Agenda

Discover our agenda

AGENDA

27 – 28 October 2025

Master of Ceremonies – Anita Erskine, MCM, Executive Director, Erskine Global Communications

Doors will open at 8:30, and a welcome coffee will be served.

AUDITORIUM

Setting the stage for a summit directly aligned with the European Commission’s strategic priorities for the Digital Decade and the Green Deal. We will explore how to unlock Europe’s full digital potential to drive climate action, enhance competitiveness, and build resilience.

Speakers:

  • Luís Neves, CEO of GeSI
  • Jeffrey Sachs, Economist and Professor, Columbia University

Keynote by Maria João Rodrigues, Chair of Re-Imagine Europa, member of Club of Rome, former MEP, Minister of Portugal, special advisor of the European Commission and EU Presidencies 

The keynote will outline a bold, forward-looking vision for how digitalization can drive competitiveness, innovation, and resilience—while staying true to Europe’s values and long-term ambitions. 

Speakers:

  • Christer Otterstrom, CEO, Hummeltorp
  • Nizar Kammourie, CEO, Sawaco
  • Jose Jacob K, Chairman, Future ICT Forum & TIA Summit
  • Fadi Jamal Alfaris, CEO, SEE Environment Holding
  • Fernando Reino da Costa, CEO, Unipartner

This session features a series of individual keynotes from visionary CEOs who are driving transformation across diverse sectors — from water management, circular economy, health and ICT to digital innovation and smart cities. Each leader will share their unique journey and strategic approach to leveraging digital technologies for efficiency, resilience, and sustainable growth.

Through their experiences, the session will illustrate how executive leadership is redefining business models, fostering innovation, and creating long-term value for both industry and society in the digital era. Together, these perspectives offer a powerful demonstration of how leadership from the top is shaping a more connected, efficient, and sustainable future.

Moderated by Kevin Thompson, COO, GeSI

Speakers:

  • Adam Elman, Head of Sustainability for Google Europe, Middle East and Africa, Google
  • Archi Xiao, Global Marketing Director, Tuya Smart 
  • Jose Jacob K, Chairman, Future ICT Forum & TIA Summit 

Disruptive digital technologies are transforming industries—from AI and IoT to blockchain, digital twins, and robotics. These solutions are already delivering concrete value: improving performance, enabling new business models, and addressing complex challenges in sectors such as energy, mobility, manufacturing, buildings, and healthcare. 

Yet for many solution providers, the challenge is not innovation—it’s adoption and scale. 

This session brings together technology leaders and others to discuss what’s working, what’s holding progress back, and how policy, procurement, regulation, and cross-sector collaboration can help unlock the full potential of digital innovation. 

Moderated by Erika Staël von Holstein, Co-Founder and Chief Executive, Re-Imagine Europa (RIE)

Speakers:

  • Christer Otterstrom, CEO at Hummeltorp 
  • Facundo Armas, LATAM Regional Head for Sustainable Business, Globant 
  • Fernando Reino da Costa, CEO, Unipartner 
  • Nizar Kammourie, CEO, Sawaco Water Desalination

This session will confront the economic realities behind the green transition, starting with a clear proposition: green investments must drive growth, margin, and market opportunity—or they won’t scale. 

Speakers from leading companies will share how digital tools and data-driven models are creating real bottom-line value—reducing operational costs, unlocking new revenue streams, optimizing resource use, and building resilience into supply chains.  

Participants will explore how digital-enabled solutions can unlock new profitable pathways for sustainability, and what policy, market, and investment shifts are needed to accelerate that transformation. 

Moderated by Tom Moran, Senior Lead Technology Strategist and Consulting Principal, Colt Technology Services 

Speakers:

  • Emmanuel Delagardette, CTO Group Director, ZTE Corporation
  • Mingping Zhang, Vice-Chairman, Longshine
  • Nuno Ricardo, Digital Lab Leader, Unipartner

This session will explore how Europe can revolutionize its digital infrastructure by harnessing AI, advanced engineering, and smart regulation. From next-generation data centres and edge computing to cooling innovation and circular design, the discussion will spotlight the technologies, policies, and partnerships needed to build infrastructure that is not just scalable, but also climate-aligned, resource-efficient, and inherently sustainable across its lifecycle, demonstrating the deep synergy between advanced AI and green infrastructure. 

Moderated by Svetlana Stoilova, Senior Adviser Digital Economy, Business Europe

Speakers:

  • Eugenio Longo, Sustainability Director, Tata Consultancy Services
  • Ornella Cosomati-Koschwitz, Director Europe Energy & Sustainability Policy, Microsoft
  • Vincent Berrutto, Head of Unit, DG Energy, European Commission

This panel will explore how digital innovation can accelerate the shift to a low-carbon energy system. The discussion will highlight how data-driven approaches and digital platforms can enhance efficiency and support the integration of renewables.

Moderated by Tim Nan Feng, Regional Director of China, GeSI

Speakers:

  • Umberto Damasio, Regional Director for Sales and Partnerships, Benelux Region, Longi
  • Wang Jianmin, Director of Overseas Market Department, Dasso Group
  • Xiaotian Du, Chairman, Electrical Energy Storage Alliance (EESA)
  • Zhai Yongping, Senior Advisor, Tencent Holdings Ltd.
  • Zhao Guoliang, Assistant General Manager, Overseas Sales Company, GREE

In the context of Europe’s pursuit of a digital strategy that balances growth, decarbonization, resilience, and competitiveness, this roundtable will showcase high-impact digital sustainability initiatives from leading Chinese enterprises and institutions. By presenting real-world use cases in areas such as energy, manufacturing, urban systems, and education, the session highlights how digital innovation is driving efficiency, emissions reduction, and system optimization in practice.

The discussion will foster mutual learning between European and Chinese stakeholders, exploring opportunities for cooperation around standards, investment, and transparency. The session aims to provide a constructive and nuanced perspective on China’s evolving digital approaches to sustainability—offering insights, challenges, and potential convergence points for Europe’s own digital and green transition.

Keynote by António Costa e Silva, Business Executive and Emeritus Professor, Former Portuguese Minister of Economy 

As Europe advances its digital strategy to balance growth, decarbonization, resilience, and competitiveness, understanding the global dynamics of technology and sustainability is more important than ever. Drawing on his extensive experience in economic strategy and energy transformation, António Costa e Silva will outline how Asia’s digital innovation—particularly from leading Chinese enterprises—is reshaping industries and redefining competitiveness worldwide. 

Moderated by Veronika Thieme, Associate Director, Europe, Carbon Trust

Speakers:

  • Andres Gavira, Lead Engineer Digital Infrastructure, European Investment Bank
  • Eugenio Longo, Sustainability Director, Tata Consultancy Services
  • Johan Schuber, Project Manager, City of Stockholm
  • Tom Moran, Senior Lead Technology Strategist and Consulting Principal, Colt Technology Services 

As digital solutions become central to Europe’s green and economic strategies, the ability to measure their real-world impact is no longer optional—it is essential. This panel will explore how we quantify the environmental and economic value of digital innovation and translate that into credible signals for investors, regulators, and markets.

Keynote by Declan Kirrane, Chairman and Managing Director, Annual NY Science Summit coinciding with UNGA

As AI systems grow more powerful and autonomous, the stakes for safety, accountability, and human alignment increase exponentially. This keynote will explore the urgent challenge of ensuring that advanced AI systems behave in ways that are predictable, ethical, and aligned with human values—especially as they are deployed at scale across high-impact sectors. 

Moderated by Bernd Halling, Head of Policy and Outreach, Reimagine Europa

Speakers:

  • Ambassador Bitange Ndemo, Kenya
  • Andreas Braun, Director of AI & Data Science in Technology Advisory, PwC Luxembourg
  • Josh Hatch, Principal, Brightworks Sustainability 
  • Sam Enoka, Founder and CEO, Greensparc

In the age of AI and hyper-connected systems, control over data—and identity—has become a defining issue of geopolitical, economic, and ethical significance. This panel discussion will explore the evolving landscape of data sovereignty and digital identity in an era where data is both a source of innovation and a vector of vulnerability. 

Speakers:

  • Luís Neves, CEO, GeSI
  • Mafalda Freitas, COO, Unicorn Factory Lisboa
  • Martin van Stel, General Manager and VP of Business Development, Mentech Technology USA Inc.
  • Ricardo Morgado, Co-Founder of LoopOS (Award Winner)

The DWP Startup Global Award is an international prize competition, organized by GeSI and Unicorn Factory Lisboa, to recognize the contribution of startups to the deployment and scaling of impactful sustainable solutions. 

This initiative is part of the Digital with Purpose movement, created to promote the transformational impact of digital technologies in our ability to meet the 2030 Agenda, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The winner of the 2025 DWP Startup Global Award will take the stage to present their innovative solution to the audience.

 

Moderated by Veerle Vandeweerd, Co-founder Transforming Education Alliance, Former Director UNDP, COVID Education Alliance (COVIDEA)

Speakers:

  • Chiara Colella, Policy Officer, European Commission
  • Stephan König, Group Corporate Responsibility, Cluster Lead Strategy & Projects, Deutsche Telekom
  • Olivier Brechard, Director, The Learning Planet Institute
  • Yang Baocheng, President, Huangue University of Science and Technology, China 

Europe’s digital and green transitions won’t be powered by technology alone—they require people who can adapt, lead, and innovate at speed. This session will examine how to accelerate workforce readiness for the twin transition, with a focus on speed, scale, and relevance. 

Traditional education systems are struggling to keep pace with rapid technological change—particularly in areas like AI. The conversation will explore how we can close the gap between learning and doing by empowering people to use digital tools directly, including generative AI. The more people engage with these technologies, the more adaptable and future-ready they become. 

Speakers will also discuss how to ensure broad access to these opportunities, and what roles businesses, public policy, and alternative training models must play in shaping a workforce built for continuous transformation. 

Moderated by Giorgia Rambelli, Director, Mission Innovation Urban Transitions Mission

Speakers:

  • Davide Cassanmagnago, Senior Manager Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy
  • Fadi Jamal Alfaris, CEO, SEE Environment Holding
  • Hadrien Thebault, Policy Officer, Unit Digitalisation, Competitiveness, Research and Innovation, DG Energy, European Commission
  • Mar Ferrer Sáez, Head of Technical Infrastructure, Systems and Communications, Valencia Innovation Capital
  • Martin Bäumler, Head of Digital Sustainability Industry Solutions, T-Systems International
  • Ola Nord, Head of City, Malmö EU Office, Sweden

Cities are home to more than half of the global population and account for more than 70% of final global energy consumption and these figures are expected to rise. The climate and energy challenge is an urban one, and cities are essential to achieve a sustainable transition to a climate neutral, resilient world.  Cities can lead by example, they are not only administrators ensuring fruition of key services to their community, but they are catalysts for action, innovation hubs, and true solutions’ providers. 

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how cities plan, deliver, and adapt services — but how can we ensure these technologies truly serve the public good?  This one-hour panel will explore the potential of AI to accelerate urban transitions toward net-zero, resilient, and inclusive cities.  The discussion will address the potential of digital innovation to optimize energy systems, mobility, waste, water, and climate adaptation strategies — while also grappling with the challenges of large-scale deployment.  Governance, cybersecurity, and the need for net-positive, trusted AI systems will also be central themes.

City representatives, private-sector digital solution providers, and leading AI researchers will share perspectives on how AI can:

  • turn complex data into actionable insights for climate action,
  • decarbonize and strengthen resilience to shocks and stresses,
  • enable more inclusive decision-making, 
  • de-risk investment and attract capital.

The discussion will highlight both opportunities and challenges — from governance, to financing and implementation — while emphasizing the importance of applying AI with purpose to support people-centered urban transitions.

Moderated by Maarit Palovirta, Deputy Director General, Policy and Strategy at Connect Europe

Speakers:

  • Ilias Iakovidis, Adviser DG Connect, European Commission
  • Karl Falkenberg, President EU Chapter Club of Rome and Former Sustainability Consultant at the European Commission
  • Valentin Steinhauer, Deputy Head of Office – EU Representation, Deutsche Telekom
  • Vilma Kaza, EMEA Sustainability and Energy Policy Lead, Google 

This high-level panel will focus on the concrete policy actions needed to unlock the full potential of digital transformation. As the enablers of Europe’s digital future—data centers, connectivity, AI infrastructure, traceability systems—face mounting regulatory and investment challenges, this session will outline clear recommendations for how policymakers can create the right conditions for innovation, sustainability, and competitiveness. 

  • Maria João Rodrigues, Chair of Re-Imagine Europa, member of Club of Rome, former MEP, Minister of Portugal, special advisor of the European Commission and EU Presidencies,
  • Luís Neves, CEO, GeSI