European Conference on
Skills in the EU Defence Ecosystem
26 - 27 November 2024
Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Greece
About
The European Commission, in partnership with the Hellenic Manufacturers of Defence Materiel Association (SEKPY), proudly presents the 2nd European Conference on "Skills in the EU Defence Ecosystem."
This conference is organized under the auspices of the European Network of Defence-related Regions (ENDR), which is overseen by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS). The event aims to promote collaboration among regional authorities, industry clusters, educational institutions, and other key stakeholders to exchange experiences and best practices in developing defence-related strategies and accessing EU funding. A particular focus will be placed on enhancing the capabilities and opportunities for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) within the sector.
This prestigious event will feature an engaging agenda, including opening remarks, keynote speeches from high-level officials—potentially at the ministerial level—expert panel discussions, specialized thematic sessions, and a networking reception. The conference will convene participants from a wide range of sectors, such as industry, research centers, academia, government bodies, and armed forces, creating a unique platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration on skills development within the defence industry.
Key Objectives of the Conference:
Encourage collaboration between the defence industry and educational institutions to promote careers, internships, and apprenticeships in the sector. Align training programs with industry needs and foster joint research and development projects.
Promote the creation of cross-border training programs and the formation of consortia among educational and industry partners across EU Member States. Connect stakeholders to explore collaborations and access EU funding opportunities.
These objectives aim to drive innovation, cooperation, and skills development within the EU defence ecosystem.
Main Topics
Speakers
We are excited to introduce the speakers for our event! Join us to hear industry experts share their experiences and ideas. It will be a great opportunity to learn and find inspiration!
Mr. Anastasios Rozolis
President of SEKPY
Mr. Anselmo MARTIN SEGOVIA
Policy Officer Defence, Directorate General Defence Industry and Space
Mr. Konstantinos Gkioulekas
Deputy Minister of Macedonia and Thrace of the Hellenic Republic
Mrs Hanna Olofsson
Chief of Staff, Swedish Security and Defence Industry Association
Mr. Efstratios Simopoulos
Member of Parliament for A' Thessaloniki, President of the Special Permanent Committee on Research and Technology
Mrs. Christina Wilen
European Commission, DG DEFIS, Policy Officer
Mr. Sean White
Director of Industry, Synergies & Enablers, European Defence Agency
Dr. Jorge-A. Sanchez-P.
Director of ESA BIC Greece and Chairman of the si-Cluster
Mrs. Isabelle Desjeux
European Affairs Director at Safran Electronics & Defense
Major General Ioannis BOURAS
General Director of General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA)
Mr. Philippe Rosius
Head of Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC), European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
Mr. Markos Vasilikos
Member of Board of Directors and Executive Director, Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation S.A. (HCDI)
Professor Karagiannidis Georgios
Professor of Digital Communication Systems, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Professor Dr. Tsanaktsidis Constantinos
Department of Chemical Engineering of UOWM
Dr. Roxana Andrei
Integrated Researcher, Senior Expert in Energy Security & Hybrid Warfare at CEI-ISCTE, Portugal
Mr. Jānis Atslens
Internatioanl Relations Lead Federation of Defence and Security Industry of Latvia
Professor Alexander Chatzigeorgiou
Vice Rector of Extroversion and International Relations, University of Macedonia
Dr. Liga Baltina
Head of Labour Market and Skills Research unit, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini, ASSETs+ Coordination team member
Professor Foteini Asderaki
Professor, Chair of the European and Security Defence College Doctoral School, Jean Monnet Chair
Prof. Chrysostomos D. Stylios
Director of Industrial Systems Institute Athena Research Center
Mr. Paul Mândraș
Senior Expert, Euro-Atlantic Resilience Centre, Romania
Dr. János Setényi
Director of the MCC (Mathias Corvinus Collegium) Learning Research , Hungary
Mr. Antonios Boumpas
Commodore (ret) Hellenic Navy, Ex-Policy Officer DG DEFIS
Dr. Theofilos Dimitriadis
Senior Defense & HLS Innovation Manager at iKnowHow S.A., Former Director of Defense Investments & Technological Research at the Hellenic General Directorate for Defense investments & Armaments
Major General Panousis Georgios
Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Director of 6th Branch, Transformation, Innovation, Defense Technology
Mr. Robert Pachner
President of DIAH (Defence Industry Association of Hungary)
General Dimitrios Choupis
Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff
Dr. Panayiotis Hadjipavlis
Director of Defence of the Directorate of General Procurement and Defence Capabilities Development, Ministry of Defence, Cyprus
Mr. Karsten Lepper
Representative of the German Industry for Defence and Security to the EU, BDSV/BDI
Mr. Antoine Feral
ASD Europe Skills Referent, EU Vice-president for Rolls-Royce
Mr. Alkiviadis Thomas
CEO - ALTHOM GROUP
Mr. Dimitrios Dimitriou
Rear Admiral LH (ret.), Msc in Design of Informations Systems (Cranfield UK), Naval & EU Projects Manager at MILTECH HELLAS SA, Member of HASDIG’s BoD
Mr. Andrea Barbagelata
SMEs Counselor, Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD)
Mrs Anna FIGURA
EDA, Head of Unit Human Resources
Dr. Eri Toka
Head of the Technology Transfer Office, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Professor Dr. Stamatios Kalligeros
Professor at Hellenic Naval Academy, Director of Applied Mechanics and Marine Materials Sector
Mr. Michalis Ketselidis
Senior Expert in Defence Industry and Space, European Commission
Prof. Kyriakos Yakinthos
Vice-Rector for Research & Innovation,Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Mr. Stéphane CLAISSE
System Factory Director, Delegate Défense Angels Toulon Région Sud
Mr. Hubert RAYMOND
Innovation and GENERATE Manager, Public Contracts Referent, French land and airland defence and security industry association (GICAT)
Mr. Dimitrios Tzovaras
President of CERTH
Colonel (ENG) Nikolaos Mengos
Defence R&D&I Director, Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation S.A. (HCDI)
Colonel (INF) Nikolaos Chrysopoulos
Head of EDF Department, Directorate of Defence Investments & Technological Research/HMoND
Mr. Vasileios Tsiamis
EY- Ernst & Young Partner, Head EU Policies & Access to EU funding & Incentives, Security and Defence Leader
Mr. Eleftherios Andreadis
Policy Officer Industry Engagement and EU Policies, European Defence Agency
Mr. Antonios Peppas
CEO of ETME
Dr. Panayiotis Philimis
Vice-President of the Cyprus Association of Research and Innovation Enterprises (CARIE), Founder and CEO of CyRIC - Cyprus Research and Innovation Center
Mr. Sotirios Kokkinos
CEO FEAC Engineering
Mr. Georgios Giannopoulos
Deputy Director & Head of Unit, European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Mr. Vasileios Tiriakidis
Chairman & Managing Director at B&T Composites
Mr. Carlos Maio
Founder and CEO of QSR, Portugal
Professor Leonidas Ntziachristos
Director of Lab of Applied Thermodynamics, Aristotle University Thessaloniki
Mr. Florian Pennings
Associate Chief Cybersecurity and Operational Officer, European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA)
Lieutenant Commander Dionisios Christofilis
Hellenic Coast Guard
Mrs. Anna Zachariadou
Head of SEKPY Brussels Office, Senior Defence and Security Officer
Dr. George Kioumourtzis
Director, IANUS Technologies.com
Venue
Thessaloniki Concert Hall - Home (tch.gr)
Designed by the renowned architect Arata Isozaki, M2 Building | TCH adorns the city with a unique construction that epitomizes the virtues of modern architecture. Geometrical lines, extended glass surfaces and elements of steel compose an image of imposing simplicity, that comes as an antithetic, yet equivalent complement to the neighboring M1.
Registration
Register for the event European Conference on SKILLS IN THE DEFENCE SECTOR on November 26 and 27 2024
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