To delve deeper into the concepts covered in REMIT’s first conference, to provide a comprehensive overview of each session’s topics, and to offer participants a glimpse of what awaits them, we’ll be rolling out a Session Series in the weeks leading up to the event.
It’s time to talk more about our Plenary Sessions and keynotes!
See main session info and all available details below, and make sure to open the accordion view to learn more!
| Time (CET) | Session |
| Thursday, May 16, 10.00 | Opening (plenary) Prof. Roberta Haar, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Prof. Joep Crompvoets, University of Leuven, Belgium Keynote: Prof Luc Soete, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, “Science, technology and innovation in a new geopolitical landscape” Keynote: Christian-Marc Lifländer, Head of NATO Cyber & Hybrid Policy Section, “Strategic Competition – Adjusting to an Era of Unpeace” |
The conference main organiser prof. Paul Timmers explains the opening session as follows:
“REMIT is an audacious venture. Multilateralism is severely under threat. Exponential technology development overwhelms many of us. The REMIT project seeks giving us a handle on technology and multilateralism. Why do we need this? As Europe needs to find its position in this new world. As the global common good matters. As our future is at stake.
REMIT project leader Prof Roberta Haar of Maastricht University and prof Joep Crompvoets of hosting Catholic University of Leuven will welcome us and set the scene of this first REMIT Annual conference.
Technology and multilateralism bring many perspectives to the table, as will be the case at this conference. Sometimes they seem to be from different universes. Or even contradictory. We are challenged to do a deep dive into these perspectives, transcend differences, join up insights, push the boundaries of scientific understanding and come forward with wise policy advice to the EU.
Eminent keynote speakers will lead the way in this opening session: Prof Luc Soete, former rector-magnificus of Maastricht University and a leading economist for EU science, innovation, and digital policy over many years will give us his perspective on science, technology and innovation in the new geopolitical landscape. Christian Lifländer, Head of NATO Cyber & Hybrid Policy Section and a highly-respected leader on cybersecurity between war and peace, will address strategic competition, adjusting to an era of unpeace.”
Session speakers
Professor Dr. Luc Soete is a renowned economist and director. He has been the Dean for the Brussels School of Governance and until September 2016, he was Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University. Before that he was Director of the United Nations University research and training institute: UNU-MERIT located in Maastricht, The Netherlands and Professor of International Economic Relations and Director-Dean of the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance (MGSoG) at Maastricht University. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Science and Technology Policy (AWT) and the Royal Dutch Academy of Science (KNAW).
Mr. Christian-Marc Lifländer serves as the senior cyber policy official of NATO’s International Staff. As head of the Cyber & Hybrid Policy Section, he is responsible for leading the development and implementation of cyber defence policy across NATO. Before joining NATO, Mr. Lifländer held executive and senior advisory level positions within the Estonian Ministry of Defence, including Acting Deputy Undersecretary for Defence Policy, Director of Policy Planning, and Adviser to the Minister of Defence. Mr. Lifländer also served as a Defence Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in the United States and as a Defence Counselor at the Delegation of the Republic of Estonia to NATO. He received a direct commission in the Estonian Defense Forces (Infantry) and has been awarded the Estonian Defence Forces Distinguished Service Decoration as well as Distinguished Service Decorations of the Estonian Ministry of Defence. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point. Mr. Lifländer received his Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies (CSS) in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.
| Time (CET) | Session |
| Thursday, May 16, 16.00 | Plenary keynote Prof. Mariarosaria Taddeo, University of Oxford, UK, “The Ethics of AI in Defence” |
Prof. Paul Timmers, the conference’s lead organizer, introduces the keynote session, emphasizing the significance of Military AI within the REMIT project’s scope. Prof. Taddeo’s address delves into the complex intersection of AI, military applications, and ethical con- siderations, reflecting one of the project’s most pressing challenges.
Session Speaker
Mariarosaria Taddeo is Professor in Digital Ethics and Defence Technologies at the University of Oxford, Programme Director at the Oxford Internet Institute and holds a fellowship at the Alan Turing Institute. Her focus is on the ethical governance of digital technologies, including AI in national defense and cybersecurity. Taddeo has published over 150 articles in top-tier journals. She currently leads a project on ethical AI use for national security, funded by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. Additionally, she has held influential roles in various projects and think tanks, advising on cybersecurity policies for organizations like NATO. She also serves as editor-in-chief of Minds & Machines (SpringerNature). Taddeo has received numerous accolades for her work, including the World Technology Award for Ethics and recognition as one of the top women in technology by ComputerWeekly. Most recently in April 2024 she was awarded the title of Grand Ufficiale al Merito della Repubblica Italiana for the impact of her research.
| Time (CET) | Session |
| Thursday, May 16, 16.30 | REMIT Stakeholder Advisory Board Roundtable Prof. Nicholas Thomas, City University of Hong Kong, China Assoc. Prof. Luca Belli, FGV Law School, Brazil Prof. Mariarosaria Taddeo, University of Oxford, UK Moderator: Prof. Roberta Haar, Maastricht University, The Netherlands |
The SAB session is moderated by REMIT’s Principal Investigator prof. Roberta Haar, who says the following about what we all can look forward to:
“This afternoon’s plenary session promises an enlightening conversation on the intersection of law, ethics, security, and technology in the digital age. The three speakers will offer diverse perspectives on navigating the evolving landscape of technology and its societal implications in both the Global South and advanced economies. In this session, three of REMIT’s Stakeholder Advisory Board Members will provide a greater understanding of digital governance.
Associate Professor Nick Thomas brings a unique perspective to the discussion, focusing on the relationship between health, security, and trust in East Asia, particularly China. His research illuminates the complexities of pandemics and their implications for societal trust, offering valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners alike.
Professor Luca Belli brings his deep understanding of technology’s legal landscape, with a specific focus on Internet access, data protection, and digital policies within the BRICS. His insights into the intersection of law and technology and his innovative solutions garner attention from top media outlets—so he is sure to be a compelling speaker.
Professor Mariarosaria Taddeo, a prominent figure in digital ethics and defense technologies, adds a layer of ethical analysis to the conversation. Her research not only delves into the governance of AI in national defense and cybersecurity but also offers actionable insights into navigating complex ethical dilemmas. Taddeos’ many publications, many accolades, and numerous advisory roles, including advising NATO (in addition to REMIT), highlight the useful and concrete impact of her work in shaping ethical frameworks for emerging technologies.
Attending this session means exploring key issues shaping our digital future, and joining in the audience Q&A part with your challenging questions.”
Session Speakers
Luca Belli is a Professor at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) Law School, Rio de Janeiro, where he heads the Center for Technology and Society (CTS-FGV) and the CyberBRICS project. He is also an Associated Researcher at the Centre de Droit Public Comparé of Paris 2 University, a Member of the Board of the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), and Director of the Latin-American edition of the Computers Privacy and Data Protection conference (CPDP LatAm).
His work is at the interface of law and technology, with a focus primarily on Internet access, data protection and digital platform regulations, and digital policies in the BRICS countries. He enjoys developing multistakeholder partnerships to analyze existing challenges, and put forward creative solutions.
Prof. Belli is regularly quoted by various media outlets, including The Economist, Financial Times, Forbes, Le Monde, BBC, China Today, The Hill, Folha de Sao Paulo, O Globo, El Pais, and La Stampa.
Nicholas Thomas is an Associate Professor at the City University of Hong Kong. He works on the intersection of health and security studies, with a focus on East Asia, principally China. His current research centers on the intersection of pandemic responses and trust in East and Southeast Asia. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH), a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), and a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society (FRAS) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Mariarosaria Taddeo is Professor in Digital Ethics and Defence Technologies at the University of Oxford, Programme Director at the Oxford Internet Institute and holds a fellowship at the Alan Turing Institute. Her focus is on the ethical governance of digital technologies, including AI in national defense and cybersecurity. Taddeo has published over 150 articles in top-tier journals. She currently leads a project on ethical AI use for national security, funded by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. Additionally, she has held influential roles in various projects and think tanks, advising on cybersecurity policies for organizations like NATO. She also serves as editor-in-chief of Minds & Machines (SpringerNature). Taddeo has received numerous accolades for her work, including the World Technology Award for Ethics and recognition as one of the top women in technology by ComputerWeekly. Most recently in April 2024 she was awarded the title of Grand Ufficiale al Merito della Repubblica Italiana for the impact of her research.
Roberta N. Haar is Professor of Foreign Policy Analysis and Transatlantic Relations at Maastricht University. She is the lead researcher (PI) of a large EU Horizon project entitled REMIT (Reignite Multilateralism via Technology). REMIT Research (https://www.remit-research.eu) includes 40 researchers and 10 support staff residing at 9 partner institutions across Europe. The project intends to enhance EU multilateral policy making in areas of strategic technology. She is also the co-applicant of Vista-Map, a project that aims to rediscover the effective visual diplomacy of the US Marshall Plan (1948-1952)—the soft power that supported European integration and the growth of democracy in Europe. She is the author and co-editor of several academic works, including The Making of European Security Policy: Between Institutional Dynamics and Global Challenges, published in the Routledge Studies in European Security and Strategy series. Her academic work in Foreign Policy Analysis in known for its innovation and development of new tools for understanding foreign policy change. For example, her article on explaining Foreign Policy Change (FPC) using the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and her article that developed new tools to understand foreign policy failures in the Trump presidency. Prof. Haar is committed to public outreach, frequently presenting at academic, professional and public events. She also publishes regularly for foreign policy professionals and for the public in her column entitled Across the Atlantic for the Dutch national news magazine EW Magazine.
| Time (CET) | Session |
| Friday, May 17, 9.15 | Plenary Keynote: Prof. Bart Preneel, Prof COSIC, KU Leuven, Belgium “Global supply chain risks in software and hardware” |
Prof. Preneel provided this “foreword” for his Friday morning keynote:
“In today’s world, where reliance on technology is ever-growing, consumers of information and communications technology (ICT) face critical questions about the trustworthiness of the systems they depend on. Particularly in light of controversies surrounding hardware and software systems manufactured outside Europe and North America but used by industry and government in these regions, this issue has significant political and practical implications. This talk intends to discuss a set of principles for trustworthiness in digital artifacts.”
Speaker bio
Bart Preneel is full professor at KU Leuven where he heads the COSIC group. He has been visiting professor at the DTU in Denmark (2007), TU Graz in Austria (1997-2006), Univ. of Bergen in Norway (1997-2001), Ruhr-Univ.t in Bochum (Germany) (2001-2002) and at the Univ. of Ghent (1994-2002). He has been a scientific advisor of Philips Research (the Netherlands). During the academic year 1993-1994, he was a research fellow of the EECS Department at UC Berkeley. His main research interests are cryptology, cybersecurity and privacy.
He has authored and co-authored more than 400 scientific publications and is an inventor of five patents. He is has served as a member of the Editorial Board of five journals and has served as program chair of 20 conferences including Eurocrypt, CHES, FSE, ESORICS, and Financial Cryptology. He has been invited speaker at more than 120 conferences in more than 40 countries. He has testified multiple times for the European Parliament. In 2014 he received the RSA Award for Excellence in the Field of Mathematics, in 2016 he received the Kristian Beckman Award from IFIP TC11 and in 2018 he received the ESORICS Award for Outstanding Research.
He has been project manager of the European CSA ECRYPT and the Marie-Curie Integrated Training Network ECRYPT (http://www.ecrypt.eu.org). He has been active in standardization since 1989; he has edited five international standards.
He is president of LSEC and has been president of the IACR (International Association for Cryptologic Research). He is a fellow of the IACR, a member of the Permanent Stakeholders group of ENISA (European Network and Information Security Agency) and of the Academia Europaea.
| Time (CET) | Session |
| Friday, May 17, 13.00 | Closing plenary Keynote: Prof. Peggy Valcke, University of Leuven/BIPT, Belgium “Council of Europe and Artificial Intelligence” Keynote: David Ringrose, Digital Transition & Global Gateway at European External Action Service EEAS, Belgium Closing words Prof. Roberta Haar, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Prof. Joep Crompvoets, University of Leuven, Belgium Prof. Paul Timmers, University of Leuven, Belgium |
Two eminent keynote speakers will feature in this final and plenary session. Prof Peggy Valcke, University of Leuven/BIPT, Belgium will address “Technology and multilateralism in action: insights into the drafting of the first-ever AI Treaty”. The moment is very special as it is expected that this very day the Council of Europe Treaty will be adopted. Prof Valcke will be introduced by Prof Joep Crompvoets. Next, David Ringrose, Head of Unit for Digital Transition & Global Gateway at the European External Action Service EEAS will connect the overall theme of the conference to EU digital diplomacy. David Ringrose will be introduced by Prof Paul Timmers.
We know that this conference cannot neither exhaust all themes within technology and multilateralism nor give definite answers to what we could discuss. REMIT’s Prof Roberta Haar, Prof Joep Crompvoets and Prof Timmers will reflect on what was achieved and some of the questions ahead of us and close the conference.
Speaker Bios
Peggy Valcke is full professor of law & technology at KU Leuven and vice dean for research at the Leuven Faculty of Law & Criminology. She is executive committee member at CiTiP and Leuven.AI, and principal investigator in the Security & Privacy Department of imec (previously iMinds). She has taken up positions as visiting and part-time professor at Tilburg University (Netherlands; 2009-2018); Bocconi University Milan (Italy; 2018-2019), the European University Institute in Florence (Italy; 2014), and Central European University in Budapest (Hungary; 2006-2007).
In January 2024, she joined the executive board of the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT – IBPT).
Peggy has broad experience with international and interdisciplinary research – both fundamental and applied – dealing with legal aspects of IT and media innovation. Her research has been funded by the European Commission, KU Leuven Research Fund, Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), iMinds/imec, Flanders Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) and the federal Science Policy PPS (BELSPO). She also contributed to policy studies for EU, European, national and regional institutions.
Recently, Peggy’s research focus has been on the rise of artificial intelligence technologies, and in particular algorithmic decision-making, in law enforcement, transport, media services, the judiciary, etc., and the ethical-legal implications thereof, especially in relation to human rights and the allocation of responsibilities / legal liabilities. She served as co-director of the Expert Centre on Data & Society from 2019 until 2023 and contributed with her team to the Flemish Action Plan on AI. She represents Belgium in CAI, the Council of Europe’s Committee on AI that is tasked with negotiating a European Convention on AI, and previously served as elected vice-chair of its predecessor committee, CAHAI. In the context of the Flemish Action Plan on Cybersecurity, Peggy’s team closely collaborates with KU Leuven DistriNet (headed by Prof. Wouter Joosen) and COSIC (headed by Prof. Bart Preneel).
David Ringrose worked at DG CONNECT on international affairs and communication, integrating digital issues into EU external policies ranging from development cooperation to enlargement. He managed the Commission’s global communication policy at DG RELEX and coordinated the accession referenda leading up to the fifth enlargement in 2004. He started his EU career working on reform programmes in the former Soviet Union and served in the EU Delegation in Prague. He is an alumnus of the University of Kent, Sciences Po, as well as the College of Europe.
Roberta N. Haar is Professor of Foreign Policy Analysis and Transatlantic Relations at Maastricht University. She is the lead researcher (PI) of a large EU Horizon project entitled REMIT (Reignite Multilateralism via Technology). REMIT Research (https://www.remit-research.eu) includes 40 researchers and 10 support staff residing at 9 partner institutions across Europe. The project intends to enhance EU multilateral policy making in areas of strategic technology. She is also the co-applicant of Vista-Map, a project that aims to rediscover the effective visual diplomacy of the US Marshall Plan (1948-1952)—the soft power that supported European integration and the growth of democracy in Europe. She is the author and co-editor of several academic works, including The Making of European Security Policy: Between Institutional Dynamics and Global Challenges, published in the Routledge Studies in European Security and Strategy series. Her academic work in Foreign Policy Analysis in known for its innovation and development of new tools for understanding foreign policy change. For example, her article on explaining Foreign Policy Change (FPC) using the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and her article that developed new tools to understand foreign policy failures in the Trump presidency. Prof. Haar is committed to public outreach, frequently presenting at academic, professional and public events. She also publishes regularly for foreign policy professionals and for the public in her column entitled Across the Atlantic for the Dutch national news magazine EW Magazine.
Prof Joep Crompvoets is Professor Information management in the Public Sector and senior researcher in three domains: e-Government, Digital Government, Public Sector in- novation, GIS, and Spatial Data Infrastructures. He has led numerous research projects in these areas globally, and acts as advisor, expert, committee member and chair for Euro- pean and international projects. At the KU Leuven Public Governance Institute, Professor Crompvoets is founder and manager of Erasmus+ Mundus Joint Master of Science in Pub- lic Sector Innovation and E-Governance (together with Münster University and Tallinn Uni- versity of Technology), co-supervisor of the course Information management in the public Sector, en Supervisor of the courses Public Administration and Public Sector Innovation: Capita Selecta and Integrated Research Seminar. He developed an online course in Public sector Innovation & E-Governance.
Prof Dr Paul Timmers is research associate at the University of Oxford, Oxford Internet Institute, professor at KU Leuven and European University Cyprus, senior advisor EPC Brussels, Chair of the Supervisory Board Estonian eGovernance Academy, member of the EU Cyber Direct Advisory Board, research fellow of CERRE, and CEO of iivii. He was Director at the European Commission with responsibility for legislation and funding for cybersecurity, e-ID, digital privacy, digital health, smart cities, and e-government; and cabinet member of European Commissioner Liikanen. He was software manager at a large ICT company and co-founded an ICT start-up. Physics PhD from Radboud University (Nijmegen, NL), MBA from Warwick University (UK), EU fellowship at UNC Chapel Hill (US), and a cybersecurity qualification from Harvard. His main interests are technology and geopolitics, publishing and advising on digital developments, technology and sovereignty, cybersecurity, industrial policy, and sectoral policies such as telecommunications, semiconductors and digital health.