Agenda

Note: This is a provisional agenda and timings are subject to change.

All session timings below are in CET.

26 February

08:30 - 09:30

Opening Coffee and Networking

Registration, Platform and Venue Open

09:30 - 09:45

Welcome Remarks
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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

09:45 - 10:00

Opening Address — Competitiveness & Security
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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

10:00 - 10:40

Europe’s AI & Tech Leadership: Scale • Lead • Succeed
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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

10:40 - 11:10

Unleashing Europe’s Digital Competitiveness
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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

Europe’s competitiveness is under unprecedented strain. Geopolitical shifts, mounting regulatory burden, and the accelerating pace of technological change demand a fresh, forward-looking industrial strategy for Europe. 

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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

11:10-11:40

Coffee Break

11:40-11:50

Keynote — Resilience in the Digital Age: Lessons from Ukraine
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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

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Valeriya Ionan
Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine

11:50 - 12:35

Strategic Resilience for Europe: Protecting Critical Infrastructure in the Digital Era

Hybrid threats are placing unprecedented pressure on Europe’s critical infrastructure—from energy systems and transport hubs to communications networks and industrial supply chains. Building strategic resilience has become essential for safeguarding Europe’s security, competitiveness, and technological leadership. This high-level session will explore how innovation and dual-use capabilities can strengthen the Union’s preparedness and enable governments and industry to ensure the continuity, integrity, and robustness of essential services across the Union.  

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Gen. Seán Clancy
Chair, European Military Committee

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Valeriya Ionan
Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine

12:35-14:05

Lunch Break

14:05-14:25

The Energy–Digital Nexus

The shift to a sustainable, net-zero economy is deeply intertwined with digital transformation. This “twin transition” represents both challenges and opportunities for European industry. Digital technologies play a critical role in   optimizing energy consumption, integrating renewables, and advancing the circular economy. This keynote conversation explores the dynamic interplay between energy policy and digital innovation, examining how technology can accelerate Europe’s climate ambitions while enhancing its industrial competitiveness.  

Panelists will also discuss practical approaches to implement the Green Deal Industrial Plan and the strategic role of data, AI, and connectivity in driving efficiency across sectors. 

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Wopke Hoekstra
EU Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero & Clean Growth

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Valeriya Ionan
Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine

14:35–15:05

Electrify & Digitise: Scaling AI and Infrastructure for Europe’s Energy Future

Europe’s clean-energy transition is moving into a phase where digitalisation is no longer optional. Grids face rising pressure, electrification is accelerating and digital infrastructure including data centres is becoming integral to how the system operates. AI and real-time data use are opening new possibilities for efficiency and reliability across the energy chain. As EU action intensifies on grids, energy efficiency and  AI for energy, there is growing momentum for closer collaboration between industry and policymakers. This session examines how that momentum can turn into practical deployment of digital applications for the energy system, clearer investment signals and a more resilient energy system aligned with Europe’s climate and competitiveness goals. 

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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

Women Leaders — #ELEVATE Initiative

Registration, Platform and Venue Open

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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

15:10-15:45

Building Europe’s Digital Backbone: Connectivity, Cloud and Edge for a Resilient & Competitive Future

Europe’s digital transformation depends a strong and future-proof foundation built on advanced connectivity, cloud and edge computing. These technologies are essential enablers of Europe’s ambitions and leadership in AI, industrial innovation, competitiveness, and security. As demand for high-performance digital infrastructure accelerates, Europe must ensure that deployment, investment and regulation evolve in a coherent and innovation-friendly way. 

 

This session will explore the strategic imperatives for creating an environment that enables Europe to scale next-generation digital infrastructure and reinforce its technological leadership on the global stage. 

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Jack Chambers
Minister for Infrastructure & Digitalisation, Ireland

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Dariusz Standerski
Secretary of State, Ministry of Digital Affairs, Poland

Europe’s Health Future: Can Policy Keep Pace with the AI Wave?

AI is transforming healthcare: improving efficiency, enabling earlier diagnoses, driving innovation in medical devices and personalised therapies, and providing real-time insights to healthcare professionals. It is also a key driver of European competitiveness, attracting over €2.5 billion in start-up venture capital in the past five years. Yet adoption remains low, and a fragmented regulatory landscape risks slowing innovation. This discussion will bring together policymakers, regulators, and industry experts to explore whether current policy initiatives, including the Digital Omnibus Package, the Apply AI Strategy, the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and the Biotech Act, can help make AI an integral part of EU health systems and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. 

Sandra Gallina

Sandra Gallina
Director General, DG SANTE, European Commission

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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

15:45-16:15

Coffee Break

16:15-16:45

Resetting the rules: Simplification as Europe’s competitiveness strategy 

Europe is rightly seen as a global leader in digital rulemaking – but it’s now time to lead on smarter rules. With the Commission’s digital omnibus being negotiated and more reforms expected, simplification is finally gaining the political traction it deserves. But streamlining legislation must be more than a bureaucratic clean-up. The real challenge is how to turn Europe’s sprawling digital rulebook into a launchpad for global competitiveness. 

This session will unpack what simplification needs to deliver to make a difference: ensuring rules support industrial innovation, AI deployment and cybersecurity resilience, rather than stall them. We’ll explore what the AI and Data Acts tell us about regulation limits, what the digital omnibus gets right and what it still misses, and how policymakers and business can work together to drive an agenda of smarter, more agile regulation. 

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Karsten Wildberger
Federal Minister for Digital Transformation, Germany

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Valeriya Ionan
Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine

16:45-17:20

Bridging the Atlantic: The Future of Transatlantic Digital Leadership

The transatlantic relationship remains the cornerstone of the global digital economy, a partnership built on shared values and tested by strategic competition. While Europe and the United States align on many priorities, their approaches to regulation, industrial policy, and digital sovereignty often diverge, influencing how they shape the next phase of global tech leadership.

This session explores the future of EU-US tech cooperation. From the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) to the Chips and Inflation Reduction Acts, panelists will examine what’s working, what’s not, and what new frameworks are needed to advance shared interests in innovation, security, and trust. 

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Karsten Wildberger
Federal Minister for Digital Transformation, Germany

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Valeriya Ionan
Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine

17:20-17:30

Closing Keynote
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Karsten Wildberger
Federal Minister for Digital Transformation, Germany

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Valeriya Ionan
Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine

17:30-17:35

Closing Remarks
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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE

17:35-19:00

Masters of Digital Cocktail Reception & Entertainment
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Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE