> ⛔ **Blocked by #355+s — Julien is not on the summit site yet.** > > As of 14 Aug 2026 he appears on **neither** [the speakers section](https://summit.enterprisedrupal.eu/#speakers) **nor** [the schedule](https://summit.enterprisedrupal.eu/schedule.html). Both of this ticket's CTAs point at that site, so publishing before he is listed sends interested readers to a page that doesn't mention the person we just promoted. **Do not publish until #355+s is done.** ## Metadata | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | **Author** | @mfernanda.silva | | **Reviewers** | @wouters_frederik, @pdjohnson | | **Final approvers** | @pdjohnson | | **Work Track** | AI Marketing | | **Topic** | Google's Julien Blanchez brings a sovereign-AI session to the Enterprise AI Summit | | **Objective** | Convert a marquee speaker name into registrations, and land the "open source is how you get sovereignty" message with enterprise and public-sector buyers | | **Target audience** | Enterprise and public-sector decision makers, especially in EMEA; regulated industries; potential customers evaluating AI platforms | | **Source material** | Session abstract below (via @wouters_frederik, Slack, 12 Aug 2026) | | **Images** | \[todo — speaker headshot needed, see Remaining tasks\] | | **Summary for LinkedIn** | \[todo\] | ## Prerequisite Reading Before starting, please review: - [Drupal AI Marketing Strategy 1.0 (+ Core Messaging)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lFEMpAvBpSsNDOlpBYfKGsqysg8MZeHj0gA_jQwOHUQ/edit) - [Drupal Brand Guidelines](https://www.drupal.org/about/media-kit/brand-guidelines) - [Logo and Wordmark Usage Guidelines](https://www.drupal.org/about/media-kit/logos) ## Problem/Motivation **Julien Blanchez of Google has proposed a session for the Enterprise AI Summit**, and Google is a significant name to have on the programme. This is worth a dedicated post rather than folding it into the general featured-speakers blog (#216+s). The angle is unusually good for us: a Google speaker making the case that **local Independent Software Vendors and open source** are how organisations keep access to world-class technology on their own terms. That is the Drupal AI positioning, argued by a hyperscaler — it is far more persuasive coming from him than from us. Digital sovereignty is also live and rising for exactly the audience the Enterprise AI Summit is chasing: European public sector, regulated industries, and enterprises weighing AI platform lock-in. ## The session > **Sovereign AI: Can we use world class technology on domestic terms?** > > - Setting the scene: the rising sovereignty expectations and their technical impact, understanding the root causes of this groundswell > - How to mitigate this and keep access to world class technology, on your own terms > - The importance of local Independent Software Vendors and Open Source > - Pragmatic way forward: examples of current AI deployment by highly sensitive organizations **Speaker:** Julien Blanchez, Google — Digital Sovereignty Solution Lead, based in Brussels. ⚠️ **Confirm the exact job title and preferred wording with Julien before publishing** — this was sourced from public profiles, not from him. ## Proposed resolution Write an article in a copy of the [Blog Template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sIlMwB10F7HU6UNNVzs7AedrgYYt_f8BaHqy7a_ztkg/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.odehl6fbk0z) (File > Make a copy) — don't edit the master template. Suggested shape (~600–800 words): 1. **Hook** — sovereignty has moved from a compliance checkbox to a board-level question. Why now? 2. **The tension** — organisations want world-class AI *and* control over where it runs and who can reach it. Those have felt like opposites. 3. **The Google view** — introduce Julien and what he'll argue at the Summit, in his words where possible. 4. **Why this lands for Drupal** — open source and local ISVs as the practical route to sovereignty; tie to the Drupal AI Initiative's positioning without overclaiming or putting words in Google's mouth. 5. **CTA** — Enterprise AI Summit, Mon 28 Sep 2026, SS Rotterdam. Register. **Editorial guardrails:** - Do **not** imply Google endorses Drupal, or that this is a Google-sponsored session. Report the session, don't co-opt it. - Run the framing past @wouters_frederik before publishing — he owns the speaker relationship. - Courtesy: send Julien the draft or at least a heads-up before it goes live. ## Target date or deadline **Publish by Friday 4 September 2026** at the latest. The Summit is **Mon 28 Sep 2026**, so this needs roughly three to four weeks of runway to be worth writing — it has to land early enough to still drive registrations, and early enough for the social series (see the sibling social post ticket) to amplify it more than once. ## Remaining tasks - [ ] ⛔ **#355+s done** — Julien live on the summit speakers section *and* schedule page - [ ] Confirm Julien's **exact job title** and that he's happy to be promoted this way (@wouters_frederik) - [ ] Obtain a **speaker headshot** + permission to use it - [ ] Confirm the **session is accepted and scheduled** (not just proposed) before publishing - [ ] Draft written - [ ] Reviewed by reviewers - [ ] SEO + AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) check — target "sovereign AI", "digital sovereignty", "open source AI sovereignty" - [ ] Images/assets ready - [ ] LinkedIn summary written - [ ] Published - [ ] Promoted on social channels ## AI Usage - [x] AI Assisted Issue — This issue was generated with AI assistance, but was reviewed and refined by the creator. --- _Drafted with the assistance of AI (Claude Code / Opus 5), reviewed by @jjchinquist._