The Optimist – Conversations with the leaders and industries shaping Europe’s digital future
TECH by HANDELSBLATT MEDIA GROUP GmbH
Podcast
Welcome to The Optimist! Enjoy real talk with the leaders shaping Europe’s future, exploring the innovations that drive progress across the continent. The Optimist is presented and produced by ‘TECH by Handelsblatt‘ and hosted by Dr. Dale Rickert, Managing Director at TECH by Handelsblatt. The Optimist builds a year-round community leading up to the Technology Experience Convention Heilbronn (TECH). With TECH, Handelsblatt Media Group, Handelsblatt and Schwarz Digits are creating a strategic platform to strengthen the European tech ecosystem. TECH‘s mission is to establish a „cluster of optimism“, connecting Europe’s most influential leaders across technology, industry, politics, and academia. More at tech-europe.org
Europe’s Path to Technological Survivability
26.05.2026•33:30
In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Holger Schell, Head of Technology & Foundation, Schwarz Digits, about the infrastructure layer behind Europe’s digital future. They explore why sovereignty is no longer just a political concept, but a technical and operational necessity. From cloud infrastructure and security to resilient architectures and trusted systems.
From AI Pilots to Real Systems — Why Frameworks Matter
12.05.2026•26:47
AI is everywhere — but most of it never scales. In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Matthias Emler, Partner at Horváth, about why so many AI initiatives get stuck in pilots and what it really takes to turn them into scalable systems.
From AI Hype to AI Workflows: Where do companies really create business value?
14.04.2026•29:06
In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickert speaks with Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer, about what it really takes to move from AI experimentation to operational impact. They explore why the biggest challenge isn’t capability, but integration — how AI fits into real processes, systems, and day-to-day work. From fragmented pilots to complex enterprise environments, the conversation reveals why workflows are the true battleground of AI.
Europe’s AI Moment: From Industry Strength to Global Leadership
31.03.2026•36:35
In this episode of The Optimist, Dale Rickard speaks with Thomas Saueressig, Chief Customer Officer and Member of the Executive Board at SAP SE, about what it really takes to turn AI into measurable business value. From productivity gains across entire value chains to the importance of business context, data, and trust — this conversation goes beyond hype and dives into execution.
Digital Sovereignty: Can Europe Take Back Control?
17.03.2026•40:04
In this powerful episode of The Optimist, Dr. Dale Rickard is joined by Carla Husted (Mercator Foundation) and Kai Zenner (European Parliament) to tackle one of the most urgent questions of our time: Can Europe become digitally sovereign — and what happens if it doesn’t?