Data Mesh Belgium - meetup #7 @ Leuven

Join us for the 7th Data Mesh Belgium Meetup on April 21st, 2026!

This time AE will host this event in their office in Leuven. This evening promises to be a deep dive into cutting-edge topics around Data Mesh.

SCHEDULE

• 18h 00 - 18h 40: Food & Drinks
• 18h 40 - 18h 45: Welcome by Tom De Wolf
• 18h 45 - 19h 30: Open Standards for Data Mesh by Simon Harrer
• 19h 30 - 19h 45: Short break
• 19h 45 - 20h 30: You Don’t Need a Data Mesh to Start with Data Products by Jef Van Hulle
• 20h 30 - 21h 00: Networking

TALK ABSTRACTS
► "Open Standards for Data Mesh" by Simon Harrer
Open Standards are gaining ground in data mesh, helping prevent vendor lock-in and drive innovation. We explore the key standards for data contracts, data products, observability, semantics, and more, looking at where they come from, where they are heading, and how they compare.

You will leave with a clear view of which standards matter now and which to watch in the future.

► "You Don’t Need a Data Mesh to Start with Data Products" by Jef Van Hulle
Many Data Mesh journeys start with large-scale transformations. In reality, that “big bang” approach often becomes a blocker.
Jef shares a pragmatic alternative: introducing data products incrementally within existing teams, systems, and governance. By applying product thinking — clear ownership, shared definitions, and lifecycle management — early value was delivered while gradually shifting how data is managed.
Instead of starting with a full Data Mesh transformation, this approach shows how data products can be a realistic first step toward it.

SPEAKER BIOS
► Simon Harrer - Co-Founder and CEO of Entropy Data
He is a software developer at heart who has since turned to the dark side — the world of data. He co-founded datamesh-architecture.com and translated Zhamak Dehghani's Data Mesh book into German. Currently, he is developing a SaaS product useful for all Data Mesh initiatives: the Data Mesh Manager.

► Jef Van Hulle - Senior Data Analyst at AE
Jef has 6 years of experience at AE, working as both a business analyst and data analyst. Building on his background in software product development as a business analyst, he applies product thinking from the software world to the data domain. In his current role as a data analyst at a large utility company, he leads the adoption of data products and applies data product thinking in practice.