COMMON EUROPE CONGRESS 2025: Full Schedule

WELCOME TO COMMON EUROPE CONGRESS 2025

Common Europe, in collaboration with Common Sweden, is delighted to be holding its annual flagship event, Common Europe Congress, in the friendly city of Gothenburg offering extensive education, networking and relaxation opportunities.

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

10:30 CEST

What is IBM Bob and how can Bob work for you!

Monday June 15, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

Meet IBM Bob. This is IBM's latest offering for providing an Integrated Software Development and Modernization Assistant. This session to an introduction to Bob and how Bob can be used to solve many use case that our IBM i development teams have struggled with for years. Things like understanding how your applications actually work! How can I move forward with refactoring and modernizing my code without fear. We will look at the many use cases like refactoring and code transformation and how IBM Bob can be a game changer. We will even show Bob at work doing some of these tasks with a live demo.

Speakers

Tim Rowe

STSM - IBM i Business Architect, IBM USA

Tim Rowe is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Architect for Application Development and Systems Management. He has been working on the IBM i operating system since 1989. Tim is a frequent author, industry speaker and... Read More →

Monday June 15, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

11:50 CEST

VS Code for IBM i: focus on Debugging and Unit Testing

Monday June 15, 2026 11:50 - 12:50 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

VS Code is an open source development environment that is increasingly used by IBM i developers. In this session, we will focus on two major features:1) The new IBM i Debugger (V3 or higher)- Installation- Configuration- Batch debugging- Service Entry Points2) IBM i Unit testing- IBM i Testing extension and RPG Unit framework- Installation- Configuration- Creating test cases and test suites- Running tests- Code coverage

Speakers

Philippe Bourgeois

Monday June 15, 2026 11:50 - 12:50 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

14:00 CEST

Meet Bob - Your New AI Software Development Partner

Monday June 15, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

Join me in exploring Project Bob, a new AI-powered software development partner. We’ll look at how Bob supports the entire software development cycle through intelligent modes, tools, commands, and workflows that understand your code, intent, and standards. We’ll also dive into practical demos for IBM i developers, showcasing how Bob can explain, understand, refactor, transform, and test even monolithic or legacy codebases.

Speakers

Sanjula Ganepola

Monday June 15, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

15:10 CEST

15:55 CEST

Serverless architecture and RPG?

Monday June 15, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

It sounds like an oxymoron - serverless architecture is normally said in conjunction with frameworks like FastAPI in Python, Spring-boot in Java or LoopBack in Node.JS. But what about RPG? Can you leverage the same features in ILE? – of course you can! The ILEastic framework was made exactly to be a player in the world of microservices and serverless architecture – and even better: it is 100% open source. If you need to modernize your RPG code and make it available as services on the web – If microservices is a business strategy or just curious about tools like yum, git and gmake? – then this session is for you.

Speakers

Niels Liisberg

Chief Software Architect, Partner & IBM Champion, System & Method

Monday June 15, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

17:05 CEST

Application Modernization Database

Monday June 15, 2026 17:05 - 18:05 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

Today, when we talk about application modernization, most think about having to reface their application and going mobile. New technologies will be used to change the layout and programs will be rewritten. … but what will a nice design be worth if the base, i.e. the underlying database is still in your grandfather’s style, grown over the years with lots of redundancies? In this workshop you will learn why to go from DDS to SQL, what are the benefits of SQL over DDS. Externalizing and concentrating data access in CRUD functions. Techniques for converting and redesigning your existing grown over the time database into a modern normalized database will be shown. In a modern environment database objects can and must be accessed from multiple interfaces and programming languages. For guaranteeing data integrity and security business logic and security rules should be moved into the database.

Speakers

Birgitta Hauser

Monday June 15, 2026 17:05 - 18:05 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

08:00 CEST

Under the Hood - A Deep Dive into the SQL Query Engine

Tuesday June 16, 2026 08:00 - 09:00 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

The SQL Query Engine (SQE) powers (nearly) every query that executes on your system. Since its introduction, SQE has been continually improved to create more efficient access plans, but these inner workings are rarely understood. In this session, Ryan will give audience members a rare peek under the hood of the engine that powers Db2 for i.

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Tuesday June 16, 2026 08:00 - 09:00 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

10:30 CEST

RPG Unit Testing Made Easy In VS Code

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

Join us for an in-depth look at the IBM i Testing VS Code extension and IBM i Testing CLI. In this session, we will demonstrate how you can now write and execute RPGUnit test suites (supporting both RPG and COBOL) directly within the editor using local files or source members. We will cover the basics of the RPGUnit test framework, showcase how to generate test stubs that make it easy to get started, demonstrate how to execute tests with code coverage, and even run tests in a CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions. If you are looking to adopt new and modern tooling, come check out this exciting addition to the IBM i development ecosystem in VS Code.

Speakers

Sanjula Ganepola

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

11:40 CEST

JSON, SQL, XML done easy with noxDb

Tuesday June 16, 2026 11:40 - 12:40 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

JSON, SQL, XML, dynamic arrays, objects and graphs. You can do all that today in RPG, but it is rather complex. Perhaps it would be better if you had a framework that could provide more flexibility and make your code more simple? The noxDb framework was made exactly to be a player in the world of microservices and serverless architecture doing JSON in/JSON out – and even better: it is 100% ILE and 100% open source. If you need to modernize your RPG code and make it available as services on the web – If microservices is a business strategy or just curious about tools like yum, git and gmake? – then this session is for you.

Speakers

Niels Liisberg

Chief Software Architect, Partner & IBM Champion, System & Method

Tuesday June 16, 2026 11:40 - 12:40 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

14:00 CEST

VS Code and Code for IBM i Hidden Gems 2.0

Tuesday June 16, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

The hidden gems have been refined for 2026 - come see for yourself what we have in store !Thanks to the Code for IBM i open source extension, VS Code became an IDE of choice for whoever wants to do some development on IBM i. Less expansive (as in "free") and more modern than RDi, it's already a daily driver for IBM i professionals and enthusiasts alike. But what does it have to offer we barely know? What are the less-known features that can make a developer's life easier? The legend tells that it's even possible to work locally on IBM i source code synchronized with Git or to use Visual Explain right from VS Code. But the best is yet to come and see for yourself! Whether you are a seasoned developer or just curious, join me to discover or rediscover the hidden gems that VS Code has to offer. Don't be a stranger and bring your questions along!

Speakers

Sébastien Julliand

Tech Lead R&D, I AND ME - IT TRAINING

Hi, I'm Seb! I am the R&D Tech Lead for i and me - IT Training and Solutions GmbH and an active contributors to IBM i open source projects.

Let's talk about anything related to software development, on IBM i or not, it doesn't mater to me. RPGLE, Java, TypeScript...I love them all... Read More →

Tuesday June 16, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

15:10 CEST

15:55 CEST

SQL Services for the Developer

Tuesday June 16, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i offers a wide array of SQL services to allow programmers to interact with database and system resources. In today’s modern SQL world, SQL can replace coding to many APIs, all while being more flexible and easier to use. This session will cover a wide variety of powerful SQL services, including how to view and manage data areas and data queues, an example of interacting with IFS files, running CL commands from SQL, and much more.

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Tuesday June 16, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

17:05 CEST

Code for IBM i – What’s New, What’s Next

Tuesday June 16, 2026 17:05 - 18:05 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

The Code for IBM i family of extensions continues to grow with new tools and powerful enhancements. In this session, we will showcase recent improvements, highlight community contributions, and share a glimpse of upcoming features on the roadmap for 2026.

Speakers

Sanjula Ganepola

Tuesday June 16, 2026 17:05 - 18:05 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

08:00 CEST

Getting Started with SQL Functions and Procedures

Wednesday June 17, 2026 08:00 - 09:00 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

SQL includes a full-fledged programming language, SQL PL. Come learn about the programming constructs, including error handling, that this language contains. You will leave with all the knowledge you need to start writing your own SQL functions and procedures.

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Wednesday June 17, 2026 08:00 - 09:00 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

09:10 CEST

Db2 for i from the comfort of your VS Code

Wednesday June 17, 2026 09:10 - 10:10 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

VS Code and Code for IBM i are really built with IBM i developers in mind. Add the Db2 for IBM i extension in the mix and you get the perfect toolset for working with the database. This open source extension, built by the community for the community, brings all the tools one needs to run queries and display results from within VS Code. But wait, there's more! Data export, Visual Explain, SELF, AI integration ... there is lot of great features to discover, and they are right at your fingertips !

Speakers

Sébastien Julliand

Tech Lead R&D, I AND ME - IT TRAINING

Wednesday June 17, 2026 09:10 - 10:10 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

10:30 CEST

The Hidden Superpowers of IBM i: Features You Didn’t Know You Already Have

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST

04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i is famous for reliability — but it’s the underused, often overlooked features built directly into the platform that make it a true powerhouse for modern business. In this session, we’ll uncover the capabilities hiding in plain sight: tools and functions that come standard with IBM i yet rarely get the spotlight.We’ll explore surprising built-in technologies such as SQL services that replace entire utilities, database-driven system introspection, object management through simple queries, integrated open-source runtimes, and powerful automation features that eliminate scripting complexity. You’ll see how developers and administrators can leverage these out-of-the-box tools to simplify operations, improve visibility, accelerate development, and unlock new functionality without purchasing add-ons or deploying new servers.Through real examples and practical scenarios, we’ll demonstrate how these features can solve everyday challenges — from debugging and performance tuning to auditing, deployment automation, and API integration — all with the tools you already have.Whether you're a veteran IBM i professional or new to the platform, you’ll walk away with a fresh perspective and a toolkit of capabilities you can start using the moment you return to the office.

Speakers

Koen Decorte

CTO, IBM Champion, CD-Invest

Koen Decorte is the founder of CD-Invest nv, a Belgian IBM i consultancy with over 30 years of expertise in ERP/CRM and open source development, IBM i platform modernization, and PEPPOL e-invoicing services. CD-Invest is home to several IBM Champions and serves enterprise clients... Read More →

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST
04 - RHÔNE 2

IBM i application development

From €51.94