CONNACK! 2025: Exploring the Convergence of Unified Namespace and AI

The power of a community lies not just in shared interests but in shared ambition—to learn, build, and shape the future together. That’s why we created CONNACK!, HiveMQ’s in-person community event series, launched in 2023, to bring together innovators, technologists, and thinkers passionate about Unified Namespace (UNS), MQTT, and IoT data streaming. From Boston to Paris and Munich, each CONNACK! event has been a melting pot of brilliant ideas, real-world experiences, and new connections.

Why We Host the CONNACK! Event

At HiveMQ, we’re more than an MQTT broker—we’re an IoT data streaming platform built for the demands of industrial systems. We help enterprises modernize their data infrastructure and enable architectures like the Unified Namespace (UNS), making it possible to deliver real-time, contextual data across the enterprise.

But solving hard problems like IT/OT convergence or AI integration isn’t something any one company can do alone. It takes a community. That’s why we created CONNACK!—a space for industrial innovators, architects, and engineers to learn from each other, challenge the status quo, and share what’s working (and what’s not) when it comes to streaming data at scale.

What to Expect at CONNACK! 2025

This year’s CONNACK! will dive deep into how Unified Namespace (UNS) is evolving as the foundational data layer for modern industrial systems, and how AI can be layered on top of it to drive smarter operations, predictive insights, and scalable decision-making.

Expect a full day of:

• Inspiring presentations by industry experts and innovators

• Networking with fellow technologists, architects, and industry leaders

• A live panel exploring real-world UNS + AI implementations

• Interactive showcases and demos from the HiveMQ community

A Sneak Peek: Presentation Topics at CONNACK! 2025

Here’s the current agenda covering some of the exciting topics on the table:

Welcome and Opening Speech 

Presenter: Kudzai Manditereza, Sr. Industry Solutions Advocate at HiveMQ

Time: 09:00 - 09:15 CEST

Unified Namespace + AI Agents = Useful or Just Double the Hype? 

Presenters: Marc Jäckle, Tech Head of Smart Factory at MaibornWolff, and Kyrill Schmid, Lead AI engineer at MaibornWolff

Time: 09:15 - 10:00 CEST

Gist of the Talk: Many manufacturing companies continue to struggle with digital transformation, especially when building use cases on outdated system architectures, batch-based point-to-point integrations, and the traditional automation pyramid. The Unified Namespace (UNS) offers a more structured and scalable data layer for smart factories. Practical experience increasingly shows that the UNS is more than just a passing trend. Meanwhile, “AI agents” have emerged as the latest buzzword. In this piece, we explore whether agent-based systems are a good fit for manufacturing, and what happens when AI agents are integrated with a UNS.

UNS: First 12 Weeks – Immediate Value, Building for Scale and AI Readiness

Presenter: Mark O'Donovan, CEO of Carlisle Engineering Solutions

Time: 10:05 - 10:50 CEST 

Gist of the Talk: Digital transformation in manufacturing often stalls due to fragmented data systems and short-sighted architecture decisions. This session presents a practical approach to implementing a Unified Namespace (UNS) in the first 12 weeks, starting with solving a specific, high-impact problem. We'll explore how to structure your initial sprint to deliver quick value while architecting for long-term scalability and AI readiness. Attendees will gain insights into designing a data foundation that not only supports current operations but also prepares the factory for intelligent, data-driven solutions in the future.

Unified Namespace for OT/IT Integration with MQTT and WinCC Open Architecture

Presenter: Andreas Vogler, Principal Key Expert at Siemens

Time: 11:10 - 11:55 CEST

Gist of the Talk: Seamless OT/IT integration is key to unlocking the full potential of manufacturing digitalization. In this session, we explore how the Unified Namespace (UNS) architecture supports that integration using MQTT and Siemens WinCC Open Architecture (WinCC OA). We'll demonstrate how WinCC OA connects to MQTT to enable real-time, scalable data flows and discuss the role of UNS in organizing industrial data. Additionally, we'll break down the differences between SCADA, MQTT, and Kafka—clarifying when and why to use each technology in a modern industrial architecture. 

A Fireside Chat on Leading Industrial Digitalization

Presenter: Kudzai Manditereza

Time: 12:00 - 12:30 CEST

Gist of the Talk: An in-depth one-on-one conversation as we explore the real-world journey of modernizing an industrial enterprise. This candid fireside chat will cover key lessons learned from the field, how to secure executive buy-in, structure effective digital transformation teams, and navigate what works (and what doesn’t). We’ll also unpack common pitfalls and practical strategies to avoid them. Whether you're just starting out or scaling your digital initiatives, this session offers valuable insights from someone who’s been through it.

UNS in Action: Interactive Showcase of a Live Unified Namespace

Time: 13:30 - 14:30 CEST

Gist of the Talk: Experience the Unified Namespace (UNS) in action in this live showcase designed for both technical and strategic audiences. We’ll demonstrate how to integrate diverse OT and IT systems, including ERP, SCADA, and DataOps platforms, into a functioning UNS architecture. You’ll get a real-time view of how data flows across systems and how this setup supports scalable, future-ready operations. The session will also feature HiveMQ Pulse, HiveMQ’s Distributed Data Intelligence Platform, showing how it connects with live OT/IT traffic to deliver visibility and actionable insights across the enterprise.

Deploying Real-World UNS Architectures with MQTT and Node-RED

Presenters: Alejandro Simó Vesperinas, IT/OT Architect at Mayker, and Diederik Vermeersch, Digital Manufacturing at Mayker

Time: 15:25 - 16:10 CEST

Gist of the Talk: This session highlights how MQTT and Node-RED are being used in the field to implement scalable and maintainable Unified Namespace (UNS) architectures. We’ll introduce our custom Node-RED nodes designed for data modeling and topic structuring, and explain how they simplify OT/IT integration. You’ll also see real-world customer deployments, including how hundreds of remote assets are connected to HiveMQ using FlowFuse at the edge. Finally, we’ll share concrete business outcomes and performance metrics that demonstrate the value of this approach.

When and Where is HiveMQ CONNACK! 2025 Happening?

• Location: MaibornWolff GmbH, Drygalski-Allee 25, 81477 Munich, Germany

• Date: June 3, 2025

• Time: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM CEST

• Hosted by: Kudzai Manditereza, Senior Industry Solutions Advocate at HiveMQ

Let’s Build the Future Together

Whether you're an engineer, architect, developer, or digital transformation leader, CONNACK! is where you’ll learn from experts, connect with peers, and explore real-world implementations of UNS, AI-driven agents, and modern industrial data architectures. Join the community that's driving innovation with MQTT, Unified Namespace, and AI. Reserve your spot now, and stay tuned as we unveil more details about speakers and sessions!