DIGITALEUROPE-NATO Joint Innovation Event

Shaping the Future of Digital Defence

About the event

On 19 February 2025, in Brussels, DIGITALEUROPE and NATO hosted the Joint Innovation Event: Shaping the Future of Digital Defence – Harnessing Innovation to Strengthen NATO’s Strategic Edge.

Europe’s security landscape continues to grow more complex, heightened by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. At the same time, digital technologies are rapidly transforming the battlefield, driving innovation at an unprecedented pace.

This event brought together key stakeholders from the private sector and government to explore ways to strengthen defence resilience and develop credible, future-ready capabilities. Through three dynamic panels led by industry experts, participants discussed:

The key role of SMEs in defence innovation,

Strategies to scale startups through investment, and

Best practices for accelerating technology adoption at the national level.

This landmark event provided a crucial platform for shaping the future of defence and advancing its digitalisation.

Revisit the agenda

08:45 – 09:15

Registration
09:15 – 09:20

Introduction by event moderator

Dr Constantinos Hadjisavvas, Director of Digital Resilience and Defence, DIGITALEUROPE
09:20– 09:50
Opening Fireside Chat | ‘From the Battlefield to the Boardroom: How
Geopolitical Shifts Shape Defence Innovation
- Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director General, DIGITALEUROPE
- Jean Charles Ellerman-Kingombe, Assistant Secretary-General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber, NATO
- Kateryna Chernohorenko, Deputy Minister of Defence, Ukraine (online)
09:50 – 10:30
Panel I – Defence Innovation through the lens of SMEs: Challenges and
Breakthroughs

Moderator: Agnes Flemal, Director General of WSL
- 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
10:30 – 11:00

Coffee break
11:00 – 11:40
Panel II – Scaling Defence Startups: The Role of Strategic Investment
and Funding Models

Moderator: Nikolaos Loutas, Director Innovation, Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber Division, NATO
- Christopher Schroeder, Chair of the German Marshall Fund (GMF)
- Patrick Schneider-Sikorsky, Partner, NATO Innovation Fund
- Joaquín Ortiz, Managing Partner, Hyperion Fund
11:40 – 12:20
Panel III– Accelerating Adoption of Defence Innovation – Best
Practices

Moderator: Major General Jorge Andrade, Military Deputy Director – Europe, DIANA NATO
- Colonel Ralf Goossens, Chief Innovation Adviser, Netherlands Ministry of Defence
- Dr. Gergely Németh, CEO, VIKI (HU)
- Oliver Tüür, Director of Defence Planning Department, Estonian Ministry of Defence
12:20 – 12:30
Concluding Reflections
- Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director General, DIGITALEUROPE
- Jean-Charles Ellerman-Kingombe, NATO, Assistant Secretary-General for Innovation, Hybrid, and Cyber
12:30 – 13:30

Lunch
13:30 – 15:00

Defence Digital Innovation Matchmaking