Key Speakers On AI And Future Of Work Announced For EU-Startups Summit

With the EU-Startups Summit 2026 fast approaching, organisers have confirmed a high-calibre line-up for the much-anticipated “AI and the Future of Work” panel, one of the flagship sessions at this year’s event in Valletta on 7 and 8 May.

The panel brings together Adrienne McCarthy, CEO of Malta-based Shireburn, who is leading the company's transition into AI-enabled ERP solutions; Fritz Trott, founder and CEO of Berlin workforce platform Zenjob; Massimiliano Squillace, founder of Milan-based content orchestration platform Contents.com; and Zakaria Mansour, founder and CEO of French SaaS scale-up bsport, which now supports more than 3,000 fitness studios across over 40 countries. Together they will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping hiring, workforce management and customer experience across European startups and scale-ups.

The Summit shines a spotlight on how Malta is fostering an increasingly dynamic startup ecosystem. Last month, the Government launched Intrapriża16, a new framework allowing 16 and 17-year-olds who have completed compulsory education to open their own limited liability companies. The regulations introduce a dedicated corporate vehicle, the Youth Enterprise, offering a mentor-guided environment for young entrepreneurs to build real businesses while still in education.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has framed the reform as part of wider efforts to empower the next generation. Taken together, the Summit and Intrapriża16 point to an ecosystem building momentum on multiple fronts.