From AI Adoption to AI Governance: An Afternoon Built for Technology Leaders

Dropsolid and Beltug invite CIOs, CTOs and digital leaders to an interactive session on 2 July in The Plectrum, Ghent, Belgium. We are organising an afternoon where the conversation moves from AI potential to AI control.

AI has moved past the pilot stage. For most organisations, it is no longer a question of whether to adopt AI, it is a question of what happens after adoption. And that question is harder than it sounds.

Capabilities are accelerating. Governance, often, is not. The result is a growing gap between what AI systems can do and what organisations can actually see, control and trust.

On 2 July, Dropsolid and Beltug are bringing together technology leaders, policymakers and practitioners in Ghent to close that gap. The event starts with a keynote from the Flemish Government, an honest panel discussion on lessons learned, and a hands-on session on making AI systems observable and governable in practice.

Why this moment matters for IT and technology leaders

CIOs and CTOs have always been accountable for technology performance. But AI introduces a different kind of accountability. Intelligent systems don't just execute instructions, they make inferences, surface recommendations, and increasingly shape decisions. That changes what it means to be in control.

Add to this the geopolitical dimension: as AI infrastructure becomes concentrated in the hands of a small number of global platforms, questions of digital sovereignty are no longer abstract. They are operational. Where does your data go? Who can change the behaviour of the models you rely on? What is your Plan B if your current vendor no longer meets your needs?

These are strategic and compliance questions.

What can you look forward to at the event

We have designed the session around three things:

  • A strong opening perspective
  • An honest conversation
  • Hands-on exploration

The afternoon opens with a keynote from Jan Smedts, Head of Digitaal Vlaanderen, who will share how the Flemish Government is approaching large-scale AI adoption through Government OS, a platform built for speed, security and simplicity. His argument: governance is not the opposite of innovation. It is what makes innovation sustainable. For organisations navigating the same tensions between agility and control, this is a perspective worth hearing.

From there, a panel of practitioners and advisors will take on the harder questions. What does real-world AI governance look like? Where are organisations losing visibility into their own systems? What trade-offs are worth making, and which ones aren't? The panelists, including Roeland Delrue (Aikido), Cyril Guilloret (advisor to Crelan), Öztürk Taspinar (Upgreat AI), Raphaël Weuts (KU Leuven), and Jan Smedts (Digitaal Vlaanderen), bring perspectives from cybersecurity, financial services, AI advisory and academia, moderated by Marlène de Wouters. The format is deliberately conversational, with space for the audience to push back and contribute.

The final session moves from discussion to demonstration. In an informal, hands-on format, you'll be able to explore how AI systems can be traced and monitored in real time, what meaningful observability actually looks like beyond dashboards and slides.

 

Who this is for

The event is designed for senior technology and digital leaders, including CIOs, CTOs, and heads of digital, who are past the early enthusiasm of AI adoption and are now dealing with the harder operational and strategic questions it raises. If you are responsible for how AI behaves in your organisation, this afternoon is for you.

 

Practical details

The event runs from 16:00 to 20:00 on 2 July at The Plectrum in Ghent. It is free for Beltug members, and first-time attendees can also participate free of charge.