On November 19, 2024, the European Convention Center Luxembourg became the epicenter of innovation and reflection during the highly anticipated TNT Symposium 2024. With the overarching "Back to the future" theme, this year’s edition brought together thought leaders, visionaries, and enthusiasts to celebrate the journey of technology and envision its future.

The plenary conference: A deep dive into technology's past, present, and future 

The event commenced with a warm welcome from Kamel Amroune, CEO of The Dots and Laurent Couturier, CIO of Armacell and THECIO24, and the conference Master of Ceremony. Their opening words set the stage for a day of inspiration and exploration. 

Laurent Couturier welcomed the first two esteemed experts to the stage for a captivating journey through the history of technology. Emmanuel Lazard, Associate professor of computer science at Paris-Dauphine-PSL University, and Pierre Mounier-Kuhn, Historian at CNRS and at the University of Paris-Sorbonne provided a compelling perspective on the evolution of technology, revisiting its early days and challenging common myths. From the origins of computers and the birth of the Internet to the miniaturization of tools into smartphones, they highlighted how innovation has continuously reshaped our world. 

After this exploration of the past, Dr. Maxime Derian, Researcher, Consultant, Entrepreneur and Co-founder of Technoréalisme.org, transported us into the future. Drawing on examples from science fiction such as Blade Runner, Mad Max, and Terminator, he explored our visions of the future and raised critical questions about the environment, resources, and the technological challenges of tomorrow. 

Maxime Derian was then joined by Emmanuel Lazard and Pierre Mounier-Kuhn for an enthralling round table, moderated by Laurent Couturier. Together, they explored how not all innovations become transformative, highlighting the potential of revisiting past ideas for solutions like enhanced internet security. They also discussed the Grand-Duché unique position, emphasizing the importance of agility, collaboration, and leveraging both past and future innovations to accelerate technological development, despite its size constraints. As Emmanuel Lazard said: “Today, we often look to the past, but too often with the intention of returning to it rather than using it as a source of inspiration to shape the future. I would be cautious about focusing too much on the past, even though Pierre and I hold it in high regard, not to draw ideas from it, but to better envision the future." 

Another memorable moment of the evening was the “What if” session, led by students from Luxembourg Tech School. With their youthful creativity, they transported us to 2055, exploring today's hot tech trends through the lens of a future generation, sparking thoughtful reflections on the responsible use of technology and its impact on human connections. 

Awards and celebrations: The evening festivities 

The day transitioned into an evening of networking and celebration, starting with the cocktail reception sponsored by NTT Data, followed by the seated dinner sponsored by Deloitte. During the dinner, the awards ceremony honored exceptional achievements in the tech world:

NTT Data has been named Tech Firm of the Year, succeeding LuxProvide. This recognition highlights NTT Data's role as a driving force of innovation, emobodying the four pillars of HITS: Human, Inspiration, Technology, and Sustainability. 

Dataspace4Health has received the TechForLife award for its impactful use of technology to address sustainability and societal challenges. Last year, this honor went to Digital Learning Hub. 

Finally, Eric Mansuy, CIO of Quintet Private Bank has been crowned as the new THECIO2025, following in the footsteps of Vincent Arnal (2022), Laurent Pulinckx (2023) and Laurent Couturier (2024). This exciting announcement was made during one of the three surprise shows performed by the talented Les Frères Colle. 

Congratulations to all the winners for their outstanding achievements! 

A night to remember: After-Party and Closing 

The celebration continued with a lively Proximus NXT after-party, closing the day on a high note of unity. 

We extend our gratitude to our amazing sponsors whose support was essential in making this event a success: Deloitte, Telkea Group, NTT Data, Fujitsu, System Solutions by Trustteam, LuxProvide, Deep, SAP and Proximus NXT. Your commitment to innovation and collaboration is truly inspiring. 

This year’s TNT Symposium was not just an event; it was an experience and a journey through time, innovation, and imagination. The Dots is already looking forward to welcoming you next year for another edition.