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European Conference 2025

July 2-3, 2025 | Aalborg, Denmark

Conference | The Future of Digital Investments in the EU

The EU is at a crossroads — how should it invest in its digital future to increase competitiveness and sovereignty? The conference explored this critical question on shaping Europe’s future.

The conference brought together voices from business, academia, and policymaking to exchange ideas, spark collaborations, and define priorities for Europe’s digital transformation.

Which research areas should come in focus?
Which digital technologies should business invest in?
How should policy makers prepare for the transition to specific technologies?

This session will explore the EU's digital ambitions, the challenges it faces, focusing on the path forward for a common EU approach to digital investments, aligning technological sovereignty, economic security with competitiveness.

Speakers:

Professor Francesca Bria, Euro-Stack

Martin von Simson, Head of department, Federal Ministry for Digitalization, Germany

Michal Kobosko, MEP, Renew Europe Group

André Rogaczewski, CEO/co-founder Netcompany A/S

Robert Torvelainen, Chair of the European Tech Alliance (EUTA) & Head of Public Policy Strategy & Operations at Wolt

Thibaut Kleiner, Director of the Future Networks Directorate

Location: Aalborghallen
The EU’s ambition to boost its competitiveness, sovereignty, and economic security in strategic digital technologies requires significant investments. Given the massive scale of funding required, this cannot solely stem from public sector financing. Investments will also need to come from private sources, making it essential for public funding to leverage private capital. To achieve this, the EU can play a crucial role in designing investment programs that attract and leverage private digital investments. The session will explore how.

Speakers:

Nadia Carlsten, CEO, Danish Centre for AI Innovation

Erik Balck Sørensen, CIO, EIFO

Professor Teresa Czerwinska, Vice-President at European Investment Bank (EIB)

Cecilie Brøkner, CEO, Innovation Fund Denmark

Matthieu Delescluse, Acting Head of Unit, European Commission

Location: Aalborghallen
How can we stimulate the European value chain to gain more from innovation going from research to market specifically looking at AI, data and cloud? We need to bridge basic research to roll-out and take-up considering the upcoming Apply AI Strategy, Data Union Strategy, AI continent plan, AI factories etc.

Speakers:

Juan Farré, CEO, Danish Technological Institute

Anders Dam Jensen, Executive Director, the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking

Mikkel Næsager, Executive Advisor, CISPE

Andreas Berre Eriksen, CEO, Ambolt

Mikael Bomholt, Head of Unit, Ministry of Digital Affairs

Location: Aalborghallen
A better integration of European companies in the digital investments programmes will bring in an important commercial aspect to the innovation system especially within AI and data/cloud. How can we stimulate this integration?

Speakers:

Anne-Fleur van Veenstra, Director of Science, TNO ICT, Strategy & Policy

Laure Le Bars, BDVA Vice-President / Research project Director, SAP

Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director General of DIGITALEUROPE

Merve Karaman, senior policy advisor at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Netherlands

Klaus Koefoed, Managing Director, T-Systems Northern Europe

Location: Aalborghallen
How can we invest in key digital technologies such as AI, data and cloud while at the same time minimising climate changes? This session will explore relevant use cases and how these can extended throughout the EU.

Gaspard Demir, Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission, DG Connect

Thomas Jensen, CEO, Milestone

Alberto Ravagni, CEO, Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers

Eskil Schiødtz Thygesen, VP, Edora Consulting Services

Raghavendra Selvan, Assistant Professor, University of Copenhagen

Location: Aalborghallen

Moderator: Lykke Friis, CEO, Think Tank Europa

This session is jointly organized by National Contact Points (NCPs) for Horizon Europe and Digital Europe and will look at the practical side of creating synergies between these two funding programmes as well as with the Connecting Europe Facility. The European Data Spaces community will be used as an example to highlight how these synergies work in practice, what challenges organisations face when moving between different funding programmes and how projects from different funding programmes can work together more effectively.

Session moderator:

Christiaan Meinsma, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, member of Ideal-ist and DEP4ALL

Speakers:

Ana Garcia Robles, BDVA

Till Christopher Lech, SINTEF

Oliver Hödl, FH Oberösterreich

Konstantin Filonenko, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet

Leonardo Tonetto, Luxinnovation, member of Ideal-ist and DEP4ALL

Matthieu Delescluse, Head of Unit (acting), European Commission

Location: Aalborghallen
This session discusses the concept of European Digital Infrastructure Consortia (EDICs), their objectives, features and what they can deliver. It provides an overview of the current EDIC ecosystem, and explores the perspectives for the future.

Organised by the European Commission.

Location: Fakultetet, 1. floor
This session will look at how Horizon Europe, and in particular R&I funding in Cluster 4 digital (and its follow-up in FP10), can be made more attractive for SMEs and start-ups and what these SMEs and start-ups may need to transfer results from this R&I funding into market applications. Panel speakers from different stakeholder groups will provide their different perspectives.

Session moderator:

Otto Vainio, Business Finland, member of Ideal-ist

Speakers:

Alrun Hauke, DLR Project Management Agency, member of Ideal-ist

André Miodezky, VoxelSensors

Kathrine Fremming, Khora

Edina Németh, HUN-REN Sztaki

Philip Piatkiewicz, Adra

Location: Europahallen
Organised by the European Commision in collaboration with Dep4ALL

"Intro and welcome” by Elisabeth Lipiatou (Head of Unit, DG Connect) and Marion Perrin (DEP4ALL project coordinator) – 5 min

“Key lessons for the implementation of Digital Europe so far and for the future” by Elisabeth Lipiatou – 10 min

“Complementarities and differences between Digital Europe and Horizon Europe” by Rudi Gschnitzer, Legal and Financial Officer at DG Connect – 10 min

“Consortium building and other important steps in the submission process” by Marie Timmermann, DEP NCP for Flanders – 10 min

“The Digital Europe/Idealist Topic Tree” by Daniela Hackl, DEP NCP for Austria – 10 min

Q&A (15min)

Location: Aalborghallen
How should the EU support the deployment and uptake of digital technologies? A presentation of the first findings of a study on the future of digital deployment will be followed by a discussion on the investment priorities and needs in digital infrastructures, skills and ecosystem building under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034).

Location: Aalborghallen
Discover Aalborg’s Leading Companies in Space and Healthcare - Free Company Visit with Transport Included

Aalborg is home to a dynamic and innovative business landscape, especially within the space and healthcare sectors. On July 3, 2025, you have a unique opportunity to visit two of the region’s most prominent companies – GomSpace and Systematic at Aalborg University Hospital – and gain exclusive insights into their cutting-edge technologies, solutions, and production facilities.

Digital Hub Denmark and DI Digital are pleased to invite you to this free company visit, where you’ll meet some of Aalborg’s leading tech innovators and experience real-world applications of their work. Transportation is included and will be provided by bus, starting and ending at the Aalborg Congress & Culture Center, with a direct transfer to Aalborg Airport afterwards.

About the companies:

GomSpace is a globally leading manufacturer and supplier of CubeSat and small satellite solutions, serving customers in academia, government, and the commercial sector. Their core strengths include systems integration, CubeSat platforms, advanced miniaturized radio technology, and satellite operations.

Systematic, an international software leader, provides mission-critical solutions across healthcare, defense, and public sectors. Their healthcare division serving over 60 hospitals globally. Their Columna Flow Clinical Tasking platform, a mobile communication solution for clinicians, has demonstrably reduced interruptions and improved patient flow at hospitals like Aalborg University Hospital.

Program:

13:30 Departure by bus from Aalborg Congress & Culture Center, Europa Plads 4

13:50 Visit to GomSpace / Systematic, Aalborg University Hospital

14:35 Transfer to the second company

14:55 Visit to Systematic, Aalborg University Hospital / GomSpace

15:40 Return to Aalborg Congress & Culture Center

16:00 Arrival at Aalborg Congress & Culture Center

16:30 Arrival at Aalborg Airport
(Estimated arrival at Aalborg Congress & Culture Center at 16:00 and arrival at Aalborg airport at 16:30)

Digital Hub Denmark - side event - "The Solutions Stage" - DAY 1

Morten Østergaard, VP of GovTech & Climate Solutions, cBrain

Kim Clausen Agerskov, Global Head for Business Development for Public Sector, Netcompany

Moderator: Adam Lebech, Deputy Director, Danish Agency for Digital Government

Location: Europahallen
Erik Rørbye, Senior eGov Advisor, FrontDesk

Michael Schmidt Barsøe, CEO, Biometric Solutions GmbH

Simon Bohnfeldt Madsen, Digital Transformation Consultant, Horsens Municipality

Moderator: Jakob Lindmark Frier, COO, Digital Hub Denmark

Location: Europahallen
Helena Cimber, Product Director, eBoks

Jesper Essendrop, CEO, Queue-it

Nikolaj Wædegaard, Senior VP for International Affairs & Digital Policy, Danish Chamber of Commerce

Peter Frands Frandsen, COO, CTO & Co-founder, Partisia

Moderator: Benjamin Brake, former Director General for Digital and Data Policy of the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

Location: Europahallen

Danish Chamber of Commerce - side event - "Shaping Europe's Digital Future: Sovereignty, Innovation and Competitiveness"

11.50 - 12.50

How do we strengthen the EU’s digital sovereignty and competitiveness and which market mechanisms and industrial policy tools are needed to support this ambition?

This is the focal point of the Danish Chamber of Commerce’s roundtable discussion, where we bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers to explore ways forward. Key topics on the agenda include, among others, the future of transatlantic cooperation, access to AI factories, and the interplay between private companies and the public sector - including the balance between private capital and public support such as the Digital Europe Programme, as well as the role of universities and public institutions in innovation and digital sovereignty.

Speakers:

· Thibaut Kleiner, Director for Future Networks i DG Connect

· Thomas Jensen, CEO Milestone

· Thomas Moeslund, professor ved Aalborg Universitet

· Nikolaj Juncher Wædegaard, Dansk Erhverv

· Nicolaj Geller Christensen, CEO, Digital Hub Denmark

Location: Tunnellen 1. floor

Conference | The Future of Digital Investments in the EU

Digital Hub Denmark - side event - "The Solutions Stage" - DAY 1

Danish Chamber of Commerce - side event - "Shaping Europe's Digital Future: Sovereignty, Innovation and Competitiveness"

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Conference | The Future of Digital Investments in the EU

9:30 | Welcome address: Caroline Stage Olsen, Danish Minister for Digital Affairs

9:45 | Opening speech: Thibaut Kleiner, Director, European Commission

10:00 | Key note: Digital competitiveness business perspective: Director General Markus J. Beyrer, BusinessEurope

10:15 | Debate: How to align tech sovereignty with competitiveness?

11:30 | Coffee break

11:50 | Session: How to leverage private investments through public funding

12:50 | Standing lunch in the foyer

14:00 | Session: From research to market – what are the missing links?

15:00 | Session: Better integration of business into the European Digital Investment Programmes

16:00 | Coffee break

16:20 | Session: A clean AI Continent?

17:20 | Key note – Next Steps: Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director General of DIGITALEUROPE

17:35 | Closing remarks: Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science

18:00 | Dinner & networking in the foyer

08:00 | Welcome coffee and matchmaking

8:30 | Opening speech, Adam Lebech, Deputy Director-General of the Agency for Digital Government

8:45 | Joint session DEP4ALL & IDEALIST: EU funding programmes synergies in practice

9:45 | Digital Europe for business – how to create value with the programme

9:45 | Session: EDICs - Why, what and how?

9:45 | Unlocking Horizon Europe for SMEs

10:45 | Coffee break

11:15 | Digital Europe implementation in practice

11:15 - 13:00 | Commission study: Key strategic digital technologies for EU Research and Innovation funding beyond 2027

12:15 | Commission study: EU’s critical digital capacities deployment beyond 2027

13:00 | Sandwich / Lunch to go

13:30 | Site Visits: Discover Aalborg’s Leading Companies in Space and Healthcare (transport included) FULLY BOOKED

Digital Hub Denmark - side event - "The Solutions Stage" - DAY 1

10:00 - 10:10 | Welcome

10:10 - 10:30 | Opening remarks: Denmark's role in shaping Europe's digital transformation journey

10:30- 11:00 | Fireside chat - AI in government: From use case to business case

11.00 - 11.30 | Panel From national to local strategy: The role of municipalities

11:30 - 11:50 | Coffee break

11:50 - 12:10 | Keynote Built to trust: The infrastructure of digital communication

12:10 - 12:50 | Panel: Faster IT procurement in Europe's public sector

12:50 - 14:00 | Lunch

14:00-14:30 | Keynote - Scaling digital: From vision to real-world impact

14:30 - 15:15 | Fireside chat: Leading the shift: Public sector’s role in digital sovereignty

15:15 - 15:55 | Panel One Europe, many systems: Interoperability as Europe’s digital backbone

15:55 - 16:00 | Closing remarks

Danish Chamber of Commerce - side event - "Shaping Europe's Digital Future: Sovereignty, Innovation and Competitiveness"

Dansk Erhverv - Tunnellen 1. floor

REVISIT THE CONFERENCE

MATCHMAKING

Conference programme

Agency for Digital Government

Shortcuts

Most viewed pages

Ministry of Digital Government