Global Cement Magazine will organise the 1st Global CementAI Conference and exhibition on AI and automation in the cement industry, in Brussels, Belgium, in May 2026.

 

Programme for the Global CementAI Conference 2026

Subject to change

 

Monday 18 May 2026

15.00 Exhibitors can access the exhibition area

17.00 Conference registration opens

18.00 - 20.00 Welcome party in the Global CementAI exhibition area for all exhibitors, delegates and speakers.

 

Tuesday 19 May 2026

08:00 Registration opens - Coffee and Networking in the exhibition area

09:00 Conference welcome and Introduction, David Perilli, conference convenor

Session 1: Preparing for AI in the cement sector

09.10 Paper 1: A short history of AI & robotics in the cement industry, David Perilli, Global Cement Magazine

09.30 Q&A

09.40 Paper 2: VDZ data standard: the foundation for AI-driven cement plants, Kevin Treiber, VDZ

10.00 Q&A

Session 2: Logistics

10.10 Paper 3: Road trip to AI: transforming cement logistics for producers and customers, Christian Frentz, INFORM Logistics Division

10.30 Q&A

10:40 Coffee and networking in the Global CementAI exhibition area

11.30 Paper 4: Beyond the plant gates: integrating real-time silo insights for AI-driven replenishment, Mélissa Malischewski, SiloConnect

11.50 Q&A

Session 3: Raw materials & fuels

12.00 Paper 5: Autonomous raw material quality and oversize control at the crusher feed: a case study from a German lime plant, Marius Sugentaitis, OreScanner

12.20 Q&A

12.30 Paper 6: Maximizing AFR calorific value estimation with AI, Pinak Dattaray, Ripik.AI

12.50 Q&A

13:00 - 14.00 Lunch

Session 4: Pyroprocessing

14.00 Paper 7: Temporal deep learning for free lime estimation with infrared images, Mareike Hoyer, ci-tec GmbH

14.20 Q&A

14.30 Paper 8: AI agents at work: autonomous cement plant optimization, Javier A García, Optimitive

14.50 Q&A

15:00 Meet the delegates session: Delegates have an opportunity to briefly introduce themselves to the other attendees (and to tell us what your company does in less than 10 words!)

15.30 Coffee and networking in the Global CementAI exhibition area

16.00 Paper 9: Seeing the future: how predictive AI Is changing pyroprocess control, Kenny Wong, CarbonRe

16.20 Q&A

16.30 Paper 10: KHD ProMax - improving plant operations by connecting cement expertise with digital know-how, Mathis Ricker, KHD

16.50 Q&A

17.00 Paper 11: Self-adaptive control and AI-based soft sensors in practice, Anders Noe Dam, Fuller Technologies

17.20 Q&A

17.30 Conference session ends - assemble in hotel bar (optional)

18.30 onwards: Global CementAI Awards Dinner - drinks in bar from 18:30, dinner from 19:30

 

Wednesday 20 May 2026

08:30 Registration opens

09.00 Panel discussion: Trends in AI adoption in heavy industry and the construction sector

09:30 Paper 12: KILN AIxperT: AI-based kiln control at the Siggenthal plant - from implementation to performance improvement, Matthias Schumacher, aixprocess gmbh & Michael Suter, Holcim

09.50 Q&A

10.00 Paper 13: Robust AI-supported kiln control: practical lessons from industrial operation, Shervin Sabzevari, KIMA Process

10.20 Q&A

10:30 Speed-dating in the conference hall - Delegates have the chance to make six new 'real-world' business contacts - bring your business cards!

11:00 Coffee and networking in the Global CementAI exhibition area

Session 5: Maintenance & Analytics

12.00 Paper 14: When experience retires - transforming mechanical solutions into digital advisors, Reiner Gnauert, ScrapeTec International GmbH

12.20 Q&A

12.30 Paper 15: Cement plant maintenance and process optimisation: leveraging the power of AI, Ioannis Sandis & Tejas Maru, CemAI

12.50 Q&A

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch

14.00 Paper 16: Harnessing AI and plant data to drive decarbonization and productivity in cement, Raghuraj Rao, AKXA Tech

14.20 Q&A

14.30 Paper 17: Beyond predictive alerts: how two cement producers achieved near-zero unplanned downtime and improved process efficiency, Sean Maley, Infinite Uptime Inc

14.50 Q&A

15.00 Paper 18: Current advantages and disadvantages of AI in cement industry, Haytham Sobhi, ASEC Automation

15.20 Q&A

15:30 Coffee and networking in the Global CementAI exhibition area

Session 6: Other applications of AI

16.00 Paper 19: From firefighting to strategy: codifying expert knowledge and automating plant operations with AI agents, Jessica Burley, Juna AI

16.20 Q&A

16.30 Paper 20: Quantification of the phase assemblage of low clinker binders using machine learning and electron microscopy, Alexandre Ouzia, Heidelberg Materials

16.50 Q&A

17:00 Farewell Reception and conference prize-giving.

19.00 Conference end