Case study
Shaping the Future of Digital Defence: DIGITALEUROPE-NATO Joint Innovation Event
19 February 2025 Steigenberger Wiltcher’s Hotel, Brussels
Key Speakers Included
Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl
Director General, DIGITALEUROPE
Kateryna Chernohorenko
Deputy Minister of Defence, Ukraine
Jean Charles Ellerman-Kingombe
Assistant Secretary-General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber, NATO
Constantinos Hadjisavvas
Director of Digital Resilience and Defence, DIGITALEUROPE
Kadi Silde
Director of European Engagement, Helsing AI
Ivan Jelušić
CSO & Co-founder, ORQA d.o.o.
Andrei Dragomir
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Aquark Technologies
Iraia Ibarzabal
Chief Growth Officer, Multiverse Computing
Agnès Flémal
Director General, WSL
Christopher Schroeder
Chair, German Marshall Fund (GMF)
Patrick Schneider-Sikorsky
Partner, NATO Innovation Fund
Joaquín Ortiz
Managing Partner, Hyperion Fund
Nikolaos Loutas
Director Innovation, Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber Division, NATO
Colonel Ralf Goossens
Chief Innovation Adviser, Netherlands Ministry of Defence
Oliver Tüür
Director of Defence Planning Department,, Estonian Ministry of Defence
Dr Gergely Németh
CEO, VIKI
Major General Jorge Andrade
Military Deputy Director – Europe, DIANA, NATO
Job titles correct at the time of the event
Event Partners
Event Summary
Shaping the Future of Digital, a joint innovation event from DIGITALEUROPE and NATO, organised by Forum Europe, took place on 19 February 2025, ahead of the Masters of Digital event the following day.
Europe’s security landscape is becoming increasingly complex, driven by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the rapid digital transformation of the battlefield. The event was fortunate to host the Deputy Defence Minister of the Ukraine to shed light on the situation. Building on DIGITALEUROPE’s industry blueprint for NATO’s Rapid Adoption Action Plan, the event brought together NATO planners, procurement experts, and industry innovators to accelerate the adoption of dual-use technologies and enhance market access. The event aimed to bridge innovation cycles and operational needs, reinforcing NATO’s strategic technological edge and resilience. Participants explored actionable pathways to strengthen Europe's defence ecosystem by engaging in discussions on SME innovation, scaling startups, and national best practices.
187 participants joined the event in-person, representing 24 different countries. We were joined by 17 high-level speakers across the morning to discuss the pertinent topics facing the defence industry, including geopolitical shifts shaping defence innovation, the challenges and breakthroughs faced by SMEs in the defence industry, the role of investment and funding in defence startups and the best practices to accelerate the adoption of defence innovation.
Following a morning of interesting panel discussions, a VIP lunch took place alongside a networking lunch for participants. DE then hosted an executive roundtable, while a matchmaking event took place for participants.
87 attendees joined the matchmaking event and held 126 meetings.
What We Did
- Invitations to speakers, as well as regular contact with confirmed speakers, to organise the content and format of their contribution
- Coordinated a virtual speaker with live interpretation
- Coordination of attendee lists
- Venue research, liaison and management on site
- Branding & Marketing materials; provision of all event branding, marketing materials and social media content
- Assisting with updates to the client’s event website and full service of the registration platform design and maintenance
- Registrations and delegate management
- Full AV set up and fulfilment, stage design and collaboration with suppliers
- Onsite presence at the event to coordinate all final technical and choreographic arrangements, catering organisation, welcome of speakers and assistance to delegates
- Organisation of an exclusive, invitation-only VIP Lunch and Executive Roundtable for speakers, the executive roundtable, as well as selected top-level attendees at the conference
- Organisation of a matchmaking/networking event for event attendees, using online platform Conversation Starter
Event Gallery
Testimonials
“Forum Europe provided exceptional logistical and organisational support for the DIGITALEUROPE-NATO Joint Innovation Event held on 19 February 2025 in Brussels. Their proactive engagement ensured the seamless execution of a high-level gathering of over 180 participants from the defence and technology sectors. Their expertise in managing complex hybrid events enabled smooth coordination among public and private stakeholders, high-level speakers, and international organisations.”
Constantinos Hadjisavvas, DIGITALEUROPE
“Thank you once again for your and your team’s consistent hard work and professionalism in driving this event to completion. It was a pleasure to work with you and we are really delighted with how it turned out.”
Charlotte Esler, NATO
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