverse team and helped create the world's first Tax office in Metaverse. He is an international speaker and holds several advisory roles, such as co-founder of the Norwegian Computer Society Group for Blockchain, co-founder and board member of Oslo Blockchain Cluster, and a lecturer at various business schools. He is also an advisor to the United Nations working group for Crypto and Counterterrorism. He will be presenting on Metaverse topics at several panels in Davos in 2023.

Martin Ejlskov

Head of Innovation, Semco Maritime

With a passion for driving technological advancements and fostering creativity within the offshore industry, Martin leads Semco Maritime's innovative initiatives, spearheading projects that push the boundaries of offshore engineering.

Morten Rongaard

Ex-CEO, Reality+

Morten Rongaard is recognised as a pioneer in the fields of Blockchain, Crypto Currencies, Metaverse, Augmented Reality and AI. Morten is a regular speaker around the world on those topics and board member of the Nordic Blockchain Association and holds several advisor positions within fintech, sportstech and AI. Morten has the rare skill of being able to combine creative thinking with financial acumen and was the key driver behind Reality+. He has just departed from the company to pursue new endeavours.

Nikolaj Kyhn

Head of Sales in Siemens Smart Infrastructure, Siemens

Nikolaj is the Head of Sales in Siemens Smart Infrastructure, responsible for positioning the broad Siemens technology portfolio in new markets and with partners. Driving transformation both within organizations and markets has been Nikolaj’s focus since the mid 90’s. That takes passion and patience. Respect for people, structures, and existing competencies, while at the same time challenging conventions, models and embedded technology, is what gets Nikolaj up in the morning. He has experience from Maersk and Siemens, as well as other large Nordic corporations.

Pernille Tranberg

Independent advisor in data and AI Ethics. Co-founder dataethics.eu

Pernille is a data ethics advisor and is an expert in data democracy, data ethics, data literacy and ethical responsible use of personal data for companies, organisations and authorities. She is co-founder of the European think tank DataEthics.eu, which promotes the ethical responsible use of personal data.

Peter Hesseldahl

Editor & Journalist, Mandag Morgen

Peter is a journalist and editor of digital transformation at a Danish business magazine. He has experience as an in-house futurist and has consulted on future issues for organizations and companies. He has also managed research projects on innovation in Asia at a Danish think tank. He is the author of 7 books, with his most recent being "Transition to the Future."

Tao Legene Thomsen

Creative Director, Innovation, VICE Media Group

Tao Legêne Thomsen used to be a futurist - until the present caught up with him. Now the multi-Grand Prix winning creative tries to invent the future he failed to foresee with ideas that start conversations and shift our shared perception of where we're all heading. His work at the intersection of technology, culture and branding has been honoured with over 160 international awards and covered in more than 1000 articles

Timmy Ghiurau

Innovation Leader, Volvo Cars

Timmy is an XR pioneer and an innovation leader at Volvo Cars, with initiatives around virtual and augmented reality, and works with virtual simulations, eye tracking, and virtual reality as enablers for self-driving cars and user experience research. What resonates with him at Volvo is the way they try to redefine mobility and push for innovation, safety and sustainability – as well as making innovation accessible to millions of users. He is a creative technologist and have been active in the worlds of music, fashion, media production and photography. He focuses on futurist thinking, innovation management, and building, leading, and investing in teams that bring together creative and engineering forces.

Rasmus Bisgaard

Regional Business Lead, NVIDIA

Rasmus leads NVIDIA's efforts in Denmark. He is responsible for collaborating with industry, OEM partners, and academia to drive innovation in the region. He has more than 5 years of experience in technical roles in the software and AI business.

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