Confirmed Keynote
Fun, Facts, and Fiction: AI in Digital Design & Engineering
Kim Lauenroth
From concept to prototype in hours – but at what cost and quality? Kim Lauenroth shares an honest look at what AI actually delivers across the design and engineering lifecycle: the excitement, the evidence, and the myths.
- Fun – Structured templates + AI = hours from idea to testable prototype. New possibilities, new questions.
- Facts – Studies show: the greatest value comes from balancing effort across the full lifecycle, not just accelerating one phase.
- Fiction – AI is no magic lamp. It amplifies what we put in – good and bad. Methodological maturity decides the outcome.
Takeaway: AI doesn't replace expertise. It strengthens it.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄
Many organizations already use AI in isolated parts of their workflow. In many cases, however, AI only accelerates one phase, such as coding, while new bottlenecks appear elsewhere. This event takes a broader view. It shows how AI can support the full design and engineering lifecycle in a way that is practical, human-centered, and effective across disciplines.
Your benefits
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12 hours of focused learning
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End-to-end perspective in design & engineering
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Joint expertise from IREB and iSAQB
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Strategy plus hands-on tutorials
From idea to production: the full lifecycle in one day
The program covers the key stages of modern digital product and system development. Topics include requirements engineering & analysis, digital design & prototyping, software architecture & engineering, as well as quality assurance of the final product. The event also creates space for discussion about challenges, success factors, and the organizational conditions needed for end-to-end AI maturity.
Who should attend
This event is for professionals who shape, build, or improve digital solutions and systems. It is especially relevant for requirements engineers, software architects, developers, UX and UI professionals, product managers, project leads, QA specialists, and engineering leads. It is particularly valuable for anyone who wants to use AI not in isolation, but across teams, disciplines, and the full delivery lifecycle.
Structure of the program
The day opens with an IREB keynote on AI in digital design and engineering. It continues with sessions on requirements engineering & analysis, and digital design & prototyping. In the afternoon, the focus shifts to software architecture & engineering, introduced by an iSAQB keynote. The program is completed by a panel discussion, parallel tutorials, and a joint discussion panel to close the event.
Initial agenda
Morning Session – Design & Discovery
09:00 – 09:15 | Registration & Welcome Coffee
09:15 – 10:15 | Opening Keynote (IREB)
Fun, Facts, and Fiction: AI in Digital Design & Engineering
Kim Lauenroth
From concept to prototype in hours – but at what cost and quality? An honest perspective on AI experiments, research-based insights, and the myths we need to leave behind. AI doesn't replace expertise. It strengthens it.
10:15 – 10:45 | Coffee Break & Networking
10:45 – 11:30 | Session 1: AI in Requirements Engineering & Discovery
Speaker TBA
How does AI change the way we discover, elicit, and structure requirements? This session explores practical approaches – from AI-assisted stakeholder analysis to accelerated discovery workshops – and asks where human judgment remains irreplaceable.
(30 min presentation + 15 min discussion)
11:30 – 12:15 | Session 2: AI-Assisted Design & Prototyping
Speaker TBA
Rapid prototyping, design system generation, visual design automation – AI opens new speed in design. But speed without structure creates new risks. This session examines how to move fast without losing quality, accessibility, and user focus.
(30 min presentation + 15 min discussion)
12:15 – 13:15 | Lunch Break
Afternoon Session – Architecture & Engineering
13:15 – 14:15 | Keynote (iSAQB)
Speaker TBA
14:15 – 15:00 | Session 3: AI in Software Architecture & Engineering
Speaker TBA
(30 min presentation + 15 min discussion)
15:00 – 15:30 | Coffee Break & Networking
15:30 – 16:15 | Session 4: AI-Powered Testing & Quality Assurance
Speaker TBA
(30 min presentation + 15 min discussion)
Interactive Session
16:15 – 17:15 | Panel Discussion
Orchestrating AI Across the Design & Engineering Lifecycle – Challenges & Solutions
Panelists TBA | Moderator TBA
Where are the biggest gaps in current AI tool ecosystems? How do we prevent bottlenecks when one phase accelerates? What does end-to-end AI maturity actually require in organizations? Experts from design, architecture, and industry share perspectives – followed by audience Q&A.
17:15 – 17:30 | Closing Remarks & Transition to Evening Program
17:30 – 19:00 | Dinner Break
Evening Tutorials – Two Tracks, One Goal
19:00 – 20:30 | Tutorial Track A: Design Focus (IREB)
Facilitator TBA | Max. 30 participants
Hands-on session: AI-powered requirements workshops, prompt engineering for designers and RE professionals, AI-assisted prototyping. Bring your laptop – this is a working session, not a lecture.
19:00 – 20:30 | Tutorial Track B: Engineering Focus (iSAQB)
Facilitator TBA | Max. 30 participants
Hands-on session: AI-assisted architectural decisions, code generation & review workflows, refactoring with AI, architecture documentation with LLMs. Bring your laptop.
Participants select their preferred track during registration.
Closing
20:30 – 21:00 | Closing Roundtable
Success Factors for Holistic AI-Assisted Design & Engineering
Both tracks reconvene. Moderated exchange of insights, key takeaways from Design and Engineering perspectives, and an open forum for final reflections. Networking until close.
21:00 | Conference Close
Your takeaway
Participants will gain an up-to-date and realistic view of how AI can support the full design and engineering process. They will identify common bottlenecks, discover practical approaches, and gain hands-on experience in the tutorial sessions. The event provides more than insights. It helps participants define clearer next steps toward end-to-end AI maturity in their own context.
We are part of Graz Connects
As a co-located event of Graz Connects, this format is embedded in a broader international community focused on human-centered innovation. For participants, this means additional visibility, new connections, and fresh perspectives beyond their own domain. Graz provides the ideal setting for an interdisciplinary event that brings together design, engineering, and AI.
Curious? Join us in Graz!
Experience a compact, intensive, and hands-on event that explores AI across the full design and engineering lifecycle. Meet professionals from different disciplines, choose your tutorial track, and take home ideas you can apply in your own organization. Save the date now for October 14, 2026.