Eindhoven Data Community

From rented AI to owned AI: building your strategic edge
Join us at the AI Innovation Center on High Tech Campus Eindhoven for an evening on ownership and control in AI. Cihangir Kocak (HP) explains why owned AI assets are becoming the new strategic moat, while Remi Baar (Xebia) shares practical insights on self-hosting LLMs when ChatGPT or Claude aren't an option. Food, drinks, and plenty of time to network included.

About the AI Innovation Center:
The AI Innovation Center is the Netherlands’ leading AI hub, providing the right ecosystem of companies, experts, and facilities to help start and scale Next-Gen AI companies.
Located in the heart of High Tech Campus Eindhoven, AI Innovation Center is the homebase for ambitious founders looking to accelerate their growth. They focus on bringing the AI community together through events and education, facilitating the required ecosystem and infrastructure, and offering relevant services to initiate and support AI projects.
The AI Innovation Center is an initiative by High Tech Campus Eindhoven and was co-founded by Philips, Signify, NXP, and ASML. They are home to a community of 40+ residents and 11+ partner companies.

About HP:
For decades, HP has been at the forefront of innovation, helping businesses, creators and individuals unlock new possibilities through technology. Today, the company is playing a pivotal role in the next era of AI, delivering high-performance workstations, AI-powered PCs, and secure computing experiences that enable organisations to adopt AI with confidence and at scale.
As AI becomes embedded into everyday workflows, the focus is shifting from experimentation to real-world implementation. HP is helping drive that transition by empowering enterprises with the tools, infrastructure and trusted technology needed to boost productivity, enhance collaboration and accelerate AI adoption across industries.

Program
- 17:00 – 18:00 Food
- 18:00 – 18:10 Welcome
- 18:10 – 19:00 Cihangir Kocak | Owned Assets is the New AI MOAT
- 19:00 – 19:15 Break
- 19:15 – 20:00 Remi Baar | LLMs on your own hardware, when ChatGPT isn’t an option
- 20:00 – 21:00 Drinks

Cihangir Kocak | Owned Assets is the New AI MOAT
We’ve all felt the anxiety of the AI era: the fear of a sudden bill spike, the worry of a data leak, and the uncertainty of a provider changing the rules overnight. We have been conditioned to believe that the best AI is always "out there" in the cloud, but that convenience comes with a hidden price tag on our sovereignty. We are entering a turning point where the most successful organizations or individuals will be those who reclaim their independence by building private, local intelligence. By moving from "rented" APIs to "owned" assets, you transform AI from a volatile expense into a permanent corporate moat. This isn't just a technical upgrade; it is a strategic necessity to ensure your business remains your own.

About Cihangir Kocak | HP
Cihangir Kocak is known for creating opportunities and building strong ecosystems that empower businesses to thrive. Cihangir has successfully guided numerous organizations through the challenges of digital transformation and strategic business development. He is appreciated for his ability to simplify complex concepts and inspire actionable insights. Cihangir is passionate about enabling business growth in the AI industry for HP, its customers, and partners, ranging from emerging startups to established enterprises.

Remi Baar - LLMs on your own hardware, when ChatGPT isn’t an option
As organizations rush to implement LLMs critical questions about security, compliance, and data sovereignty often surface too late. So, what happens when using an external LLM provider like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini simply isn't an option? Self-hosting a private LLM might be a good solution. Self-hosting private LLMs is easier said than done. In this talk we show you best practices to self-host LLMs. We will discuss different hosting strategies, and helping you to understand deployment and maintenance of private LLMs.

By the end, you'll know exactly when self-hosting a private LLM makes sense, when it doesn't, and you will know where to start implementation.

About Remi Baar | Principal Machine Learning Engineer at Xebia
Fifteen years ago, at just 17, Remi launched his own software development company, quickly focusing on the exciting fields of artificial intelligence and data science. Since then, he has held various data science roles across a diverse range of organizations—from startups to multinational corporations, and from government agencies to airlines. His unique blend of software engineering expertise and data science has garnered him recognition and appreciation in each of these positions.

Currently, Remi is a valued member of the Xebia team, collaborating with fellow experts to enhance their collective skills and push the limits of AI.
With a passion for knowledge sharing, Remi eagerly shares his latest insights.

Location: AI Innovation Center, High Tech Campus 5