Architecture, Perf. & Sec.Conference50min
Platform engineering 201: From platform engineering vision to production reality
This session moves from platform engineering theory to practice. Participants will build a Kubernetes-based developer platform and Backstage portal, implement golden paths, and integrate CI/CD. Drawing on real projects, it highlights governance, developer experience, and cultural alignment for sustainable, standardized, and modernized enterprise platforms.
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Maarten VandeperreRed Hat
Camille NigonRed Hat
Platform Engineering 101 explains why internal developer platforms and portals matter. This session is about what happens next: turning vision into something that actually reaches production and reduces cognitive load for developers while increasing governance and standardization.
We’ll move beyond positioning and demos and focus on building a minimum viable product, which you will be able to reproduce on your own after the session. Starting with a Kubernetes-based foundation, we’ll enable a developer platform (i.e., Kubernetes-based) and layer a developer portal on top using Backstage.
The hands-on session centers around implementing golden paths, integrating with Git repositories, and enabling CI/CD workflows. Drawing from real customer engagements, we’ll share practical lessons on what works, what breaks, and what needs to be designed differently when theory meets enterprise reality.
We’ll also address the often underestimated factors behind successful adoption: clear standards, consistent developer experience, and aligning the platform with your organization’s culture and identity.
Beyond greenfield use cases, you’ll see how platform engineering accelerates modernization across existing systems.
You’ll leave with practical architectural insights to modernize existing systems and deliver a developer platform that is not just impressive, but sustainable (and maybe even sovereign!).
We’ll move beyond positioning and demos and focus on building a minimum viable product, which you will be able to reproduce on your own after the session. Starting with a Kubernetes-based foundation, we’ll enable a developer platform (i.e., Kubernetes-based) and layer a developer portal on top using Backstage.
The hands-on session centers around implementing golden paths, integrating with Git repositories, and enabling CI/CD workflows. Drawing from real customer engagements, we’ll share practical lessons on what works, what breaks, and what needs to be designed differently when theory meets enterprise reality.
We’ll also address the often underestimated factors behind successful adoption: clear standards, consistent developer experience, and aligning the platform with your organization’s culture and identity.
Beyond greenfield use cases, you’ll see how platform engineering accelerates modernization across existing systems.
You’ll leave with practical architectural insights to modernize existing systems and deliver a developer platform that is not just impressive, but sustainable (and maybe even sovereign!).
Maarten Vandeperre
Maarten Vandeperre is a Specialized Solutions Architect at Red Hat focused on platform engineering, AI enablement, and sovereign platform design. He helps organizations build modern application platforms on OpenShift that reduce cognitive load, enable developer autonomy, and keep enterprises in control of their data, technology, and AI strategy.
With a strong background in software development and clean architecture, Maarten bridges application design and infrastructure, mapping architectural principles to scalable, secure, and compliant platforms. His work spans sovereign AI, internal developer platforms, model serving, and cloud-native integration patterns. He regularly speaks at developer and AI conferences across Europe, sharing practical insights on platform engineering, AI, and digital sovereignty.
With a strong background in software development and clean architecture, Maarten bridges application design and infrastructure, mapping architectural principles to scalable, secure, and compliant platforms. His work spans sovereign AI, internal developer platforms, model serving, and cloud-native integration patterns. He regularly speaks at developer and AI conferences across Europe, sharing practical insights on platform engineering, AI, and digital sovereignty.
Camille Nigon
Camille Nigon is an AI Solutions Architect at Red Hat, where she helps bring cutting-edge, open source AI solutions to life. With a strong background in data science and a passion for solving real-world problems, Camille loves using AI to tackle tough challenges and make a meaningful impact.
She's a big believer in the power of collaboration and open innovation, and she’s especially passionate about creating more inclusive spaces in tech.
Camille is actively involved in initiatives that promote diversity and help make technology accessible to everyone.
When she isn’t architecting AI solutions or demystifying Kubernetes operators, you can find Camille walking the streets of Zurich or starting her day with a mandatory, well-brewed flat white.
She's a big believer in the power of collaboration and open innovation, and she’s especially passionate about creating more inclusive spaces in tech.
Camille is actively involved in initiatives that promote diversity and help make technology accessible to everyone.
When she isn’t architecting AI solutions or demystifying Kubernetes operators, you can find Camille walking the streets of Zurich or starting her day with a mandatory, well-brewed flat white.