From data to AI: Luxembourg’s vision for digital impact

On 2 December 2025, the Data Summit Luxembourg gathered leaders from government, industry and academia, to explore the journey “From Data – To AI”. The event marked a pivotal moment with the official launch of the Luxembourg AI Factory, designed to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence across sectors and connect national expertise to European strategies. Building on the momentum of this launch, the summit underscored how data is not just the foundation of digital transformation, but the essential fuel for impactful and trustworthy AI. 

Ministerial insights and Data Factory launch 

Stéphanie Obertin, Minister for Digitalisation and Minister for Research and Higher Education, opened the summit by emphasising that “data is the foundation for quantum and AI strategies”. She described data as both “raw material and added value for future innovation”, positioning Luxembourg as a model for Europe and the world.  

Minister Obertin announced the launch of the Luxembourg Data Factory, an initiative set to act as the nucleus of the country’s data ecosystem. Its mission is to coordinate collaboration, implement the National Data Strategy, promote Luxembourg’s data ecosystem internationally and connect with the AI Factory and Quantum Factory. “This is the first link in the chain of data value creation that will power innovation and impact” she stated.  

Gilles Roth, Minister of Finance, reinforced the central role of data for economic activity, especially in finance. “Data is a core part of economic activity. In finance, data pretty much determines everything,” he said. Roth highlighted the opportunities and responsibilities that come with data-driven innovation, warning that “if data is wrong, incomplete or biased, the AI will be wrong, incomplete and also biased”.  

“Without good data, AI is weak, without governance it can be dangerous and without trust it is useless.” Gilles Roth

Minister Roth called for a collective approach to unlock the value of data and AI: “If we get this right, data and AI will make our financial centre stronger, our public services simpler and our economy more resilient.”  

Navigating the “never normal” 

Peter Hinssen, serial entrepreneur and London Business School lecturer, delivered a keynote that challenged the audience to embrace disruption and agility. He described innovation as the lifeblood of organisations and warned against complacency in a rapidly changing world. Mr Hinssen introduced the analogy of the fiddler crab where the male crabs have a major claw significantly larger than their minor claw, noting that many organisations have a “really strong data claw, but the content side is often neglected”. He argued that both are needed to thrive in the era of AI.  

He described the current era as “the never normal”, a world where “something tiny can completely screw things up” and where “more and more we live in a world of unknown unknowns”.  

“In the never normal, the cost of waiting becomes exponential.” Peter Hinssen 

He called on the audience to move from observation to action: “This is not the time to be innocent bystanders; it is a time to act.” In this environment, companies must innovate proactively, because waiting until change is necessary means acting too late. His advice for navigating uncertainty was clear: anticipate, be agile and be resilient.  

Perspectives from across the ecosystem 

The summit featured a range of perspectives from leaders across sectors. Fabrice Croiseaux, CEO of InTech, discussed the impact of data projects in health, stressing the need to collect and secure information to enable safe AI use.  

Franck Noel, Director for Access to and Reuse of Public Information at the Publications Office of the European Union, called for a coordinated European response: “We simply need to work together. It’s a European challenge, we need a European answer.” He emphasised systematic investment in people, processes, and technologies, and the urgency to “act right here, right now”. 

Başak Bağlayan, Expert on Responsible Business Conduct at the Ministry of Economy, Luxembourg, advocated for responsible AI by design. 

“We need a smart mix of various measures, but it only works if it is coherent. We do not need a spaghetti bowl of regulations nobody can navigate through.” Başak Bağlayan

The panel on legal intelligence with AI explored how AI can simplify access to legal texts and procedures, while highlighting the transformative potential of AI in science and the workplace.  

Data as the driver of AI impact

The Data Summit Luxembourg 2025 made it clear that data is not just a technical resource, but a collective asset and the cornerstone of AI innovation. Across all speakers, there was consensus on the need for high-quality, well-governed data, collaboration across sectors, and a responsible, human-centred approach to AI.  

The launch of the Luxembourg AI Factory and Data Factory signals a new chapter for Luxembourg, positioning the country as a leader in harnessing data for AI-driven impact, both locally and internationally.