AI & Policy: Scaling AI in Europe
AI & Policy: Scaling AI in Europe
Dealroom.co, Prosus, and Innovation Radar Bridge and StepUp StartUps, two innovation initiatives backed by the European Commission, are organising the AI & Policy: Scaling AI in Europe.
This full-day event will bring together leading public and private experts for a multi-stakeholder dialogue on how Europe can capture the benefits of AI and accelerate its adoption.
Hosted at the new AI House powered by Prosus in Amsterdam, the summit offers a unique opportunity for policymakers, startup founders, business leaders, and academia to engage in AI policy debates and join initiatives shaping Europe’s next generation of AI hubs.
We aim for participation affiliation of Governments, Academia, Startup Founders and larger tech companies.
Confirmed Speakers:
Confirmed Speakers:
Eoghan O'Neill - Senior Policy Officer, European Commission
Caro Rossi - Head of Strategy Initiatives - Europe Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA)
Marc Zegveld - Managing Director, TNO
Cesare Dunker - Policy Officer - European Commission
Jelle Prins - Co-founder, Cradle
Annabelle Vultee - CEO, Goodhabitz
Gaspard Demur - Deputy Head of Unit - AI Innovation and Policy Coordination - EU AI Office European Commission
Fabrizio Del Maffeo - CEO & Co-founder, Axelera AI
Lokke Moerel - Global Expert Tech & Cyber, Morrison & Foerster LLP & Tilburg University
Onno Eric Blom - Director, Herprogrammeer de overheid
Douwe Groenevelt - Founder & CEO, Viridea (ex ASML)
Alexandre Ferreira Gomes - Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute
Lennard Kooy - CEO & Founder, LLeverage
Connor H Brandt - Public Affairs Manager - Privacy, Data, & AI, Booking.com
Monika Tomczak-Gorlikowska - Group Head of Privacy, Digital & AI Governance, Prosus
Yoram Wijngaarde - CEO & Founder, Dealroom
Chiara Frencia - Secretary General, Startup Europe Regions Network (SERN)
Nick Reiners - Senior Analyst, Eurasia Group
Marietje Schaake - Int Policy Director, Stanford University
Loulou van Ravensteijn - Director Fraqter
Erick Webbe - Board Member, Kickstart AI
Stephan Corvers - Founder & CEO, Corvers Procurement Services
Thomas Kosters - Managing Director, Deep Ecosystems
Isabel Barberá - Senior Strategic Advisor AI, De Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens
Vassilis Tsanidis - Innovation Procurement Advisor, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)
Hedi Karray - Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
Luis H. Rodriguez Ruiz - Research Analyst, Barrabes.biz
Andreas Kuebart - Researcher, Leibniz-Institut für Raumbezogene Sozialforschung (IRS)
Sebastiaan Vaessen - Global Head of Strategy, Prosus
Moderators:
Thomas Ohr - CEO & Founder, EU Startups
Aoife Morrin - Head of Ecosystems Growth, Dealroom.co
Orla Browne - Head of Insights, Dealroom.co
Caro Rossi - Head of Strategy Initiatives, Europe Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA)
Monika Tomczak-Gorlikowska - Group Head of Privacy, Digital & AI Governance, Prosus
Chiara Frencia - Secretary General, Startup Europe Regions Network (SERN)
Day host: Irene Rompa
Agenda
9:00 - Doors open, Registration & Coffee
9:50 - Welcome by host, Irene Rompa
10:00 – Opening Remarks by Eoghan O'Neill - Senior Policy Officer, AI Office, European Commission and Euro Beinat, Group Head of AI, Prosus.
10:15 – Keynote: The State of AI across EU
Keynote with data about the State of AI across the EU & insights from the EU Apply AI report, as part of the IR Bridge project. Presented by Yoram Wijngaarde, CEO & Founder, Dealroom.
10:30 – Panel: Strengthen Europe’s Competitive Edge: How to enable European companies to build at scale? ‘Winner takes it all?”
The panel will include AI policy leaders both public + private to discuss how companies are navigating compliance and explore what specific changes are necessary to create a more business-friendly environment for AI growth.
Moderator: Thomas Ohr - CEO & Founder, EU Startups
Speakers:
- Caro Rossi - Head of Strategy Initiatives, Europe Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA)
- Cesare Dunker - Policy Officer - European Commission
- Marc Zegveld - Managing Director, TNO
- Nick Reiners - Senior Analyst, Eurasia Group
11:00 – Networking Break
11:30 – Panel: AI Strategies in Action enabling Europe to stay competitive and relevant.
What are the different AI Strategies & Action plans? Opensource, AI adoption, AI Labs, etc. What are the learnings from these action plans, and how do we ensure they enable both national and European levels to stay competitive?
Moderator: Aoife Morrin - Head of Ecosystems Growth, Dealroom.co
Speakers:
- Jelle Prins - Co-founder, Cradle
- Marietje Schaake - Int Policy Director, Stanford University
- Hedi Karray - Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
- Alexandre Ferreira Gomes - Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute
12:00 – Panel: Understanding & Navigating the Investment Gap in AI
We will explore AI investment trends and what is necessary for greater investment capacity to scale AI.
Moderator: Orla Browne - Head of Insights, Dealroom.co
Speakers:
- Fabrizio Del Maffeo - CEO & Co-founder, Axelera AI
- Lennard Kooy - CEO & Founder, LLeverage
- Dr. Andreas Kuebart - Researcher, IRS
12:30 – Lunch & Networking Opportunities
13:30 - Keynote: The State of AI Talent - 5 Key Insights
What is the state of AI talent in Europe? Presented by Sebastiaan Vaessen - Global Head of Strategy, Prosus
13:45 – Panel: AI Talent & Growth - Building Europe’s Future Workforce.
What will happen with Europe’s AI workforce: demand trends, talent pipelines backed by Europe’s strength in education and research, and solutions to challenges in talent development, retention and attraction, both in Europe and from outside Europe.
Moderator: Carolina Rossi - Head of Strategy Initiatives, Europe Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA)
Speakers:
- Annabelle Vultee - CEO, Goodhabitz
- Erick Webbe - Board Member, Kickstart AI
- Douwe Groenevelt - Founder & CEO, Viridea (ex ASML)
14:15 – Keynote: Europe’s Chances in Agentic AI
Agentic AI is the next evolution and we asked how Europe is prepared to compete in the new space: Can we leverage niche industry know-how, attention to compliance and strategic partnerships with European corporates to catch up in the AI race? Presented by Thomas Kösters, Managing Director of Deep Ecosystems
14:30 – Networking Break
15:00 – Panel: The AI Act: the Road to a Simpler Future?
In view of the forthcoming "omnibus" to simplify data rules and the AI Act, this panel will explore the opportunities and challenges the Act brings. Panelists will discuss how to navigate compliance and explore what specific changes are necessary to create a more business-friendly environment for technological growth.
Moderator: Monika Tomczak-Gorlikowska - Group Head of Privacy, Digital & AI Governance, Prosus
Speakers:
- Eoghan O'Neill - Senior Policy Officer, AI Office, European Commission
- Connor H Brandt - Public Affairs Manager - Privacy, Data, & AI, Booking.com
- Lokke Moerel - Global Expert Tech & Cyber, Morrison & Foerster LLP & Tilburg University
- Isabel Barberá - Senior Strategic Advisor AI, De Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens
15:30 – Keynote: Public Sector Services in the Age of AI
We will analyse the potential, the reality of the GovTech ecosystem in the EU and what measures can be adopted to accelerate and increase implementation across all the different levels of public administration, as outlined in the recent report by StepUp Startups. Presented by Luis H. Rodriguez Ruiz - Research Analyst, Barrabes.biz
15:45 - Panel: Public Sector Services and the AI opportunity
How can AI transform public administration? We look at the impact that the AI Govtech ecosystem can have in transforming it. We will discuss the implementation levels of AI in public services and how we can improve them for public administration to improve their services.
Moderator: Chiara Frencia - Secretary General, Startup Europe Regions Network (SERN)
Speakers:
- Onno Eric Blom - Director, Herprogrammeer de overheid
- Loulou van Ravensteijn - Director Fraqter
- Stephan Corvers - Founder & CEO, Corvers Procurement Services
- Vassilis Tsandidis - Innovation Procurement Advisor, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)
16:15 – Closing Remarks by Irene Rompa. Drinks & Networking
Organised by:
European Commission
The European Commission is the EU's politically independent executive arm, responsible for proposing new legislation, enforcing EU treaties and laws, and managing the EU's policies and budget in the common interest of all member states.
Innovation Radar Bridge
The Innovation Radar is a European Commission initiative to identify high potential innovations and innovators in EU-funded research and innovation projects.
StepUp Startup Initiative
The "StepUp Startups Initiative" is an EU funded project that aims to accelerate the growth, and impact of Europe's startup ecosystem.
Dealroom.co
Dealroom is the global data platform for intelligence on startups, innovation, high-growth companies, ecosystems and investment strategies.
Dealroom's mission is to map the world's tech ecosystems. Our vision is to be the global source of record for tech ecosystems.
Prosus
Prosus is a global consumer internet group and one of the world’s leading technology investors. We back and build companies that shape how people live, shop, pay, learn, and connect with a strong focus on AI, product innovation, and digital platforms. Active in more than 80 markets, our portfolio spans e-commerce, fintech, food delivery, education, and mobility. We partner with founders and teams to scale their products internationally and bring technology with real impact to billions of users worldwide. Through initiatives like AI House Amsterdam, Prosus is committed to advancing Europe’s position in AI and supporting the next generation of product leaders and innovators.