DATA STORIES | KNIME SUMMIT | KNIME ANALYTICS PLATFORM
On The Yellow Carpet of the KNIME Spring Summit 2025
My Data Guest — Meet the KNIME Data Science Community
Co-host: Scott Fincher
The KNIME Spring Summit is where data experts, KNIME enthusiasts, and industry professionals come together to exchange ideas, explore cutting-edge technologies, and dive into the latest trends in data science. But beyond the keynotes and sessions, it’s also the perfect place to capture the pulse of the KNIME community.
In this special episode of the My Data Guest series, Scott and I spoke with participants fresh from their first day at the Summit. We explored what they learned in KNIME’s latest courses, got an inside look at the Game of Nodes competition ahead of its grand finale, and uncovered insights into the AI and agent-based workflows shaping KNIME’s future.
Re-watch the highlights of the KNIME Spring Summit 2025
Rosaria: The first day of the KNIME Spring Summit is dedicated to courses. Participants have just finished their training, and we have the chance to interview them. Together with me, there’s Scott Fincher, Community Manager at KNIME. Scott, you’ve been helping with the courses, what did you do?
Scott: I helped out with the explainable AI (XAI) with KNIME course. We offer various Level 4 courses, but this one was taught by Keith McCormick. Some of you may know him from our webinars or from his training courses on LinkedIn. He did a great job, and I was there assisting, helping with workflows, and answering questions. I actually learned quite a bit myself!
Rosaria: Sounds great! I see Martin Dieste over there. Martin, come join us! You’ve been quite busy with KNIME recently: webinars, training sessions, and now the Summit. What’s new?
Martin: Yes, it’s been a busy period! I arrived only a few hours ago, but I’m already enjoying the energy. Many people have just completed their training, and there’s a great atmosphere. Recently, I’ve also been busy delivering webinars, including the upcoming one in the KNIME 101 series. In fact, our next KNIME 101 session will be about data apps, perfect for anyone who wants to take their KNIME skills further and build polished data applications.
Scott: Since this is your first Summit, what are you most looking forward to?
Martin: Two things: the finance and AI session — where I might be speaking, and the Game of Nodes finale in the evening. Also, I’m very interested in the agent-based AI session.
Scott: Have you experimented with the KNIME AI extension or Agentic AI yet?
Martin: Yes, I’ve tried the KNIME AI extensions, as well as some Python-based agent frameworks. I’ve even experimented with integrating KNIME-native agents with external ones, so I’m really looking forward to the practical Agentic AI workflow demo!
Rosaria: Thank you, Martin!
Rosaria: I see Davide Marcantoni and Matteo Bonora, two members of the Team Comfortably KNIME — a finalist of Game of Nodes! For those unfamiliar with it, Game of Nodes is a thrilling KNIME community competition where participants tackle complex data challenges using KNIME workflows. It’s a test of skill, creativity, and quick decision-making, pushing contestants to showcase their best data science solutions. Are you nervous?
Matteo Bonora: Absolutely! I’m very nervous!
Rosaria: How did you manage to reach the final? What’s the secret?
Davide Marcantoni: A lot of time, effort, quick decision-making, and teamwork. We are colleagues but also good friends, which helped a lot.
Rosaria: Besides Game of Nodes, what do you use KNIME for?
Matteo Bonora: Pretty much everything! It’s such a comprehensive tool, especially now that you can leverage large language models (LLMs) directly from within KNIME. It opens up so many possibilities for automation, analysis, and advanced AI-driven workflows.
Davide Marcantoni: I am actually working on a personal project. I track flight prices over time because I want to plan vacations when prices are low.
Rosaria: A vacation-planning KNIME project! That’s great. Best of luck for the finale!
Scott: Now, let’s bring in Bertold Balázs and Marcell Palfi, two of our Contributors of the Month! Contributor of the Month (COTM) is a recognition given to KNIME community members who actively share their knowledge, create valuable resources, and help others navigate the platform.
You both have contributed a lot to the KNIME community. Bertold, how many Summits have you attended?
Bertold: I attended last year’s in Austin, and it’s great to see familiar faces again. I’m looking forward to some insightful presentations.
Scott: And Marcel, this is your first Summit?
Marcel: Yes, and I’m excited! I’ve checked the agenda and heard great things from Bertold about previous events. I’m particularly looking forward to the panel discussions.
Scott: Have either of you experimented with KNIME’s new AI features?
Bertold: I’ve tried AI, but not agentic AI yet. I’m really curious to see how they work.
Marcel: I’ve used the AI connectors, but not the agents yet. I’m hoping to learn more during the practical demo.
Scott: If you could suggest an improvement for KNIME’s next release, what would it be?
Bertold: More CSS support in visualizations, it was great in the older versions.
Marcel: Some UI elements from the older version, like right-click options, would be nice to have them back.
Scott: Good suggestions! Thanks for sharing.
Rosaria: Now, we have Christoffer Swanström from Quantum Analytics. Christoffer, is this your first Summit? What brings you here?
Christoffer: No, this is my fifth! AI is a major topic, and I’m interested in private AI setups where intellectual property is not shared with public models. I’m curious to see how KNIME approaches this.
Rosaria: What are you working on now?
Christoffer: We use KNIME for data wrangling. One current project is helping a Swiss hospital migrate from an on-premise KNIME Server to KNIME Hub.
Rosaria: You’ve attended five Summits, how would you describe the experience to newcomers?
Christoffer: It’s a great mix of KNIME-led talks and real-world use cases. Unlike some American conferences, it’s more down-to-earth and focused on practical applications.
Rosaria: I’ll take that as a compliment! Thanks, Christoffer.
Rosaria: And now, we have Tommy Harstrom and Rhys Maekins from Forest Grove, Australia. What are you looking forward to?
Tommy: Networking, learning about the roadmap, and seeing what’s coming next.
Rhys: AI advancements! We got a sneak peek at the Australia Roadshow, and I’m excited to see more.
Rosaria: Have you used the KNIME AI extension?
Tommy: Some of our clients use it, but we haven’t implemented it much ourselves yet.
Rhys: As someone responsible for cybersecurity, I see both the benefits and risks of generative AI. I appreciate KNIME’s approach to integrating AI safely with data apps.
Rosaria: Our last guest for today is Alberto Montanari. Alberto, welcome back!
You made a strong impact at your last Summit in Berlin with your presentation on using KNIME to develop predictive models for home palliative care. Your work with the ANT Foundation showed how data science can optimize patient care and resource planning.
Alberto: Thank you! I was here two years ago, and I couldn’t miss this one.
Rosaria: What are you looking forward to?
Alberto: I’m curious about the new AI chatbot features. Also, KNIME’s new Teams Plan on the KNIME Community Hub looks very promising. It’s great to see more affordable solutions for small teams looking to collaborate effectively with shared spaces and controlled access to workflows.
Rosaria: Thank you, Alberto! And that concludes this My Data Guest episode straight from the Yellow Carpet of the KNIME Spring Summit 2025. Thank you to all our guests and to Scott for co-hosting. ‘Till the next episode!
You can watch the full episode on KNIMETV:
