--- title: "FabCon Europe 2026 Sessions by Role: Governance, Security, AI" url: "https://atlan.com/know/microsoft-fabric/fabcon-europe-2026-sessions-by-role/" description: "FabCon Europe 2026 sessions on governance, security and AI agents, sorted by role, with times, session codes, five schedule clashes and Fabric IQ status." author: "Emily Winks" author_role: "Data Governance Expert" published: "2026-09-28" updated: "2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z" --- --- FabCon Europe 2026 runs September 28 to October 1 at CCIB Barcelona, and 15 of its sessions on governance, security and AI agents circle one question: how do agents get business context your team can trust? Atlan sorted those 15 by role, mapped the five time slots where two strong picks collide, and checked what Microsoft's own documentation says Fabric IQ ships today. ### Which AI Governance Capabilities Do You Actually Need? Takes your obligations, existing stack, and which agents are in scope. [Read the skill](/skills/governance-tool-fit.md). *Paste into a new chat* ``` Use the skill at https://atlan.com/skills/governance-tool-fit.md to find the real governance gap instead of a generic capability list. Ask me for whatever it needs. ``` *Run once in a terminal* ``` curl -fsSL --create-dirs \ -o ~/.agents/skills/governance-tool-fit/SKILL.md \ https://atlan.com/skills/governance-tool-fit.md ``` *For an agent* ``` curl -fsSL https://atlan.com/skills/governance-tool-fit.md ``` Human Agent ClaudeChatGPTGeminiCursorOther Copy .skp{margin:1.75rem 0;padding:1rem 1.125rem 1.125rem} .skp h3{margin:0 0 .375rem!important;font-size:20px!important;line-height:24px!important; font-family:var(--font-funnel-display)!important;font-weight:600!important;color:#2B2B39!important} .skp > p{margin:0 0 .875rem!important;font-size:14px!important;line-height:22px!important;color:#555572!important} .skp > p a{color:#2026D2;text-decoration:underline} .skp-box{margin-bottom:.75rem} .skp-p em{display:block;font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase; color:#F34D77;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:.25rem} .skp-p > p{margin:0!important} #seo-layout article .skp .skp-p pre{margin:0!important;overflow-x:auto} #seo-layout article .skp .skp-p pre code{color:#2B2B39!important;font-size:12px!important;line-height:19px; white-space:pre-wrap;overflow-wrap:anywhere;background:none;padding:0; font-family:ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,monospace} .skp-p + .skp-p{margin-top:.625rem} .skp-cs{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;gap:.375rem} .skp-seg{display:inline-flex;flex:0 0 auto;border:1px solid #DDDDE3;border-radius:999px;overflow:hidden;background:#fff} .skp-m{min-height:32px;padding:.25rem .75rem;border:0;background:transparent;font-family:inherit;color:#77778E;cursor:pointer} .skp-m:hover{color:#2026D2} .skp-m.on{background:#2026D2;color:#fff} .skp-sep{flex:0 0 auto;width:1px;height:20px;background:#DDDDE3;margin:0 .25rem} .skp-tools{display:inline-flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:.375rem;min-width:0} .skp-cp{margin-left:auto;min-height:32px;padding:.25rem .75rem;border-radius:999px;background:#fff; font-family:inherit;color:#555572;cursor:pointer} .skp-cp:hover{border-color:#2026D2!important;color:#2026D2} .skp-cs .skp-c{display:inline-flex!important;width:auto;flex:0 0 auto;align-items:center;gap:.375rem; min-height:32px;padding:.25rem .625rem;border-radius:999px;background:#fff;font-family:inherit; color:#555572;cursor:pointer} .skp-cs .skp-c img{display:block!important;width:14px!important;height:14px!important; max-width:14px!important;flex:0 0 auto;opacity:.55;margin:0} .skp-c:hover img,.skp-c.on img{opacity:1} .skp-cs .skp-c:hover{border-color:#797DE4!important;color:#2026D2} .skp-cs .skp-c.on{border-color:#2026D2!important;background:#F4F4FD;color:#2026D2} .skp-agent .skp-tools,.skp-agent .skp-sep{display:none} (function(){ var p=document.querySelector('.skp[data-skill="governance-tool-fit"]');if(!p)return; var panes=p.querySelectorAll('.skp-p'); function show(id){panes.forEach(function(x){x.hidden=x.dataset.skp!==id;});} function cur(){var a=p.querySelector('.skp-p:not([hidden]) pre code');return a?a.textContent:'';} show('prompt'); p.querySelectorAll('.skp-p em').forEach(function(e){ var par=e.parentElement; ((par.tagName==='P'&&par.textContent.trim()===e.textContent.trim())?par:e).hidden=true; }); p.querySelectorAll('.skp-c').forEach(function(b){ b.addEventListener('click',function(){ p.querySelectorAll('.skp-c').forEach(function(x){var on=x===b;x.classList.toggle('on',on);x.setAttribute('aria-pressed',on);}); show(b.dataset.skp); }); }); p.querySelectorAll('.skp-m').forEach(function(m){ m.addEventListener('click',function(){ var agent=m.dataset.skpMode==='agent'; p.classList.toggle('skp-agent',agent); p.querySelectorAll('.skp-m').forEach(function(x){var on=x===m;x.classList.toggle('on',on);x.setAttribute('aria-pressed',on);}); if(agent){show('agent');}else{var s=p.querySelector('.skp-c.on');show(s?s.dataset.skp:'prompt');} }); }); var c=p.querySelector('[data-skp-copy]'); c.addEventListener('click',function(){ navigator.clipboard.writeText(cur()).then(function(){ c.textContent='Copied';setTimeout(function(){c.textContent='Copy';},1600); }); }); })(); Every pick below is listed on the [official FabCon Europe 2026 program (ESPC, 2026)](https://espc.tech/conference/fabcon-europe-2026/programme/) as of September 28, and six also appear on [Microsoft's June 2026 list of the sessions it is most excited about (Microsoft Fabric Blog, 2026)](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric/blog/2026/06/25/fabcon-europe-2026-the-sessions-were-most-excited-to-bring-to-barcelona/). Atlan does not appear on the [official 2026 sponsor list (ESPC, 2026)](https://espc.tech/conference/fabcon-europe-2026/sponsors/), so these picks are an independent read of the public program. Session codes help you find each one fast. * **AI leaders** get four agent sessions, two built around Fabric IQ as the semantic layer under agents. * **Enterprise architects** get shortcuts, mirroring, sovereignty, and a live ontology-backed agent build. * **Data and analytics leaders** get Microsoft's end-to-end Fabric IQ pitch and a corenote on governing Fabric at scale. * **Governance leads** get the densest set: OneLake security twice, Purview twice, and the OneLake catalog. | Field | Value | |---|---| | Dates and venue | September 28 to October 1, 2026, CCIB Barcelona, co-located with SQLCon | | Keynote | "The Data Foundation for AI: What's Next in Microsoft Fabric," Tue Sep 29, 08:45-10:45, Arun Ulag, Amir Netz, Shireesh Thota | | Sessions picked | 15, all on the live ESPC program; 6 also on Microsoft's June picks | | Program size | [Microsoft Fabric Blog](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric/blog/2026/06/25/fabcon-europe-2026-the-sessions-were-most-excited-to-bring-to-barcelona/): 130+ sessions, 100+ speakers, 10+ tutorials. [ESPC event page](https://espc.tech/conference/fabcon-europe-2026/): 120+ sessions, 100+ speakers, 10+ tutorials | | Clashes among the picks | 5 time slots | | Primary sources | ESPC program, Microsoft Fabric Blog, Microsoft Learn | --- ## What sessions at FabCon Europe 2026 matter for governance and AI leaders? Fifteen sessions on the FabCon Europe 2026 program speak directly to how AI agents get governed, secure business context on Microsoft Fabric, and they split across four roles. Codes, speakers and times below come from the [official ESPC program (ESPC, 2026)](https://espc.tech/conference/fabcon-europe-2026/programme/), in Barcelona local time (CEST). | Role | Session (code) | Speakers | When | Listed by | |---|---|---|---|---| | AI leaders | Fabric IQ + Foundry: The Semantic Backbone of Enterprise AI Agents (T04) | Hugo Barona, Cloudnitio | Tue 11:15-12:15 | ESPC + Microsoft picks | | AI leaders | Fabric IQ + Foundry IQ: Grounding Every Agent in Trusted Enterprise Data (T38) | Amir Jafari, Farzad Sunavala, Microsoft | Tue 16:15-17:15 | ESPC | | AI leaders | Build the Next Generation of Intelligent Data Agents in Microsoft Fabric (W46) | Misha Desai, Avrilia Floratou, Microsoft | Wed 15:00-16:00 | ESPC + Microsoft picks | | AI leaders | Building Enterprise AI Agents on Microsoft Fabric: Architecture, Security and Production Lessons (TH14) | Leon Gordon, Onyx Data | Thu 12:00-13:00 | ESPC + Microsoft picks | | Architects | Building a Sovereign Data Platform Across Cloud Environments (T24) | Rick Xu, Roelf Zomerman, Microsoft | Tue 13:30-14:30 | ESPC | | Architects | Shortcuts and Mirroring: Unify Data Estates Across Clouds and on Premises (W35) | Shireen Bahadur, Matthew Hicks, Microsoft | Wed 13:45-14:45 | ESPC | | Architects | Build a Real-Time AI Agent That Knows Your Business with IQ and Ontology (W37) | Will Thompson, Clemens Vasters, Microsoft | Wed 13:45-14:45 | ESPC | | Data and analytics leaders | CORENOTE: Building, Deploying, and Governing Microsoft Fabric at Scale (T02) | Arthi Ramasubramanian Iyer, Adi Regev, Kim Manis, Microsoft | Tue 11:15-12:15 | ESPC | | Data and analytics leaders | Data Governance for Trust, Scale, and AI-Ready Data (T30) | Marthe Moengen, imeto | Tue 14:45-15:45 | ESPC | | Data and analytics leaders | Fabric IQ End-to-End: The Complete Enterprise AI Platform (W12) | Chafia Aouissi, Yael Schuster-Davidi, Microsoft | Wed 10:00-11:00 | ESPC + Microsoft picks | | Governance leads | Purview Data Security Protections for your Fabric Data Estate (T17) | Anton Fritz, Yael Biss, Microsoft | Tue 13:30-14:30 | ESPC | | Governance leads | Guardians of the Lake: Securing your Data with OneLake (T23) | Cole Haddock, Vanguard; Joe Griffin, proMX UK Limited | Tue 13:30-14:30 | ESPC | | Governance leads | Securing Your Data Estate with Purview (W06) | Marthe Moengen, imeto | Wed 08:45-09:45 | ESPC + Microsoft picks | | Governance leads | Discover, Govern, and Protect your Fabric data with the OneLake Catalog (W07) | Anton Fritz, Yaron Canari, Microsoft | Wed 08:45-09:45 | ESPC | | Governance leads | OneLake Security: Deep Dive and What's New (W47) | Aaron Merrill, Cristian Petculescu, Microsoft | Wed 15:00-16:00 | ESPC + Microsoft picks | By time slot, three of the five clashes put an agent or architecture session opposite a governance or security one, the same split most enterprises run between [AI governance and data governance](https://atlan.com/know/data-governance-vs-ai-governance/). Agent context and data access are one decision. --- ## Which FabCon Europe 2026 sessions should AI leaders building agents on Fabric attend? The AI leader's gap is consistent: governed business context for agents. Two sessions frame Fabric IQ as the semantic layer under agents; two cover where data agents are headed and what production demands. Hugo Barona's T04 pairs Fabric IQ with [Microsoft Foundry (Microsoft Learn, 2026)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/foundry/what-is-foundry), unifying agents, models and tools under one management grouping. Teams already on [Azure AI Foundry](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/microsoft/azure-ai-foundry/) should start here: it covers how semantic grounding improves agent reasoning and reduces [hallucination](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent-hallucination/), the reason a [semantic layer](https://atlan.com/know/semantic-layer/) matters to agents at all. T38 takes up the same pairing later that day from Microsoft's product team. W46, from Misha Desai and Avrilia Floratou, covers next-generation data agents, including unstructured data, graph reasoning and NL2SQL, and runs against the OneLake security deep dive, so coordinate with your governance lead. Leon Gordon's TH14 on Thursday is the one to bring an architect to: a real-world blueprint for enterprise-grade agents in regulated environments, alongside [Azure AI Foundry agent blueprints](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/microsoft/azure-ai-foundry-agent-blueprints/), the [AI agent harness](https://atlan.com/know/how-to-build-ai-agent-harness/) your agents run inside, and [securing multi-agent systems in the enterprise](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/ai-agent-governance/how-to-secure-multi-agent-systems-enterprise/). All four treat context as what makes an agent trustworthy: whether it stays current across every system the agent touches, the core problem [context engineering](https://atlan.com/know/what-is-context-engineering/) exists to solve. --- ## Sessions for enterprise architects deciding on OneLake and Fabric IQ Architects deciding how far to build on OneLake and Fabric IQ should plan around one Wednesday slot, 13:45, where W35 and W37 run side by side, plus T24 on sovereignty the day before. W35, "Shortcuts and Mirroring: Unify Data Estates Across Clouds and on Premises," sits on the Data Integration and OneLake tracks. Per the [Fabric IQ overview (Microsoft Learn, 2026)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/iq/overview), Fabric IQ can unify external operational data using OneLake shortcuts, "referencing it in place without copying or building ETL pipelines," relevant to anyone working through [data architecture for AI](https://atlan.com/know/ai-readiness/data-architecture-ai/). W37 runs the same slot: "Build a Real-Time AI Agent That Knows Your Business with IQ and Ontology," a working agent built on Microsoft's ontology, from Will Thompson and Clemens Vasters of Microsoft. If you have been weighing a [context graph vs ontology](https://atlan.com/know/context-graph-vs-ontology/) design, or separating an [ontology vs semantic layer](https://atlan.com/know/ontology-vs-semantic-layer/), that is the relevant evidence. Pick W37 over W35 if Fabric IQ is already shortlisted. T24, on sovereign data platforms across clouds, matters for anyone in Barcelona carrying EU obligations: the ground covered in [data sovereignty for AI agents](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/data-sovereignty-for-ai-agents/) and [GDPR compliance for AI agents](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/gdpr-compliance-for-ai-agents/). The choice under all three is scope: where your [enterprise context layer](https://atlan.com/know/what-is-the-enterprise-context-layer/) ends, before deciding where it lives, per [implementing a context layer for AI](https://atlan.com/know/how-to-implement-enterprise-context-layer-for-ai/). --- ## Sessions for data and analytics leadership investing in Fabric IQ For data and analytics leaders, the question in Barcelona is where Fabric IQ investment pays off. Microsoft makes its "complete" AI platform case in W12, the T02 corenote covers governing Fabric at scale, and Marthe Moengen's T30 asks what trust requires when the goal is AI-ready data. W12, "Fabric IQ End-to-End," is the platform pitch: Fabric IQ "creates a unified, governed foundation for enterprise AI agents." For budgeting, status is tracked per item: [Microsoft Learn's What's New (Microsoft Learn, 2026)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/fundamentals/whats-new) shows Graph and operations agent reached general availability in June 2026, while the ontology item remains preview. T02, the corenote on governing Fabric at scale, includes Kim Manis, Microsoft's corporate vice president of product for Fabric and Power BI. It clashes with T04 on Tuesday morning, so split it with your AI lead. T30, Marthe Moengen's "Data Governance for Trust, Scale, and AI-Ready Data," is the practitioner counterpart. Bring the questions from [what AI-ready data requires](https://atlan.com/know/ai-readiness/ai-ready-data/), an [AI-ready data checklist](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/data-for-ai/ai-ready-data-checklist/), [who owns AI governance](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/who-owns-ai-governance-caio-vs-cdo-vs-cto/), and [why data governance implementations fail](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/ai-agent-governance/why-data-governance-implementations-fail/). Leaders standing up an [AI center of excellence](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/ai-agent-governance/how-to-build-ai-center-of-excellence/) will want both her session and T02. Budget follows ownership: an investment case holds when someone owns each definition an agent reads, not only the platform that stores it. --- ## Sessions for data governance leads: OneLake security and Purview Five sessions cover the two governance surfaces a Fabric estate runs on: OneLake's own access controls and Microsoft Purview. Two of their time slots force a choice. ### OneLake security W47, "OneLake Security: Deep Dive and What's New," goes inside how unified security works across every Fabric workload. Per [Microsoft Learn's OneLake access model (Microsoft Learn, 2026)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/onelake/security/data-access-control-model), OneLake security is role-based, refinable to tables, rows and columns, and "all querying engines continue to enforce read operations consistently," the enforcement model behind [zero-trust data governance](https://atlan.com/know/zero-trust-data-governance/) and [AI agent access control](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent-access-control/). T23, "Guardians of the Lake," is a separate session from W47, with different speakers on a different day: Tuesday at 13:30 with Cole Haddock of Vanguard and Joe Griffin of proMX UK Limited, a day before Microsoft's deep dive. Take T23 for a practitioner view, W47 for the product team's. ### Purview and the OneLake catalog W06, Marthe Moengen's "Securing Your Data Estate with Purview," offers an end-to-end approach to governance, compliance and data protection. Bring a question on scan depth: per [Microsoft Learn's Purview guide for Fabric (Microsoft Learn, 2026)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/register-scan-fabric-tenant), items other than Power BI can only be scanned at the item level for metadata and lineage today. W07 on the OneLake catalog runs at the same hour as W06, and T17 on Purview data security runs against T23. Favor W07 and T23 if you're already on the [Purview unified catalog](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/microsoft/purview-unified-catalog/); favor W06 and T17 if still designing a [data governance taxonomy](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/ai-agent-governance/data-governance-taxonomy/). Access controls decide who can read a table; the harder question for agents is whether the context attached to it is current, owned and certified, the work of a [context layer for data governance teams](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/context-layer-for-data-governance-teams/). --- ## What is the current status of Fabric IQ Ontology for AI agents? Fabric IQ appears in the titles of four picks (T04, T38, W12 and W37), so its status is useful context beforehand: the answer depends on which Fabric IQ item you mean. Microsoft announced Fabric IQ general availability at Microsoft Build 2026, per [Microsoft's June 2026 blog (Microsoft Fabric Blog, 2026)](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric/blog/2026/06/25/fabcon-europe-2026-the-sessions-were-most-excited-to-bring-to-barcelona/). Microsoft Learn, updated in July and September 2026, still labels the ontology item preview: * The [ontology overview (Microsoft Learn, 2026)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/iq/ontology/overview) states that "any updates in upstream data sources (like new rows) need to be manually refreshed before they're visible in the ontology item." * The [Fabric IQ overview (Microsoft Learn, 2026)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/iq/overview) names OneLake as its foundation, says ontologies can be generated from Power BI semantic models, and names Foundry and [Copilot Studio agents](https://atlan.com/know/ai-agent/ai-agent-applications/what-are-microsoft-copilot-studio-agents/) as consumers of that context. * [What's New (Microsoft Learn, 2026)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/fundamentals/whats-new) lists Graph and operations agent as generally available since June 2026, and ontology as preview. Preview labels move quickly, so confirm current status with the speakers. Three questions apply at W12, W37 and T04, and to any context source an agent reads: how often it refreshes, how outside definitions get in, and who certifies one before an agent acts on it. --- ## Split the room: where the best picks collide The schedule forces a choice in five slots: three set an agent or architecture session against governance or security, the other two split a single role's attention. Either way, send more than one person. | Slot | Session A | Session B | Who takes which | |---|---|---|---| | Tue 11:15-12:15 | T04 Fabric IQ + Foundry | T02 Corenote: governing Fabric at scale | AI leader to T04, analytics leader to T02 | | Tue 13:30-14:30 | T23 Guardians of the Lake, or T17 Purview protections | T24 Sovereign data platform | Governance lead to T23 or T17, architect to T24 | | Wed 08:45-09:45 | W06 Securing your data estate with Purview | W07 OneLake catalog | Split the governance team if you can | | Wed 13:45-14:45 | W35 Shortcuts and mirroring | W37 IQ and ontology agent build | Architect to W37 if Fabric IQ is shortlisted | | Wed 15:00-16:00 | W46 Intelligent data agents | W47 OneLake security deep dive | AI leader to W46, governance lead to W47 | Compare notes that evening with the three Fabric IQ questions in hand. Row-level security with no shared meaning feeds agents nothing useful, and shared meaning without access control is a risk; joining the two is [context engineering and AI governance](https://atlan.com/know/context-engineering-ai-governance/), typically via a [context graph](https://atlan.com/know/what-is-a-context-graph/) once agents read from more than one platform. For passes and venue logistics, see the [FabCon Europe 2026 guide](https://atlan.com/know/microsoft-fabric/fabcon-europe-2026-guide/). For the questions to ask before agents run on Fabric data, see [governing Fabric AI agents](https://atlan.com/know/microsoft-fabric/fabric-ai-agent-governance-questions/). --- ## FAQs about FabCon Europe 2026 sessions ### 1. Is Fabric IQ Ontology generally available or still in preview? Microsoft Learn still labels the ontology item as preview in its July and September 2026 updates, although Microsoft's June 2026 blog says Fabric IQ general availability was announced at Build 2026. Status is set per item: Graph and operations agent reached general availability in June 2026, per Microsoft's What's New archive. ### 2. What's the difference between Microsoft Purview and Fabric IQ Ontology? Purview governs and protects data across the estate and scans a Fabric tenant for metadata and lineage. The Fabric IQ ontology defines business entities, relationships, properties, rules and actions so agents understand what the data means. One catalogs and protects data; the other describes its business meaning for agents. ### 3. Is Atlan exhibiting or sponsoring FabCon Europe 2026? No. Atlan does not appear on the official FabCon Europe 2026 sponsor list published by ESPC. The session picks draw only on the public ESPC program and Microsoft's published session list. ### 4. What's new in OneLake security in 2026? Microsoft Learn's July 2026 update extends OneLake security to Eventhouse, adds Graph integration and OneLake security APIs, simplifies column-level security, and sets user identity mode for SQL analytics endpoint sync. The W47 deep dive is billed as covering what's new. --- ## Sources 1. [FabCon Europe & SQLCon Europe 2026 program, ESPC](https://espc.tech/conference/fabcon-europe-2026/programme/) 2. [FabCon + SQLCon Europe 2026 event page, ESPC](https://espc.tech/conference/fabcon-europe-2026/) 3. [FabCon Europe 2026 sponsors, ESPC](https://espc.tech/conference/fabcon-europe-2026/sponsors/) 4. [FabCon Europe 2026: The sessions we're most excited to bring to Barcelona, Microsoft Fabric Blog](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric/blog/2026/06/25/fabcon-europe-2026-the-sessions-were-most-excited-to-bring-to-barcelona/) 5. [What is Fabric IQ?, Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/iq/overview) 6. [What is ontology (preview)?, Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/iq/ontology/overview) 7. [What's new in Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/fundamentals/whats-new) 8. [OneLake security roles, permissions, and scopes, Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/onelake/security/data-access-control-model) 9. [Connect to your Microsoft Fabric tenant in the same tenant as Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/register-scan-fabric-tenant) 10. [What is Microsoft Foundry?, Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/foundry/what-is-foundry)