European Commission
This gathering, which is organised in close collaboration with the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), will focus on submarine cables and terrestrial backbones interconnecting national and regional networks as well as the EU with third countries. It will highlight the progress made to date, discussing also future investment perspectives. The event will also serve as a platform to explore critical themes such as security, resilience, dual-use of submarine cables, investment trends, and funding opportunities.
To build on the achievements made by the CEF Digital projects and reflect on future competitiveness-related challenges and opportunities, a complementary event focused on 5G will take place the following day, on October 8, 2025.
Through collaborative dialogue and knowledge sharing, the 5G smart communities and corridors communities will play a pivotal role in contributing to tomorrow’s connectivity strategies and investments, making the European digital sector more competitive.
Join us in driving innovation and resilience in the digital age!
Agenda
8:00 - 9:00: Registration and Welcome coffee
9:00 - 9:15: Introductory Speech
- Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General, DG CNECT, European Commission
9:15 - 9:45: CEF Digital Achievements
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Hervé Dupuy, Head of Unit at the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA)
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Franco Accordino, Head of Unit at DG CNECT Unit B.5, European Commission
9:45 - 10:30: Smart Cables: More Than Just Internet
Moderator: Georgios Tselentis, Senior Policy Officer, DG CNECT B.5, European Commission
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Bruce Howe, Chair, ITU/WMO/UNESCO-IOC Joint Task Force SMART Subsea Cables. Research Professor at Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa
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José Barros, former ANACOM Director, JTF SMART
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Clemens Pohl, CEO & Managing Director at AP Sensing
10:30 - 11:30: Investments in Submarine Cables
Moderator: Julien Bollati, Programme Officer – Financial Instrument Specialist, DG CNECT B.5, European Commission
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Nathan Luckey, Senior MD, Head of Digital Infrastructure EMEA, Macquarie Asset Management
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Rebecca Nottingham, Collaborative independent consultant specialising in governance, policy and subsea communications
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Dr. Sumithra Velupillai, Senior Advisor at Vetenskapsrådet / Swedish Research Council
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Manuel Tarazona Cano, Senior Engineer, Digital Infrastructure at European Investment Bank (EIB)
11:30 - 12:15: State Aid and Regulatory Aspects of Digital Backbones Connectivity
Moderator: Fabio Nasarre de Letosa, Head of Sector and Senior Legal Expert, DG CNECT B.5, European Commission
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Pietro Pantalissi, Case Handler, DG COMP C.4, European Commission
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Margarida Santos, ANACOM, Co-Chair of the BEREC Digital Markets WG
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Vincent Lemaire, VP Projects at Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN)
12:15 - 14:15: Lunch break
14:15 - 15:15: Security and Resilience of Submarine Cable Infrastructures
Moderators:
Fabrice Comptour, Cyber Defence Coordinator, DG CNECT H.2, European Commission
Johannes Theiss, Head of Sector, DG CNECT E.1, European Commission
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Julien Garsany, Representative to the EU, UN and Belgium
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Andrés Fígoli, Submarine Cable Resilience Project Manager, ITU
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Aki Laiho, Director, Implementation Unit, at the National Emergency Supply Agency, Finland
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Jonas B. Franken, Science and Technology for Peace and Security Research Group at Technical University of Darmstadt
15:15 - 15:45: Future Perspectives for Europe's Digital Backbone
Moderator: Alexandra Rotileanu, Deputy Head of Unit, DG CNECT B.5, European Commission
- Gytis Mažeika, Attaché (Transport), Head of International Relations - Ministry of Transport and Communications, Lithuania
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Saara Reinimäki, Director of Networks Governance and Space Unit - Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finland
- Katinka Clausdatter Worsøe, Attaché (Telecommunications and Digitalisation) Danish Permanent Representation to the EU, Chair of the Working Party on Telecommunications during the Danish Presidency
- Ramona Nita, Attaché for cyber security and digital at the Permanent Representation of Romania to the EU
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Dr. George Pantos, Director, Broadband and Electronic Communications Networks at Ministry of Digital Governance, BCO Greece
15:45 - 16:00: Concluding Remarks
- Franco Accordino, Head of Unit at DG CNECT Unit B.5, European Commission
On the same day, the Conference will be followed by the European Digital Connectivity Awards, an event that celebrates outstanding projects bringing high-speed digital connectivity to Europe.
The 2025 edition showcases nine outstanding initiatives. The European Commission will announce the finalists and award the winners across three categories:
Category 1 - Excellence and innovation in deployment of Gigabit-Ready Infrastructure
Category 2 - Champions in addressing digital divide in rural and remote areas
Category 3 - Cross-border and international connectivity