Luxchat Instant Messaging Service Opens to Wider Public at Luxembourg Internet Days

The tenth anniversary edition of the Luxembourg Internet Days kicked off at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday morning.

Organised by LU-CIX ASBL, this two-day event focuses this year on network security and resilience, particularly critical infrastructures and industry. The event is expected to bring together more than 1,000 information (and communications) technology (IT/ICT) and operational technology (OT) professionals from Luxembourg, the Greater Region and beyond, notably from this year's partner country: Portugal.

For the 2023 edition, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg made an appearance, visiting the exhibition area (featuring about 60 exhibitors) and attending the welcome address and official keynotes session on the opening morning - as well as the launch of a new digital tool in Luxembourg.

In his welcome address, LU-CIX Chairman Claude Demuth reflected on the challenges and achievements of the past ten editions. He thanked the Grand Duke for his presence, which he felt highlighted the importance of this event. He added that this anniversary edition was being celebrated with friends, i.e. Portugal, and the aim was to strengthen relationships and business opportunities between the two countries. Claude Demuth thanked everyone involved in making this event a success over the years.

His address was followed by the launch of Luxchat, a national instant messaging service initially made available to the public sector but now also open (free of charge) to the public and companies in Luxembourg. The creation of Luxchat was first announced at the 2022 edition of the Luxembourg Internet Days. This messaging service, hosted and operated in the Grand Duchy, allows the sending of messages, images, videos and surveys, and has several other features, without monetising user data. 

In his official address, Luxembourg's Minister Delegate for Digitalisation, Marc Hansen, noted that the Luxembourg Internet Days event "has become a must for the ICT sector in Luxembourg." He stressed the importance of the work undertaken by LU-CIX and referred to Luxembourg's strong performance in relation to connectivity in international rankings, particularly in recent years. Yet the goal also remained to ensure that "no one should be left behind," he assured.

Portugal’s Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Administrative Modernisation, Mário Campolargo, then delivered the partner country address. He began by congratulating LU-CIX for the tenth edition of this event, "gathering the best of the digital world in one conference right here at the heart of Europe" and thanked the organisers for making Portugal this year's partner country. He reflected on the important role played by the Portuguese community in Luxembourg, before presenting Portugal's policies as a "digital nation". "We believe in digital with a purpose," he said, adding that it was important to be aware of both the opportunities and risks, and to ensure there is trust among the public. He also emphasised the need to meet new and evolving challenges through common European endeavours. He described digital as "a world of opportunities in a world of uncertainties" and, like Minister Delegate Hansen, stressed the importance of "leaving no one behind."

The morning session continued with speeches by Carlo Thelen, Director General of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, and Cliff Konsbruck, Director of POST Telecom SA; the latter spoke about 5G and mission critical communications.

The Luxembourg Internet Days event is taking place at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg-Kirchberg on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 November 2023. For the full programme (which comprises several keynote and business case presentations, workshops, panel discussions and side events) and to register, visit https://www.luxembourg-internet-days.com/.