ESRA Handover Event

Program

Event program, 1 December, 2026
Leadership in the Age of Physical AI

The first session will discuss Priorities for the ESRA Presidency of the Tampere Region 2027 and include messages from the triple helix (Business, European Comission, Universities) and the ESRA community.  

The second session features a panel discussion with industry, research and education about Physical AI as a demand-driven growth opportunity for Europe’s chip ecosystem.

8:30 Registration and morning coffee

9:30 The seminar day and first session starts at Tampere Hall | Priorities for Tampere Region’s Presidency in 2027

11:40 Coffee break and networking session

12:15 The second session starts | Physical AI as a demand-driven growth opportunity for Europe’s chip ecosystem

Panel discussion

The panel will explore how European excellence in semiconductors, sensing technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence can converge to create intelligent systems capable of perceiving their surroundings, making decisions and operating autonomously in the physical world. How collaboration between academia, industry and the public sector can accelerate physical AI innovation and strengthen Europe’s semiconductor competitiveness?

Moderator:
Erja Turunen, Senior Vice President, VTT

Panelists:
Jani Vilenius, Director Technology Development and Services, Sandvik
Petteri Alinikula, Chief Technology Officer, Saab
Jean-Christophe Eloy, President and CEO, Yole Group
Timo Hämäläinen, Professor, Computer Engineering, SoC HUB, Tampere University

14:00 Networking lunch

15:00 The seminar ends in Tampere 
Participants are invited to travel onwards to the Helsinki Region, where the programme will continue with optional site visits prior to the EFECS 2026 conference.