Programme
Note: This is a tentative version of the programme and may be subject to change.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, Spanish Hall, Prague Castle
13:00—14:00
Arrival and Registration of the Participants
Caution: Access to the venue will be restricted between 14:10 and 15:00.
14:30—15:00
Keynote Speech
Petr Pavel
President of the Czech Republic
Alexander Stubb
President of Finland
15:00—15:30
High-level Chat
Petr Pavel
President of the Czech Republic
Alexander Stubb
President of Finland
15:30—16:30
Expert Discussion: European Geopolitical Reset with the Economic Security in the Forefront
Karel Havlíček
Minister of Industry and Trade, Czechia
Maria Demertzis
European University Institute
Violeta Luca
Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone
Radek Špicar
Vice-President, Confederation of Industry
16:30—17:30
Glass of Wine
Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Museum of Decorative Arts
8:00—9:00
Arrival and Registration of the participants
9:00—9:15
Words of Welcome and Opening Remarks
Milena Hrdinková
Advisor to the Prime Minister on EU Affairs, Czechia
9:15—9:45
European Chat: Bringing Geoeconomics into the Game
Michal Pěchouček
Rector, Czech Technical University in Prague
9:45—10:15
Presentation: Thin Ice, Thick Tensions: Europe and Polar Power Politics
Chiara Rinaldi
Intelligence Analyst, Research & Analysis Division, Politico
Izabela Kantor
Intelligence Analyst, Research & Analysis Division, Politico
10:15—10:45
Coffee Break
10:45—12:00
Filip Křenek
Project Coordinator and Analyst, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy
Fishbowl: Building Realistic European Scale-up Strategy for Digital SMEs
The Commission has launched a comprehensive strategy to transform Europe into the best place
in the world to launch and grow technology-driven innovative companies. The EU does not lack
start-ups nor talent to generate innovation, but scaling presents a persistent weakness. Firms
have to navigate 27 legal systems, with compliance costs that increase as they grow. Capital
markets remain shallow and fragmented. Companies looking to scale therefore continue to turn
outside the EU for both capital and market access. This discussion will focus on three areas
where progress has been repeatedly stalled: whether simplification can meaningfully reduce
burden on companies; whether the Savings and Investment Union can deliver deeper and more
integrated capital markets; and whether the “28th regime” can function as a practical,
business-friendly alternative rather than an additional layer.
Heleen Bakker
Director General for European Cooperation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
The Netherlands
Alexandr Hobza
Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné, European Commission
David Müller
Director General for European Union and Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Czechia
Christophe de Nijs
Director General for European Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Belgium
Tomáš Pospíšil
Czech Startup Association
12:00—13:15
Lunch
13:15—14:15
Moderator:
Asya Metodieva
Institute of International Relations Prague, Czechia
Fishbowl: Digital Sovereignty in a Cold Transatlantic Climate; Dependencies and Choices for Europe
The EU’s reliance on U.S. tech companies means that four in five European enterprises are tied
to foreign platforms for their data operations. As the EU has recognized this as a threat to its
autonomy, the block has developed a set of tools, including the AI Act and DSA that seem to be
open for revision as current geopolitical shifts show unsustainability of EU’s tech regulation in its
current form. The lack of innovation is one of the key causes of Europe’s economic decline. The
key question is how to balance EU’s high-tech competitiveness with tech sovereignty.
Jean Carberry
Assistant Secretary, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment,
Government of Ireland
Dita Charanzová
Board Member, CEPS
Vladimíra Chlandová
Board Member, Vodafone
Lukáš Kačena
Government Envoy for AI, Czechia
Michael Toutonghi
former Corporate Vice President and founder of the eHome division at
Microsoft
Věra Jourová
former Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and
Transparency
14:15—14:45
Coffee Break
14:45—15:45
Moderator:
Boris Kaliský
Association for International Affairs
Fishbowl: Exploring New Instruments for Boosting European Defence Industry
The current security environment is reshaping the EU’s ambition for its defence industry, highlighting bottlenecks in scaling up European defence production and ways to overcome them. Initiatives such as SAFE and common procurement are assessed in terms of their potential to reduce fragmentation of the European defence market despite persistent national instincts. The debate will also address how Europe can balance rapid procurement with innovation and competitiveness, while strengthening its strategic autonomy and maintaining the transatlantic relationship
Arthur De Liedekerke
Partner & Senior Director, Rasmussen Global
Radka Konderlová
Director General for Industrial Cooperation, Ministry of Defence, Czechia
Andra Migiu
Head of Division for the Security and Defence, European Investment Bank
15:45—16:00
Closing Remarks: European Outlook
16:00—17:30
Glass of Wine
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