Watt Matters in AI conference on Nov 26

On November 26, 2025, the conference Watt Matters in AI will bring together leading scientists, technologists, and policymakers to explore one of the most urgent questions of our digital age: Can we make AI sustainable?

Artificial Intelligence promises to solve some of humanity’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to healthcare, but its own energy appetite threatens to undermine these ambitions. Hosted at Microstad in Eindhoven, the event will convene experts from academia and industry to explore radical shifts in how AI systems are designed, powered, and regulated.

The goal is to move beyond incremental efficiency gains and toward orders-of-magnitude
breakthroughs in energy performance. The conference will not only explore technological roadmaps but also delve into social, economic, and ecological challenges, all with the aim of exploring solutions.

Key themes

● How can Europe lead the global transition toward energy-responsible AI?
● What technologies can deliver 10x to 100x efficiency gains?
● What infrastructure (from chips to data centres) supports sustainable AI?
● What policies and ethical frameworks can guide responsible innovation

From Setting the Stage to Advanced Solutions

The conference follows four thematic steps, moving from the global challenge to tangible
solutions. Following the opening remarks by chair Hans Hilgenkamp (University of
Twente, the morning session, “Setting the Stage,” features Laura Cozzi from the
The International Energy Agency, which will outline the facts & figures on AI’s energy
Consumption and its future trends. Stijn Grove (Dutch Data Centre will follow her
Association) and Axel Berg (SURF), who will offer insights into the sustainable data centre
strategies and high-performance computing, and will also address the new AI factory that
will be built in Groningen.

The second block, “Technology & Policy,” adds the industry view from NVIDIA and a regulatory perspective from Kristina Irion (University of Amsterdam). After lunch, the focus shifts to Hardware Breakthroughs, with Christian Bachmann (imec), Martijn Heck (Eindhoven University of Technology) and Christian Mayr (TU Dresden) discussing advances in semiconductor, photonic, and neuromorphic computing. Finally, “Advanced Solutions” showcases frontier technologies with Tamalika Banerjee (IMCHIP), Ioannis Papistas (Axelera AI), and Phil Burr (Lumai), exploring in-memory computing, edge AI, and optical computing. Check the complete program here.

“Current trends show AI could consume as much electricity as Japan by 2030” says Hans
Hilgenkamp, conference chair and professor at the University of Twente. “We can’t just
optimise our way out of that problem; we need entirely new paradigms for computing.”
The program will feature discussions on brain-inspired neuromorphic architectures,
physics-based computing, approximate algorithms, and energy-aware AI governance.
The event will also address the broader societal, ethical, and regulatory responsibilities of
AI developers and users. The conference is organised by a multidisciplinary committee under the leadership of Prof. Hans Hilgenkamp and supported by NL-ECO, Mission 10X, the University of Twente, the University of Groningen, Eindhoven University of Technology, Radboud University, TU Delft, TNO, the Convention Bureau Brainport Eindhoven, and IO+