DISCOVER OUR PROGRAMME
18 - 19 November 2020
Wednesday, 18 November 2020
13:40 - 14:25 (CET) Keynotes
Speaker: Sabine Herlitschka, Chair of the Governing Board of the Public Private Partnership ECSEL (Electronic Components and Systems for Electronic Leadership), CEO and Chief Technology Officer, Infineon Austria
Speaker: Luc Van den hove, CEO, imec
Speaker: Diederik Samsom, Head of Cabinet of EVP Frans Timmermans, European Commission
Speaker:Paul de Krom, CEO, TNO
14:25 - 16:20 (CET) The European Green Deal
14:30 - 15:00 Enabling the Deployment of Low Carbon Hydrogen
Global warming is a vital threat, which requires a rapid energy transition towards a carbon-neutral economy. Hydrogen will be a key element in this transition, enabling the decarbonisation of sectors that are difficult to electrify (industry, heavy mobility…) while bringing flexibility to power grids. The European Commission recognized its importance through its Hydrogen Strategy. Research and Technology Organizations (RTOs) strongly support this ambitious strategy, which will require the development and deployment of new hydrogen technologies: production (high-temperature electrolysis…), storage and use.
The European Union needs to seize this opportunity to be a leader on the yet-to-emerge low carbon hydrogen market. To develop all the required technologies and assess their potential, RTOs have an essential role to play, in support of both the public authorities and the European industry.
Speaker: André Faaij, Director of Science, TNO Energy Transition
Speaker: Stéphane Sarrade, Director of Energy Programs, CEA
Speaker: Wolfgang Hribernik, Head of Center for Energy, AIT
Speaker: Fernando Espiga, Head of Energy Transition, TECNALIA
15:10 - 15:40 The Biobased Side of Circular Economy
The bioeconomy is central to achieve the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Bioeconomy is also well suited for a circular economy to a reduced environmental footprint. The transition to a biobased, circular economy requires collaborations along the value chain and policies to be adopted to allow for circulation of materials. This session will discuss how RTOs support different industries in their transition towards a biobased and circular approach and demonstrate solutions that are actually already in place.
Speaker: Sabine Amberg-Schwab, Scientist for barrier & multifunctional coatings, Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC)
Speaker: Friedrich Breidenbach, CEO and Co-Founder, Zeroplast
Speaker: Anne Christine Steenkjær Hastrup, Director of the Center for Bioresources and Biorefining, DTI
Speaker: Jussi Manninen, Executive Vice President, VTT
15:50 - 16:20 Post-Pandemic Mobility: Sustainable and Smart?
Mobility drives development, links people, connects local communities, builds markets and facilitates trade. Mobility challenges need knowledge-based, technology driven solutions that drive sustainable development. At this session, leading European researchers and industry motivate why and how smart mobility also must be green, and how it can strengthen the EU Green Deal. They document best practice programs that will accelerate the shift towards a new mobility system.
Keynote Speaker: Robert Missen, Head of Unit Innovation and Research, DG MOVE, European Commission
Speaker: Jan Adriaenssens, Director of City of Things, imec
Speaker: Beate Kvamstad-Lervold, Business Development Director Mobility, SINTEF
Speaker: Javier Coleto, Sustainable Mobility Manager, TECNALIA
16:20 - 16:45 (CET) Break
16:45 - 18:40 (CET) A Europe Fit for the Digital Age
16:50 - 17:20 Cybersecurity in the Digital Age
Digitalization has changed the rules of our economy and society at an impressive pace. Recent developments offer a huge potential for creating new applications, businesses and value streams. However, the threats to our digital systems have also radically changed and intensified. The current COVID-19 crisis has been accompanied by new cybercrime patterns, due to more intense teleworking and e-commerce. This illustrates how strongly the functioning of our economy and society depends on cybersecurity.
The Cybersecurity Breakout Session will virtually bring you together with relevant stakeholders of the cybersecurity eco-system in order to come up with a joint view on what remains to be done to make Europe secure and fit for the Digital Age.
Speaker: Adrien Bécue, Head of Innovation, Airbus Cybersecurity
Speaker: Helmut Leopold, Head of Center for Digital Safety & Security, AIT
Speaker: Jean-François Junger, Deputy Head of Unit, Cybersecurity Technology & Capacity Building, DG CONNECT, European Commission
Speaker: Ana Ayerbe, Manager, TECNALIA TRUSTECH
17:30 - 18:00 Artificial Intelligence – From Theory to Good Practice
Big dreams, big possibilities, ... and big challenges. That’s the state of artificial intelligence today: Colossal data sets are pumped into gigantic cloud data centers to be analyzed by endless algorithms leading to game-changing insights. In the field, autonomous AI systems analyze real-time situations to provide seamless mobility, security and productivity. The aim of this session is not only to show the improvements brought by AI today and in the future but mainly on how to put AI into good practice: autonomous objects, artificial communication, artificial reasoning and trustworthiness of AI will be in the focus.
Speaker: Alexander Martin, Director, Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS)
Speaker: Mieke De Ketelaere, Program Director, imec
Speaker: Lucilla Sioli, Director Artificial Intelligence and Digital Industry, DG CONNECT, European Commission
Speaker: François Terrier, Director of Research, CEA
18:10 - 18:40 Digital Transformation - Making it Work in the European Industry
Advanced Robotics, Internet of Things, trusted clouds and Artificial Intelligence: these are just a few of the new technologies pushing the Fourth Industrial Revolution forward and rapidly disrupting the European industrial landscape. European RTOs play a key role in making the digital transformation work in the industry by ensuring that 1) the new technologies are developed, tested and adapted to the industrial applications; 2) the businesses, and particularly their employees, have the necessary skills to adopt the technologies; and 3) the business models evolve alongside with the new technologies being implemented. This session will depict how the digital transformation affects many aspects of businesses from the skills of their workforce to their client/supplier relationships. Through a series of cases the session will discuss what is needed to best face these challenges in terms of technology development, business impact and associated public policies.
Speaker: Cathrine Lippert, Senior Consultant in the Centre for Ideas & Innovation, DTI
Speaker: John Blankendaal, Managing Director, Brainport Industries
Speaker: Matthijs Punter, Researcher Data Science & Smart Industry, TNO
Speaker: Riikka Virkkunen, Professor of Practice, VTT
Thursday, 19 November 2020
09:30 - 09:45 (CET) Bridging the Divide: Investing in European Innovation Ecosystems (Change) Instead of Keynote
Bridging the Divide: Investing in European Innovation Ecosystems to Accelerate Progress on SDG’s Targets
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. Yet, progress on the SDG’s remains uneven. There is an urgent need to leverage research, technology and innovation to fast-track progress towards achieving ambitious targets set for 2030.
Reaching health-related SDG targets are a poignant example: Diseases and disabilities pose a major societal and economic burden on citizens and health systems of the EU and worldwide. New technologies and digital solutions can provide significant gains in health outcomes and address unmet medical needs. While research and new solutions for health are emerging, these do not always get developed into viable products or adapted on scale to deliver impact. There is a disconnect between research, innovators, industry and implementers that needs to be bridged.
UNAIDS Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx) addresses the disconnect by identifying concrete challenges faced by implementers and connecting them to solutions with high potential for impact and enhancing innovation ecosystems and networks. EU stakeholders and the Horizon Europe Strategy are key to strengthen impact of research and innovation within Europe as well as addressing global health challenges to unlock the full potential of new technologies and digital solutions for Europe and global health challenges. Research and Technology Organisations play a critical role for establishing and maintaining a functioning innovation network between academia, industry and the public sector.
Speaker: Pradeep Kakkattil, Director of the Office of Innovation, Executive Office, UNAIDS
Speaker: Ralf B. Wehrspohn, Executive Vice President, Technology Marketing and Business Models, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
09:45 - 11:40 (CET) Industrial Competitiveness
09:50 - 10:20 Solving Health Challenges with New Technological Innovations
How do we take care of Europeans when facing challenges of demographic change and the rising cost of healthcare? How can we actually achieve preventive and participatory care? Research and innovation are crucial in developing new approaches and applications to promote public health. In this session, the focus will be on two subjects - health technology and health data. How to create impact with more effective uptake of health technology? How to improve efficient, secure and responsible exploitation of health data? Join the session to discuss future visions for a Europe that has solved these crucial questions!
Speaker: Charlotte Haug, Senior Scientist, SINTEF Digital Health
Speaker: Maria Gabrani, Manager Cognitive Healthcare and Lifesciences, IBM Research Zurich
Speaker: Mark van Gils, Research Professor, VTT
Speaker: Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Representing Finland and the S&D Group, Member of European Parliament
Speaker: Mikko Saajanlehto, Founder & CEO, eLive Ecosystem Oy
10:30 - 11:00 Quantum Technology - The Future is Now
The time for quantum science to be translated into functional quantum computing and communication technologies is now. To win the global competition for dominance in the realm of quantum technology, Europe needs to collectively invest in the next steps that take it from being a big quantum science player to the global leader in the QT industry. During this session we will discuss the next steps needed. The discussion will be fostered by a white paper which the RTOs will prepare and which will be open to comments from registered participants. Input collected during the session will feed into the final version of the paper, which will be shared with the European Institutions when finalised.
Speaker: Angelika Niebler Haslhofer, Member of ITRE Committee for European People’s Party (CSU, DE), Member of European Parliament
Speaker: Gaëlle Decroix, European Affairs Senior Officer, CEA
Speaker: Martin Stierle, Head of Competence Unit Security and Communication Technologies, AIT
Speaker: Torsten Siebert, Coordinator Quantum Technologies Programme, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Speaker: Iuliana Radu, Director of Quantum and Exploratory Computing, imec
Speaker: Rogier Verberk, Director Semiconductor Equipment, TNO
Speaker: Thomas Skordas, Director Digital Excellence and Science Infrastructure at DG CONNECT, European Commission
11:10 - 11:40 Sustainable Manufacturing
Sustainable manufacturing, i.e. managing production-related operations in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, is a must for the future of the planet, its inhabitants and businesses. Businesses can no longer create products without considering how the manufacturing process and recycling will impact the environment and society; it is no longer just "nice to have", but a business imperative and competitive advantage.
Companies across the world face increased costs of materials and energy, and compliance. They also need to comply with higher expectations from customers, investors, regulations and local communities.
Pursuing sustainability means increasing operational efficiency by reducing cost and waste, new functionality, increasing competitive advantage, protecting and strengthening the company brand and reputation, building long-term business viability and success and responding to regulatory constraints and opportunities.
Europe has the potential to take the lead and develop innovative solutions in sustainable manufacturing innovations based on cross-sectorial idea generation, technological development through open innovation and demos, pilot lines, technology hybridization, industrial symbiosis and new business models.
- Background: EARTO Paper - Setting-up a European Strategy for Technology Infrastructures
Speaker: Zachary Davis, Head of Section, DTI
Speaker: Haize Galarraga, Head of Additive Manufacturing, TECNALIA
Speaker: Anurag Bansal, Global Business Development Manager, Technology and Innovation Division, ACCIONA
Speaker: Amagoia Paskual, CEO, ADDILAN
11:40 - 12:05 (CET) Closing Session
The Way Forward
The theme of the Summit is "Industrial Technologies for the future". During the closing session we will discuss this future. Europe wants a resilient future and this will require a competitive industry, so what do we need to do to get there? How can research and innovation drive European industrial competitiveness? How can collaboration, particularly between RTOs and industry, foster competitiveness? And what do we need from the European institutions to deliver on this?
Speaker: Alexandre Affre, Deputy Director General, responsible for the Industrial Affairs, Entrepreneurship & SMEs, BusinessEurope
Speaker: Muriel Attané, Secretary General, European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO)
12:05 - 12:15 (CET) Closing Words from the RTOs
Speaker: Antti Vasara, CEO, VTT
Speaker: Iñaki San Sebastián, CEO, TECNALIA
In parallel with the above event programme, the RTOs hosted closed roundtables with high-level European industry and policy leaders on the following topics:
- Transition to a carbon-neutral and competitive European industry
- The European Defence Fund
General outcomes from these meetings held under the Chatham House Rules are shared in the Summit’s summary report.