Flashback: x4in summit 2025
How can European commerce stay future-ready in a changing global market? Strategies to achieve this were at the heart of this year’s x4in summit, held on May 22, 2025. This year’s host was the xalution team in Prague, and they had prepared several highlights.
For all those who attended – and those who couldn’t make it – our event video captures the atmosphere of the day.
The event kicked off the evening before with a guided tour of the historic German Embassy in Prague’s castle district. Almost everyone stepped onto the famous balcony with a sense of awe – the very spot where Foreign Minister Genscher in 1989 announced the approval for East German refugees to leave for the West. A closing documentary about those events gave participants a very personal sense of the “Wind of Change.”
That theme carried over into the next day. The x4in summit 2025 was all about crises, artificial intelligence, digitalization – and the pressure for transformation they bring. Once again, high-level participants from politics, tech, and commerce gathered, this time at Port 7, where they were welcomed with a spectacular view over Prague’s historic city center. Traveling in from across Europe, they exchanged personal experiences under the title “Winning the Future: Rethinking European Commerce” and followed success strategies and tips from our speakers.
The value of formats like the x4in summit is reflected in our guests’ feedback: on average, the event received an outstanding 4.93 out of 5 stars. That validates our approach – and motivates us to keep going. Thank you for this incredible feedback!
Takeaways from the Presentations
Our speakers shared how companies are navigating geopolitical and economic uncertainties, strengthening leadership and agile planning, and successfully implementing AI- and data-driven applications. Here’s a brief look back at the sessions and their key messages:
Basics: Leadership and Tools
Tomáš Havryluk, CEO at Medevio (formerly at Alza), made it clear from the start: no international business can be sustainable without solid leadership fundamentals. His book recommendation: Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind. His credo: basics first, before we talk about the next fancy app. His three essential tools: a company wiki as a living shared knowledge base, task management tools like Asana or ClickUp for transparency and collaboration, and planning & BI solutions for data-driven decision-making.
European Trade Policy: Responding to Current Challenges
Bernd Lange (MEP, Chair of the European Parliament’s Trade Committeeon International Trade) outlined the effects of today’s realpolitik on global trade: US “Homeland Economics” meets China’s industrial offensive. The EU’s answer: a mix of diversification, modernized anti-dumping instruments, and a flexible AI Chips Act designed to give SMEs fast and secure access to highly secure European cloud hubs by 2026. His message: the EU can rely on its strengths and will defend its trade interests through legislation while advancing negotiations with new partners such as Indonesia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Latin America. Good prospects for anyone looking for new suppliers.
Trust: Value-Based Business and Debureaucratization
Dr. Nicole Grünewald, President of the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Managing Director at The Vision Company, delivered important impulses for both commerce and politics. For retailers, she emphasized the opportunities in rising online demand and verifiably certified sustainability offerings. At the same time, she encouraged open dialogue about burdens from bureaucracy and energy costs – especially with local politicians. In the past, DAX-listed corporations often remained silent about problems for fear of shareholder reactions. Grünewald addressed several demands to policymakers, including reducing reporting obligations, offering tax incentives for digital and sustainable investments, revitalizing city centers, and protecting small businesses from bureaucratic overload.
Use Case Fashion Retail: Succeeding in Challenging Times
Sebastian Weber, CPO & CMO at Takko Fashion, shared concrete use cases from his company. Takko relies heavily on long-term supplier partnerships – during the COVID crisis, no orders were canceled to ensure supplier survival. He also recommends small-scale test runs before launching new collections: instead of blindly producing large quantities, Takko manufactures small batches as “value creators” to precisely assess demand. His additional tip: ambitious growth only works with active risk management. Expansion and cost savings can be achieved through diversified sourcing, flexible stockpiling, and agile inventory management.
AI Reality Check for Retail
No magic dust: AI is already part of everyday retail – but it’s no miracle cure. AI expert Jon Stine made this clear right away. Still, by 2026, 55–60% of retail value is expected to be generated through machine and deep learning. This requires companies to identify “value leaks” where customers drop off. That’s where AI can step in to secure revenue. Key success factors: workflows, infrastructure, AI skills, ROI expectations, and employee capabilities. The central question must always be: what can AI specifically do for me? It’s up to CIOs, CFOs, CMOs, and CEOs to evaluate this. Unsexy but essential: clean up your data pool first. And patience is key – noticeable improvements will come gradually over months, not within a single quarter.
AI Evolution: Humanity Becomes the Added Value
Pablo de Ayala, Global CIO of Pepco Group, pointed out that what sounded like science fiction 20 years ago is becoming reality. Studies show that up to 41% of retail jobs could be transformed by automation and AI. Pepco’s response: centralizing all company data in a single data warehouse. This “single source of truth” generates hundreds of thousands of use cases – from precise assortment forecasting for airport shops to automatically generating press Q&As based on anticipated journalist questions. It’s not just about technology, but about fostering an AI culture and professional change management. AI enhances human skills – it doesn’t replace them. De Ayala is convinced that companies using AI strategically and comprehensively will lead their markets long term. And he sees virtual worlds birthing new business models and even a “Virtual Me.” The good news: being human will soon be recognized – and compensated – as a value in itself.
And what did our participants say?
- “My personal highlight was the retail use cases. It’s quite something for an event like this to have speakers offer such deep insights into their business models. That level of openness is impressive and truly insightful.”
– Jens Peter Labus, CEO, Candeers GmbH - “There’s a lot of commitment and professionalism behind this – you can feel it in everything: the great venue, the exciting talks, the inspiring speakers who clearly know what they’re talking about and speak from experience. I also appreciated the generous breaks between sessions – it gave us participants a real chance to connect.”
– Aglaia Eck, Head of IT & Organisation, Helios Ventilatoren GmbH - “What I found especially interesting was the insight into what the EU is currently doing in light of the challenges posed by China and the US. I found it reassuring to hear how actively they’re working on topics we usually hear nothing about. From politics to real-world use cases – this was a fascinating range of topics you don’t get every day.”
– Ingo Altermann, Senior Partner Projects & Processes, LOBERON GmbH - “The summit is a great opportunity to meet a wide range of people from business and politics, exchange experiences, and get practical tips for retail. What was particularly interesting for me was the presentation that explained the problems the EU faces in its trade agreements with the US and what it actually does to ensure that trade continues to run smoothly in the future.”
– Kim Sullivan, Software Development Lead, ViaPharma s.r.o. - “I was very happy to attend because we have real life players here within the retail space, also within the system space. So it’s a great opportunity to unite strategy with practical orientation. Lessons learned are more like a reiteration of things that I think many people know – that we need to stay close to the consumer, we need to use the tech better. But it’s really getting those into operation live status rather than talking in the Boardroom.”
– Nicolaj Waldorf, Partner – CGZ Consulting Group Zurich AG / Board Member, Danish Swiss Chamber of Commerce Switzerland