Honeycomb Software was a proud sponsor and active participant at the Future Digital Twin & AI 2025 conference in Amsterdam. Our colleagues Tetiana Krechyk, VP of Partnerships, and Maksym Voitko, Head of Data & AI, represented our team on the ground, connecting with leaders from across the energy sector.
Over the course of two days, with over fifty speakers and thirty sessions, the conference brought together hundreds of industry professionals to discuss the future of digital transformation. It was a dynamic environment where open dialogue and genuine curiosity were at the heart of every conversation.
Renowned for its practical approach, the event remains one of the most significant gatherings for the energy industry, exploring how digital twins, AI, and data-driven technologies are reshaping the sector. For Maksym, it was his first time attending the event as part of Honeycomb Software, and as he put it, “definitely not the last.”
Maksym Voitko, Tetiana Krechyk, and experts from Siemens Energy during a networking session
Data first: Building smarter AI and digital twins
Conversations throughout the conference were direct, technical, and refreshingly honest, especially around the relationship between data, digital twins, and AI. A recurring theme echoed by many speakers was simple yet foundational: data is everything.
During one of the panels, Achilles Georgiu, Head of Data, AI & Innovation at MOL Group, shared what Maksym called “very refreshing sceptical points on AI integration.” All panelists agreed that trustworthy, clean, and accessible data is the bedrock upon which both digital twins and AI solutions stand.
A memorable quote from Michael Hotaling of ExxonMobil captured it perfectly:
“A 3D model without data is just a dumb picture.”
This resonated deeply with our team. We know that creating true business value isn't about the visuals; it's about making data trustworthy and actionable.
Michael also emphasized the need to decrease the mean time to reality, the delay between data generation and data usability, warning that otherwise, companies only increase the technical debt of their solutions. This is a challenge we recognize in many of our own projects across industries. Our Head of Data & AI can also confirm that this challenge is common.
Michael Hotaling of ExxonMobil on “Mean Time to Reality (MTTR)”
Lars Meløe of DNV Group emphasized that to create real business value, you must clean, transform, and manage it. For leaders in the energy sector, adopting this mindset isn’t optional; it’s essential for survival.
At Honeycomb Software, we’ve dedicated years to helping our clients tackle these exact challenges, turning messy, siloed data into clean, integrated streams that power scalable, AI-driven solutions.
The sessions on harnessing AI for emission reduction and the convergence of IT and OT reaffirmed that our expertise in AI-powered data engineering is more relevant than ever.
Collaboration and vision for the future of energy
A major highlight was the opportunity to meet with Rolf Einar Saeter, Emerging Digital Technology Manager at Shell.
What impressed our team most was his enormous, industry-wide vision for transforming the Oil & Gas sector, extending far beyond digital twin technology and AI to encompass the entire technology stack. This kind of strategic perspective, coming from a global energy leader like Shell, offers invaluable context for our own work and innovation roadmap.
Discussions also touched on the role of smart venture capital, emphasizing the importance of investors who bring not just funding, but also domain expertise.
This aligns perfectly with Honeycomb Software’s mission: to be more than just a technology partner. We aim to connect clients with expert networks that help them grow and scale sustainably.
VP of Partnerships, Tetiana Krechyk, Head of Emerging Digital Technologies at Shell, Rolf Einar Saeter, and Head of Data & AI, Maksym Voitko, at Future Digital Twin & AI 2025.
One of the best examples of this collaborative spirit is the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam, the venue that hosted the conference.
Designed as a hub for innovation, it embodies the future of energy, where corporations, startups, and research teams work side by side to accelerate real change.
It was the perfect setting for conversations about AI, data, and digital transformation that truly matter.
Bringing the insights home
The insights gathered at the event are already shaping our internal plans. Our team is preparing presentations and visual materials to share these learnings across Honeycomb Software, from engineering and delivery to sales and leadership.
This knowledge transfer will help ensure that the lessons from Amsterdam inform every solution we build and every partnership we forge. As Tetiana Krechyk shared after the event,
It’s inspiring to see how aligned we are with the industry’s challenges and priorities.
It reinforces that we’re on the right track — building solutions that make AI adoption real.
We’re grateful for the opportunity to have been part of such a meaningful conversation, and we’re excited to see the transformation ahead.
