Amsterdam — Week of 18 May 2026

The Economist's AI Compute Summit convenes technology executives, policy officials and infrastructure leaders to debate the contest for AI computing capacity. With AI-specialist chips, data-centre land and grid power all in short supply, this single-day conference explores how scarcity, sovereignty and geopolitical competition are reshaping the infrastructure layer that AI companies depend on. Sessions cover GPU access bottlenecks, sustainable data-centre design, energy capacity constraints and the regulatory choices that will determine which companies — and which nations — lead the next phase of AI development. A high-calibre room: senior operators and policymakers, not a generic tech crowd.

CamundaCon is back in Amsterdam for the annual conference dedicated to process orchestration and agentic AI in production. The 2026 edition focuses squarely on turning agentic aspirations into working architectures: how do you design reliable, auditable workflows when AI agents are making decisions at scale? Over three days at Beurs van Berlage, 1,000+ IT leaders, architects and engineers go beyond case studies to see live demos, production-ready frameworks and integration patterns for complex enterprise processes. If you're building systems where AI agents need to coordinate, recover from failure and stay accountable, this is the room where people are actually solving those problems.

Part of Quantum Meets 2026 — the Netherlands' flagship quantum technology event week — this Amsterdam edition marks a milestone moment: the official opening of a dedicated new building for Amsterdam's quantum community at Startup Village. The afternoon programme explores Quantum & Deep Tech through the lens of what Amsterdam specifically has a right to lead: AI-quantum algorithm crossovers, climate technologies, life sciences breakthroughs, and the growing startup ecosystem at Amsterdam Science Park. Expect keynotes, panel sessions, networking drinks, and direct access to the founders and researchers who are building the quantum-native future. Organised by the Dutch quantum community (Quantum Delta NL); curated, not crowded.

Digital sovereignty — the ability of organisations and governments to maintain genuine control over their digital infrastructure, data, and technology choices — has moved from a theoretical concept to a board-level priority. Wolf Marcuse from Dawn Technology joins the KIN Centre for Digital Innovation at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to explore what digital sovereignty actually means in practice: the strategic decisions, the organisational trade-offs, and the implementation realities. KINTalk is the research group's standing public lecture series, consistently drawing a sharp audience of practitioners, researchers, digital strategists, and senior public-sector professionals. Free to attend.

The ACEDS Benelux Chapter brings together legal tech professionals at one of Amsterdam's leading law firms to tackle the question facing every major legal department right now: is GenAI genuinely transforming eDiscovery, or is most of it still hype? This expert session at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek explores the real-world impact of Generative AI on eDiscovery workflows — what's working, what isn't, and what decision-makers in legal and compliance need to know. Free, open to legal tech and AI professionals.

An evening of focused networking for Amsterdam's AI and startup community. Founders, investors, engineers, and builders gather at Hendrix for structured introductions and real conversations across AI, SaaS, and early-stage tech. Organised by Nomad Global Hub, who run similar events across major tech cities worldwide. Paid entry from approx €29 — check listing for current pricing.

Companion event to the AI Tech & Startup Night — running simultaneously at Hendrix, this pitch and networking session gives startup founders direct access to investors in a structured format. Pitch your startup, get feedback, and build relationships with angels and operators. Organised by Nomad Global Hub. Paid entry from approx €29 — same venue, same evening as the AI Tech & Startup Night.

Voice AI Space has toured Barcelona, London, Dubai, Paris, New York and beyond — now it lands in Amsterdam at AI House. This evening brings together the people actually building the voice AI stack: founders, engineers, product leaders and researchers shaping how machines listen, process and respond in real time. The format is tight: open networking from 5pm, followed by live demos and short talks from leading voice AI builders (6–7pm), then food, drinks and the unscripted conversations where collaborations start. Whether you're deep in voice agent architectures, exploring the space for the first time, or somewhere in between, this is a high-signal room with a genuinely international community. Spots are limited.

Out in Tech Amsterdam's monthly gathering is the city's established afterwork drinks for the LGBTQ+ tech community — informal, welcoming, and built around real connections. With 50,000 members across the global network, this chapter brings together engineers, designers, founders, and operators at Cafe Saarein every third Thursday. Free entry, no agenda — just good conversation in a genuinely inclusive room.

An after-work mixer for Amsterdam's tech, AI, data and IT crowd at Bierfabriek, the long-running brewpub on Nes in the centre. No panels, no pitches — just drinks, name badges and conversation in a room that consistently pulls a good mix of engineers, data people, product folks, founders and operators. The format is intentionally low-friction: free entry, walk-in welcome, easy to drop in for an hour or stay the evening. A reliable Friday option for anyone wanting to widen their Amsterdam tech circle without committing to a structured event.