The annual applied AI conference in Dresden: 1,500-plus practitioners, researchers and founders converge on the ICD to explore edge computing, photonics, robotics and enterprise AI implementation across four parallel stages, with a Startup Area, Masterclasses and an evening Networking Party.
Brains on Silicon is an annual B2B conference for applied AI held in Dresden, organised by CONFGAMES in partnership with Silicon Saxony, the industry association for the microelectronics, IT and software sector in Saxony. The event covers AI use cases in edge computing, photonics, robotics and enterprise AI infrastructure, and brings together engineers, founders, researchers and corporate AI teams working on concrete implementation rather than theoretical research. The 2026 edition runs September 14-15 at the International Congress Centre Dresden with an exhibition, Startup Area, Masterclasses and an evening Networking Party.
Dresden is not an arbitrary choice for an event that sits at the intersection of applied AI, edge computing and photonics. The Silicon Saxony cluster is one of Europe's most concentrated semiconductor and microelectronics ecosystems: Infineon, GlobalFoundries, Bosch and a network of research institutes including the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft operate production and research facilities within commuting distance of the ICD. Brains on Silicon is built into this industrial fabric rather than exported from a media capital. The result is an audience that arrives with operational AI deployments, hardware procurement decisions and R&D programmes already underway, not with abstract interest in the field.
Brains on Silicon runs across four parallel stages: the Main Stage for keynotes and cross-sector content, a Use Case Stage for implementation case studies, and two thematic stages covering specific technology tracks. The Startup Area runs throughout the event with pitches, demos and a prize structure for early-stage AI hardware and software companies. Masterclasses are scheduled across two parallel tracks on day one and as full-capacity sessions on day two, with spaces exceeding 100 participants. The Networking Party runs on the evening of September 14 and is the primary informal networking slot. An Expo area provides exhibitor floor space for technology vendors, research institutes and service providers.
The CFP for the 2026 edition is open at sessionize.com/brains-on-silicon. The preferred presentation format is concrete implementation: measurable results, operational deployments, organisational change. Submissions may be in German or English.
The ICD (International Congress Centre Dresden) is located at Ostra-Ufer 2, 01067 Dresden, on the Elbe riverfront in the city centre. The venue has a total capacity of 3,000 and offers modern congress infrastructure including configurable hall spaces, simultaneous translation facilities and a connected exhibition area. Dresden Hauptbahnhof is approximately 1.5 kilometres from the venue; the ICD is accessible by tram (lines 1, 2, 6 at Devrientstrasse) and by car via the B170. Dresden Airport is approximately 12 kilometres north of the city centre.
CONFGAMES is a Dresden-based conference producer founded in 2020 and specialising in applied AI and technology events. The company produces Brains on Silicon in partnership with Silicon Saxony, the regional industry association representing over 340 member companies in the Saxony microelectronics, IT and software sector. Silicon Saxony's involvement provides access to the regional industrial and research ecosystem that forms the backbone of the event's local audience. Other partners for the 2026 edition include KI Netzwerk Dresden, Cloud & Heat, elevait and ostec.
Brains on Silicon is oriented around hardware-layer and implementation-layer applied AI, not developer productivity or software toolchain. The audience is primarily engineers working on embedded AI, edge inference, photonics and robotics: people who care about power budgets, latency constraints and hardware-software co-design. Developer AI conferences focus on model APIs, coding tools and LLM workflows. The communities overlap in edge cases but they are structurally different.
It is primarily a conference, with an exhibition component. The programme is structured around talks, masterclasses and pitch sessions; the Expo area is secondary to the stage content. This differentiates it from events like Embedded World or electronica, where the exhibition is the primary commercial activity and the conference is supplementary.
Both. The CFP accepts submissions in German or English, and the programme includes content in both languages. The Startup Area and the Main Stage tend to run in English for international reach; thematic and use case sessions may run in German for Saxony-region audiences.
Dresden's applied AI conference for the hardware and implementation layer: CONFGAMES and Silicon Saxony bring together 1,500 engineers, founders and researchers focused on edge AI, photonics and robotics within one of Europe's most concentrated semiconductor ecosystems.
Tickets are available through the official Brains on Silicon shop at shop.brainsonsilicon.com. A summer special is available with a EUR 100 saving relative to full price; exact ticket prices are not published on the homepage. Online advance purchase is recommended; no onsite registration details have been announced as of verification.
The CFP for Brains on Silicon 2026 is open. Submissions are accepted via sessionize.com/brains-on-silicon. The programme committee prioritises concrete implementation cases with measurable results over forward-looking or research-stage content. Presentations may be submitted in German or English.
No. Brains on Silicon is an open registration event with paid tickets. There is no selection process for general attendees. The Startup Area pitch competition may have a separate application process for presenting companies.
No remote or digital attendance option has been announced for the 2026 edition. The event is in-person only.
September 14-15, 2026, at the International Congress Centre Dresden (ICD), Ostra-Ufer 2, 01067 Dresden.
| Official website | https://brainsonsilicon.com/ |
| Register | https://shop.brainsonsilicon.com/ |
| CFP | https://sessionize.com/brains-on-silicon/ |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainsonsilicon/ | |
| @brainsonsilicon | |
| Silicon Saxony (co-organiser) | https://silicon-saxony.de/ |