The race between the world's leading innovation hubs is accelerating. At a time when geopolitical tensions are driving fragmentation, the Zurich AI Festival takes the opposite approach. Over the course of one week, dozens of events across the region will explore artificial intelligence from every angle. Nowhere else in Europe brings together so many AI-related events within such a compact area – in an economic region that is home to one of the world's highest concentrations of AI research and AI companies relative to its population.
The inaugural edition in 2025 demonstrated the strong demand for such a platform, attracting more than 6,500 participants from 78 countries. Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the 2026 edition expands its scope to include topics such as climate, global regulation, robotics, healthcare, and finance. Participants who spend the week at the festival will gain a comprehensive understanding of where AI stands today and where it is heading. Participants will also have the opportunity to experience the region's technology ecosystem first-hand through visits to R&D labs, including Google, Balgrist Campus, and ETH Zurich.
The festival is supported by the City of Zurich, the Canton of Zurich, Zurich Tourism, and its two initiators, the ETH AI Center and Greater Zurich Area Ltd, representing nine member cantons. Its international profile is further strengthened through a strategic collaboration with Choose Europe, an initiative that brings together Europe's most competitive economic regions to jointly attract international companies and talent. The thinking behind this partnership is straightforward: Europe too often approaches global opportunities individually. The Zurich AI Festival takes the opposite approach – a global festival for innovation and technology, rooted in Europe's most competitive economic region.
Around 7,000 participants are expected for the 2026 edition. The full program, participating partners, speakers, and further details will be announced in the coming weeks
Strategic connections for global leaders in robotics & AI
Strategic connections for global leaders in robotics & AI
The Zurich AI Festival connects global tech leaders, researchers, startups, and policymakers in one of Europe’s most advanced AI and robotics ecosystems. Its first edition attracted more than 6,500 participants across dozens of events, positioning Greater Zurich as a key meeting point for AI and robotics in Europe.
What you'll gain by attending:
- Strategic business connections with C-level executives for a successful market entry
- Actionable insights focused on deployment, business impact, and where the market is heading
- Understanding of the local AI and robotics landscape, including regulation, innovation dynamics, and how to scale successfully
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Zurich AI Festival 2026 unites global AI leaders, startups, investors and researchers.
Press relase of Zurich AI Festival 2026 - Where the who’s who of the global AI community meet
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