Session

EU AI sovereignty: a two-fold challenge

Wednesday July 8, 2026  | 15:00-16:00 CEST

Albert II Auditorium

Back to Conference Page

Description

The idea is to address two challenges related to sovereignty, one is the dependency on external infrastructures, power grid expansion to connect data centers, and hardware like NVIDIA chips, while the other is how Europe can be competitive in certain strategic sectors like energy and telecommunications.

Speakers

Valerie Zapico

Founder and CEO, Valkuren
Valérie Zapico is Founder and CEO of Valkuren, a European deep-tech company focused on AI and Big Data solution development for SMEs. With extensive experience in technology, innovation, and digital transformation, she works at the intersection of artificial intelligence, data, and business competitiveness. Through Valkuren, she helps organizations leverage critical knowledge and operational data to develop trusted AI solutions while maintaining control over strategic information assets. Valérie is a strong advocate for European AI sovereignty and the development of trustworthy AI systems that foster innovation, resilience, and competitiveness across key industries.

Ricardo Bessa

Coordinator of the Center for Power and Energy Systems and Senior Researcher, INESC TEC
Ricardo Bessa (b. 1983, Viseu), IEEE Fellow, earned his 5-years in Electrical and Computer Engineering (2006), M.Sc. in Data Analysis (2008), and Ph.D. in Sustainable Energy Systems (2013) from the University of Porto. He coordinates the Center for Power and Energy Systems at INESC TEC. His research spans energy forecasting, computational intelligence, and smart grids. He led projects like AI4REALNET and contributed to FP6 ANEMOS.plus, H2020 Smart4RES, H2020 InteGrid, HE ENERSHARE, HE AI-EFFECT. Received the ESIG Excellence Award (2022) and he serves as an Associate Editor of IEEE Data Descriptions, Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy, and International Journal of Forecasting, and is a former AE of IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy.

Pankaj Pandei

Senior Research Scientist, NTNU
Pankaj Pandey, Ph.D., is a seasoned professional and academic with expertise in information security, digital technologies, and risk management. He holds dual doctorates, a Ph.D. in Information Security and a Ph.D. in Applied Economics. His academic journey includes a Double Master’s degree in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems Engineering and a Master of Law in International Law. Dr. Pandey currently serves as a Senior Researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Norway, where he leads and manages several high-profile research projects focusing on AI, cybersecurity, and digital trust. He is the project manager for the ENFIELD project, a European Commission-funded initiative aiming to manifest trustworthy and environmentally sustainable AI.

Jeriek van de Abeele

Telenor
Jeriek Van den Abeele joined Telenor Research & Innovation as a Research Scientist in 2020, following a PhD in theoretical particle physics at the University of Oslo. During his PhD, he worked on topics including Gaussian process regression for particle cross-section calculations and genetic algorithms for computational drug development. At Telenor, he has been involved in work on using reinforcement learning for network automation and technical advisory regarding AI governance and the EU AI Act. He is currently leading Telenor’s efforts in the Horizon Europe project ENFIELD, focusing on Green, Human-centric, and Trustworthy AI research directions, including work on building defences against LLM jailbreak attacks. [​Photo credit: Erik N.H. Krafft (Krafftwork Photo and film / Flow Event)]