Horizon 2050 : Towards a greener, smarter world

Science|Business annual Network conference


The incoming European Commission’s policy agenda is arguably its most ambitious to date. During its five year term, the Commission will seek legally binding commitments to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, unlock €1 trillion in green transition financing by 2030, and take a global leadership role in the governance of artificial intelligence, among other headline goals. It will also launch Horizon Europe, its largest ever research and innovation programme, with a clearly defined range of impact targets.

In February, the Science|Business Annual Network Conference will bring together over 300 stakeholders for two main purposes: first, to take stock of latest developments around the key pillars of the new agenda; and second, to explore their implications for the science, technology and innovation communities that will have a critical role to play in driving progress. By extension, it will address the challenge of developing the next generation(s) of researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs who will have a leading role to play in delivering a climate-neutral, sustainable Europe by 2050.

Hosted by ING at ING Marnix, Rue du Trône 1, 1000 Brussels

Speakers
Speakers
Ditte Juul Jørgensen
Director General, DG ENERGY, European Commission
Mauro Ferrari
President, European Research Council
Clara De La Torre
Deputy Director-General, DG CLIMA, European Commission
Stefan Kaufmann
Member & Spokesperson for the Education, Research, Science and Technology Assessment Committee, German Bundestag
Maria Manuel Leitão Marques
Member; Vice Chair, IMCO Committee, European Parliament
Kim Jørgensen
Head of Cabinet, Commissioner Vestager, European Commission
Marco Li Mandri
Team Leader, Dialogue Analytics & Principal Product Owner, ING
Janez Potočnik
Co-Chair, International Resource Panel, UN Environment Programme
Paul Webb
Head of Unit, Budget and Multiannual Financial Framework Synergies, DG RTD, European Commission
Jean-Claude Burgelman
Advisor and Open Access Envoy, DG RTD, European Commission
Alice P. Gast
President, Imperial College London
Håkon Haugli
CEO, Innovation Norway
Nina Kopola
Director General, Business Finland
Rutger Engels
Rector Magnificus, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Michel van der Bel
President, Microsoft EMEA
Debora Revoltella
Chief Economist & Director, Development Division, European Investment Bank
Thomas Palstra
Rector Magnificus, University of Twente
Daan du Toit
Deputy Director-General, International Cooperation and Resources, South African Department of Science and Innovation
Ilkka Niemelä
President, Aalto University
Paulo Ferrão
President, COST Association
Harry McCann
EU Ambassador, #SaferInternet4EU campaign, European Commission; Digital Entrepreneur
Bertrand Braunschweig
Director, Coordination mission of the national AI research programme, INRIA
François Bertrand
Vice President, Academic and Research, Polytechnique Montreal
Patrick van der Smagt
Director, Machine Learning Research Lab, Volkswagen Group
Alexander Denev
Head of AI, Financial Services Advisory, Deloitte
Christian Thomsen
President, Technische Universität Berlin
Detlef Günther
Vice President , Research & Corporate Relations, ETH Zurich
Frederick Fenter
Executive Editor, Frontiers
Max Welling
Vice President, Technologies, Qualcomm; Research Chair, Machine Learning, University of Amsterdam
Martha Crago
Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation, McGill University
Walter Weigel
Chief Scientific Officer & Vice President, European Research Institute, Huawei
Marlon Domingus
Research Data Management Director, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Tiina Kupila-Rantala
Vice Managing Director, CSC – IT Center for Science
Jaak Aaviksoo
Rector, Tallinn University of Technology
Joseph Klafter
Senior Advisor, Council of Higher Education (Israel)
Federica Rosetta
Director Strategic Relations, EU and Nordics, Elsevier
Agenda
Programme

09:00 - Welcome

  • Maryline Fiaschi, Managing Director, Science|Business
  • Vanessa Temple, Managing Director & Head of Sectors Belux & Nordics, ING Wholesale Banking

09:05 - Plenary I – Quo vadis? Implications for S&T in an increasingly turbulent world

Panel discussion, featuring:

  • Patrick Child, Deputy Director-General, DG Research & Innovation, European Commission
  • Paolo Ferrão, President, COST Association
  • Alice Gast, President, Imperial College London
  • Christian Thomsen, President, Technische Universität Berlin
  • Michel van der Bel, President, Microsoft EMEA

Moderated by Maryline Fiaschi, Managing Director, Science|Business

10:05 - Keynote Speech – Precious resources: Towards a more prosperous, sustainable future through S&T

  • Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair, International Resource Panel, UN Environment Programme

Introduced by Richard L. Hudson, Editor-in-Chief and Vice Chair of the Board, Science|Business

10:30 - Coffee

11:00 - Plenary II – Green dreams: Can Europe’s climate ambitions inspire a new era of  global R&I cooperation?  

Panel discussion featuring:

  • Clara de la Torre, Deputy Director-General, DG Climate Action, European Commission
  • Daan du Toit, Deputy Director-General, South African Dept of Science & Innovation
  • Håkon Haugli, Chief Executive Officer, Innovation Norway
  • Ilkka Niemelä, President, Aalto University

Moderated by Simon Pickard, Network Director, Science|Business

11:45 - Keynote Speech - Powering ahead: How energy policy and innovation can deliver on the European Green Deal 

  • Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, Director-General, DG Energy, European Commission                             

12:00 - Plenary III – AI Rules: Can Europe take a lead in the global race?

Opening Q&A with Kim Jorgensen, Head of Cabinet for Executive Vice President Vestager, European Commission

 Followed by panel discussion, featuring:

  • Bertrand Braunschweig, Director for Research Coordination, AI Plan for Humanity, Inria
  • Rutger Engels, Rector Magnificus, Erasmus University Rotterdam
  • Kim Jorgensen, Head of Cabinet for Executive Vice President Vestager, European Commission
  • Nina Kopola, CEO & Director General, Business Finland
  • Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, Vice Chair, IMCO Committee & Member, European Parliament

Moderated by Carlos Härtel, Special Advisor, Science|Business

13:00 - Networking Lunch         

14:00 - Parallel Sessions – Tectonic shifts: A new landscape for future S&T leaders

1/ Artificial reality: Can industry redefine itself through AI?

  • Martha Crago, Vice Principal (Research and Innovation), McGill University 
  • Alexander Denev, Head of AI (Financial), Deloitte
  • Oliver Grau, Chair of the Technology Policy Committee, ACM Europe
  • Marco Li Mandri, Team Leader, Dialogue Analytics & Principal Product Owner, ING  
  • Patrick van der Smagt, Director Machine Learning Labs, VW Group
  • Max Welling, Vice President Technologies, Qualcomm & Chaired Professor in Machine Learning, University of Amsterdam

Moderated by Douglas Gregory, Executive Director, European Union Policy and Government Affairs, AMGEN

2/ FAIR game: Transforming R&I through open science and global data 

  • Jean-Claude Burgelman, Advisor and Open Access Envoy, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
  • Marlon Domingus, Research Data Management Director, Erasmus University Rotterdam
  • Tiina Kupila-Rantala, Vice Managing Director, CSC – IT Center for Science
  • Frederick Fenter, Executive Editor, Frontiers
  • Federica Rosetta, Director Strategic Relations, EU and Nordics, Elsevier

Moderated by Peter Wrobel, Founding Director, Science|Business

3/ Game changers: Training the next generation of green, smart innovators

  • François Bertrand, Vice President Academic & Research, Polytechnique Montreal
  • Joseph Klafter, Senior Advisor, Council of Higher Education (Israel)
  • Paola Mazzuchelli, Secretary General, Association of European Renewable Energy Centres
  • Harry McCann, Founder & Co-Chair, Digital Youth Council (Ireland)
  • Sinan Tumer, Founder & CEO, iBC Insights

Moderated by Antoine Rayroux, Senior Advisor International, Science|Business

15:15 - Coffee break

15:45 - Plenary IV – Blue skies ahead: How will frontier research respond to Europe’s new ambitions?                          

Opening Q&A with Mauro Ferrari, President, European Research Council

Followed by panel discussion, featuring:

  • Jaak Aaviksoo, Rector, Tallinn University of Technology
  • Mauro Ferrari, President, European Research Council
  • Detlef Günther, Vice-President for Research & Corporate Relations, ETH Zurich
  • Rosa Menéndez, President, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

Moderated by Richard L. Hudson, Editor-in-Chief and Vice Chair of the Board, Science|Business

16:45 - Plenary V – 2020 vision: What does the future hold for Horizon Europe? 

Followed by panel discussion, featuring:

  • Stefan Kaufmann, Member & Spokesperson for the Education, Research, Science and Technology Assessment Committee, German Bundestag
  • Paul Webb, Head of Unit, Budget and Multiannual Financial Framework Synergies, DG RTD, European Commission
  • Thom Palstra, Rector Magnificus, University of Twente
  • Debora Revoltella, Chief Economist & Director, Development Division, European Investment Bank
  • Walter Weigel, Chief Scientific Officer & Vice President, European Research Institute, Huawei

Moderated by Maryline Fiaschi, Managing Director, Science|Business

17:45 - Conference close & networking reception

Registration
Registration
 
Information
Contact

For more information:

Venue
Practical Information

ING - Marnix (Rue du Trône 1, 1000 Brussels)

Webcast Registration
Webcast

Partners