SESAM Conference: Unifying your Factory Data: WHY do we do it? HOW do we stay in control?

*this conference will be held in English

Date: 1. September 2026
Time: 08:45 – 16:00
Venue: Odin Havnepark, Lumbyvej 17F, Odense C, Denmark

At the SESAM Conference, we explore how modern data architectures can help manufacturers create connected, future-ready production environments. Through practical industry cases and technical presentations, you’ll gain insights into topics such as Unified Namespace (UNS), Sparkplug, OT/IT integration and data governance.

PROGRAM*

Please note that the programme is subject to change

08.45 – 09.05: Breakfast and networking

09.05 – 09.10: Welcome by SESAM

09.10 – 09.45: Are your UNS data trustworthy – or are they feeding AI hallucinations?
Learn why trustworthy data is the foundation for successful AI initiatives. This session explores how the Sparkplug standard strengthens MQTT with state management, compression and discoverability, making Unified Namespace a reliable foundation for industrial applications, AI and interoperable solutions such as i3X.
Speaker: Kelvin Schmidt, Operation and Maintenance Engineer & BEng in Software Development, Aarhus School of Marine and Technical Engineering

09.45 – 10.35: Gaplast’s Unified Namespace journey: What we learned, and where AI comes in
Hear how Gaplast built a Unified Namespace to create a single source of truth for factory data and reduce vendor lock-in. The session covers key lessons learned, the challenges of integrating heterogeneous machine environments, and how AI could simplify future implementations.
Speakers:
Daniel Heerd, Head of IT & Solution Architect, Gaplast
Daniel Goldeband, Director, i-flow GmbH

10.35 – 11.05: Coffee break

11.05 – 12.05: Own the knowledge, not just the graph – From data to structure to knowledge graphs
Explore a schema-first approach to industrial data management and learn how knowledge graphs can simplify system integration, reduce vendor lock-in and create a trusted data foundation for AI. The session includes a real-world case from ROCKWOOL.
Speakers:
Carsten Dyhr Nielsen, OT Architect, ROCKWOOL
Alex Severin, Portfolio Director, Industry 5.0, ROCKWOOL
Tobias Lante, Senior Business Analyst, Transition Technologies

12.05 – 12.55: Lunch break

12.55 – 13.45: How to manage a UNS Architecture – Unifying data from numerous machine units
Discover how VELUX is scaling its Unified Namespace architecture across manufacturing. Learn how industrial connectivity, reusable information models and modern edge architectures are helping make factory data continuously available, contextualised and reusable.
Speaker: Poul Kiersholm, Senior Solution Architect, VELUX

13.45 – 13.55: SESAM working groups – Why join?
Learn how SESAM’s working groups bring companies together to share knowledge, influence standards and collaborate on industrial digitalisation.

13.55 – 14.25: From Manufacturing-X to cross-border collaboration – Building the next generation of open industrial ecosystems
Learn how Manufacturing-X is driving interoperable industrial data ecosystems in Germany. The session explores how technologies such as the Asset Administration Shell (AAS), reference architectures and open standards enable scalable industrial solutions, and highlights the growing collaboration between the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance (OI4) and SESAM.
Speaker: Dr. Christian Liedtke, Principal Consultant at KUKA AG and President of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance (OI4)

14.25 – 14.40: Networking break

14.40 – 15.10: Stop building the UNS – start earning it
Learn why business value should come before architecture. Through practical factory use cases, this keynote shows how focusing on value-creating initiatives first can accelerate your Unified Namespace journey and deliver faster results.
Speaker: Torben Swartz, CCO & Partner, Tricloud

15.10 – 15.55: Your UNS is ready – Now let anyone build on it
See how combining Unified Namespace, i3X and AI can make factory data accessible to everyone. Discover how users can ask questions in natural language and instantly receive dashboards, insights and applications built from live production data – without writing code.
Speaker: Anders Fredborg, CEO & Partner, Tricloud

15.55 – 16.00: Recap and evaluation of the day

Register here

Conference fee

DKK 1,800 (excl. VAT) for SESAM members* (per participant)
DKK 4,000 (excl. VAT) for non-members** (per participant)

* The member price applies to all SESAM members in Denmark, Sweden and Germany.
** Non-member companies receive a DKK 2,000 discount on the conference fee when joining the SESAM network.

Registration is binding from 16 August 2026.

At the conference, you will..

Discover why manufacturers are adopting Unified Namespace (UNS) and Sparkplug as the foundation for scalable, trustworthy factory data.
Hear real-world experiences and lessons learned from companies including Gaplast, VELUX and ROCKWOOL.
Explore how to build, scale and govern a modern factory data architecture using open standards and interoperable technologies.
Learn how AI, knowledge graphs and Unified Namespace can unlock greater value from your industrial data.
Gain practical insights into OT/IT integration, Manufacturing-X and cross-company data collaboration.

The conference brings together manufacturers, technology providers and industry experts to share real-world experiences, lessons learned and best practices. Throughout the day, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to network, exchange ideas and discuss the challenges and opportunities of digital manufacturing.

Whether you’re just beginning your digital transformation journey or looking to take your factory data architecture to the next level, you’ll leave with practical inspiration, real-world experiences and actionable insights you can apply in your own organisation.