Securing Europe's Future: An European Army & the Age of AI
Securing Europe's Future: An European Army & the Age of AI
Join this Volt Discussion Series event, organized by the Volt There International Foundation.
You can join the event in-person in Prague in the Czech Republic by registering on the following page: https://pretix.eu/volt-digicom/volt-there-defcom/
You can also join the event online via the stream on Volt Europa Youtube, you can find the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRylN2USqoI
The event will focus on key topics in European defense, particularly in the context of strategic autonomy and the integration of modern technologies on the battlefield. The first two hours will be conducted in English and will feature a keynote presentation followed by a panel discussion. Questions can be asked in English and in Czech. Afterwards, a workshop in Czech will take place at the event location in Prague.
The keynote presentation, delivered by Teun Janssen, will explore the future of the European defense industry—its potential, challenges, and Europe's capacity to navigate the current era of uncertainty. He will present insights from the European Parliament, highlighting ongoing efforts to strengthen defense capabilities and examining the prospects for developing a European Army.
Teun Janssen is an accredited parliamentary assistant for Volt Europa in the European Parliament and also an EU affairs expert & trainer (specialised in foreign, security & enlargement policy)
Following the keynote, a panel discussion will take place featuring experts Valeriya Izhyk, Jan Schneider and Christiaan Meinsma. The panelists will share perspectives on emerging technologies in warfare, with a focus on AI and drones, the state of European weapons production, and developments related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The discussion will address key risks and explore how Europe can ensure its own security moving forward.
Valeriya Izhyk is an EU Policy Officer for Ukraine Reconstruction at the CEE Bankwatch Network in Brussels and co-chair of the Defense & security Community (DefCom) of Volt Europa. Jan Schneider is director general at the Czech ministry of regional development and in charge of developing high tech industry via investing in drone development centers and military drone training facilities across the Czech Republic. Christiaan Meinsma is the thematic communities coordinator at Volt Europa and digital expert (specialised in digital policy and EU funding in AI and other digital technologies).
You will also have the opportunity to ask questions to our panel online via the chat or if you attend the event in-person. We will also try to make time for the option to ask the speakers your questions.
