4th June 2026
The Government of Ireland has provided a first look at some of the confirmed speakers for the International AI Summit 2026, one of the flagship events of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and officially opened the registration for the Innovation spotlight exhibition.
The Innovation Spotlight Exhibition offers a unique opportunity for pioneering organisations to present their innovations to an audience of senior policymakers, global business leaders, investors and media.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will be joined by Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke and Minister of State with responsibility for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation Niamh Smyth in welcoming global leaders from across government, industry and research together with experts on AI to discuss Europe’s AI future.
Speakers include Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy of the European Commission; Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm; Robert Gentz, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Zalando; Eileen O’Mara, Chief Revenue Officer of Stripe and Edmond Scanlon, CEO of Kerry Group.
This initial wave of speakers marks the beginning of a broader line-up, with additional high-profile names to be announced in the coming weeks.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:
“The AI revolution presents Europe with a generational opportunity. By combining innovation with democratic values and public trust, Europe can lead the world in the development of responsible artificial intelligence. We look forward to welcoming global leaders at the International AI Summit 2026 in Dublin, showcasing Ireland’s role as a European leader in AI innovation and investment.”
A central feature of the Summit, the Innovation Spotlight Exhibition, will showcase cutting-edge AI solutions from across Ireland, Europe and beyond, spanning start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs and multinational companies applying AI across both public and private sectors.
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said,
“Competitiveness is an important theme for the Irish Presidency, and this Summit will demonstrate Ireland’s commitment to driving meaningful discussion on how AI can supercharge both domestic and EU competitiveness. It is also an opportunity to showcase the strength and diversity of Ireland’s AI ecosystem where multinational companies, scale-ups and SMEs all collaborate to drive innovation.”
One of the flagship events of the Irish EU Presidency, the International AI Summit will take place on October 14th 2026 at the Royal Dublin Society under the theme Harnessing AI to Revolutionise Europe’s Competitiveness and will examine the potential for AI to transform key areas of Europe’s economy and society, and to set out Europe’s path to leadership in human-centric and trustworthy AI.
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth said,
“The International AI Summit 2026 is a premier platform to showcase Ireland’s ambition and leadership in the global AI landscape. We are delighted to be welcoming such distinguished international speakers, whose participation reflects Ireland’s growing status as a hub for AI innovation, investment, and policy leadership.
“The Summit also provides a fantastic opportunity to spotlight Irish start-ups and SMEs. I strongly encourage any pioneering Irish business to apply to our innovation showcase via the expression of interest form the website.”
The AI Summit marks the official launch of European AI Innovation Month and supports the government’s ambitions under the National Digital and AI Strategy, Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future. Attendance at the Summit is projected to reach 1,500 delegates, including Irish, European and global CEOs, investors, multinationals, public sector leaders and media.
To find out more please visit International AI Summit (internationalaisummit.ie).
ENDS
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