You have a story to tell?
25-minute talks, 10-minute lightnings, 45-minute workshops. No product pitch: we want honest field reports. Submissions open until June 30th, 2026.
Submit a talk → 16 November 2026 Cité Univ. · Paris · 3rd edition
The reference conference on Data & AI.
Forward Data Conference brings together 500+ Data & AI practitioners. The 2026 edition focuses on a reality everyone in the field is living: AI is reshaping what data teams build, who they build it for, and how. Data & AI remains the core, and the borders with software engineering, product, and the business have never been this open.
The 4 themes
4 themes, 15 categories. Built around what the data & AI community is experiencing in production.
- 01
Data Foundations for Humans & AI
Data platforms now serve two kinds of consumers: people and machines. This theme covers the foundational work that makes data consumable, trustworthy, and affordable for both.
For · Data Engineers · Analytics Engineers · Data Architects · AI Engineers - 02
Agentic Systems Engineering
Models stopped being the hard part. The engineering around them, context, memory, evaluation, orchestration, security, and cost is where AI systems succeed or fail in production.
For · AI Engineers · ML Engineers · Software Engineers · Tech Leads - 03
Engineering Shifts
AI is transforming engineering work itself. Whatever you build, your craft is changing. This theme gives each engineering practice its own stage.
For · Software Engineers · Data Engineers · Analytics Engineers · Product Engineers - 04
Leading the AI Shift
Most Data & AI transformations stall on organizational questions: enablement, accountability, operating model. This theme is for the leaders working through them, with real numbers to share.
For · CDO · CAIO · Head of Data · Engineering Managers · Data & AI Leaders
3rd edition · 11.16.2026
One day. The French data community.
- 650Expected attendees
- +50Speakers · 3 stages
- +40Talks & workshops
- 6hof talks · breaks · afterwork
Lineup · 2026
Building the Line up.
The speakers for this edition will be announced soon. Follow us on LinkedIn to be the first to know.
Archives · past editions They've been at Forward before: in 2024 & 2025.
Partners · 2026
Become a partner → They make FWD Conference possible.
Silver Sponsor 01 partenaire
Accelerate your visibility in the Data & AI Community.
Platinum, Gold, Silver, StartUp. Booth, sponsored talk, Main Stage visibility, community access. Get the partner deck by email.
Request the sponsor pack →What happened last year.
Forward is run by three organisers.
Hymaïa
Hymaïa
Data & AI consultancy
Hymaïa is a Data & AI consulting and training firm. We support teams from strategy to execution, and we run events that move the community forward: the AI Product Day and the Forward Data Conference. Consulting, training, events: three levers to make Data and AI create real impact.
hymaia.com → MDN
Modern Data Network
Data practitioners community
The Modern Data Network is a community of data practitioners united around one conviction: data teams make better decisions when they share their experiences. Within the MDN, we learn from each other. It's as simple as that.
Join the MDN → BLEF
Christophe Blefari
Data engineer & content creator
Christophe has been a data engineer for 10 years. He builds data platforms in the cloud and on-premise using free and open-source technologies. He also creates content on data engineering and its impact on other roles.
blef.fr →Come to Forward 2026.
Venue
Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris
17, bd Jourdan, 75014 Paris
How to get there
- RER B · Cité Universitaire stop (5 min walk)
- Tram T3a · Cité Univ. stop
Accessibility
The venue is accessible to people with reduced mobility.