Mr Marc Lemaître is Director-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) since February 2023. He has extensive management experience at the European Commission as Director-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) from 2016 to January 2023, Director of the Office for Administration and Payment of individual entitlements (PMO) between 2013 and 2016, and previously Head of the Cabinets of the Commissioners responsible for Budget (2010 – 2013), and Regional Policy (2007 – 2010).

Before joining the Commission, he worked in the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the European Union, dealing with budgetary, trade and general affairs issues (1996 -2006). 

Marc Lemaître studied at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), College of Europe in Bruges, and holds a Masters in European Economics.

As the head of the Secretariat of State for Science, Innovation, and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa is responsible for overseeing the department’s competencies in science, innovation, and universities, as well as for developing policies related to these areas (Royal Decree 472/2024, of May 7, establishing the basic organizational structure of the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities).

Juan has held various positions in the Government of Navarra, including Minister of University, Innovation, and Digital Transformation, as well as Minister of Economy and Finance.

He holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Navarra and has focused his research career on Human Genetics and its relationship with cancer and rare diseases since 1987. He has completed predoctoral and postdoctoral research stays in Lund (Sweden), Manchester (United Kingdom), and New York (USA). Additionally, he served as an associate specialist in the Canary Islands Health Service from 1997 to 2000.  

Juan was Director of the Molecular Cytogenetics Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) from 2001 to 2017 and the founder and Chief Scientific and Innovation Officer at NIMGenetics, a Genomic Biotechnology company, from 2017 to 2019. He is also an honorary professor at both the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Complutense University of Madrid.

Juan has published over 170 articles in international scientific journals, has led national and international competitive research projects, and has supervised 12 doctoral theses. He has also been awarded the Best Young Researcher in Human Genetics Prize (1999), the Honorary Plaque of the Spanish Association of Scientists (2000), and the Academic Talent Award from Cinco Días newspaper (2013).

Freeke is a seasoned executive at the forefront of quantum and deeptech innovation. She has a proven track record of building ecosystems at the intersection of policy, academia, and industry. As co-founder and first director of Quantum Delta NL, the Dutch national quantum initiative, she spearheaded its €615M Ecosystem Approach, one of the largest public investments in quantum worldwide.

In 2024, she joined Qblox as part time Government Affairs Officer and was elected in May 2025 as Vice-President of QuIC. In parallel she launched an independent consultancy, advising leading organizations including NATO on quantum supply-chain vulnerabilities. 

Beyond her executive roles, Freeke serves on advisory boards for the European Innovation Council (EIC) and OrangeQS, and is a two-term Co-Chair of a WEF Global Future Council.

As a trained Delft Systems Engineer, she was in senior leadership positions at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs before dedicating herself to Europe’s quantum technology landscape.

Dr. Gustav Kalbe studied Applied Physics at the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium. In 1991 he studied Applied Optics at the Imperial College of Science in London. In 1995 he completed his studies and earned a PhD in Physics, Molecular Spectroscopy, at the UCL, Belgium.

He started his professional career as a project manager in photonic networks at the incumbent telecom operator in Belgium. He was R&D manager when he left the company.

In 1998 he joined the Directorate General Information Society & Media of the European Commission where he started working as Project Officer managing research projects of the European Framework Programs for Research. Over the years he had several assignments in quantum technologies, photonics, and cybersecurity.

In 2014 Gustav Kalbe became HoU for Administration & Finance in the European Commission, in DG Connect.

In 2016 he was appointed HoU of the newly created High Performance Computing and Quantum Technology unit in DG Connect.

In 2018 he became responsible for the establishment and operation of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking. He occupied the post of Interim Executive Director of the JU until its autonomy by the end of 2020.

In January 2021, he was appointed Deputy to the Director of DG Connect C “Digital Excellence and Science Infrastructure”.

Since May 2022 Gustav is the Acting Director of DG Connect C “Digital Excellence and Science Infrastructure”.

Dr. Juan Bernabé-Moreno is the Director of IBM Research Europe for Ireland and UK, leading a world-class team of researcher professionals across three labs in Dublin -Ireland-, Hursley and Daresbury -UK- to create what’s next in Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Multi Cloud, Semiconductors and other cutting-edge science and technologies.

In addition, Dr. Bernabé-Moreno is responsible for the Accelerated Discovery Strategy for Climate and Sustainability leading a team of researchers across 7 global research labs to explore how the convergence of AI, Quantum Computing and Hybrid Cloud can accelerate the discovery of sustainability and climate solutions.

Dr. Bernabé-Moreno is a highly recognized leader in data and AI in both academia and industry. Prior to joining IBM, he was the Chief Data Officer and Global Head of Analytics and AI at E.ON, the world’s largest investor-owned energy service provider, leveraging data and algorithms to support the energy transition. Overall, he has more than 20 years of experience in the field of data and AI, and has delivered large data transformation programs for top companies in Spain and Germany. He has maintained his profile as an active researcher, including ongoing collaborations with the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford, the AI department at the University of Granada, and as a lecturer on quantum applications and intelligent systems at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

Dr. Bernabé-Moreno holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Granada. He has over 40 publications and is the recipient of several patents.

Ivan Doboš is an IT leader with more than 30 years of experience in the IT sector, he holds the position of Technology Evangelist & Head of Quantum at Aricoma. He has worked in several leading IT companies in Slovakia and abroad and has extensive experience in team leadership, strategic planning and technology innovation. He has implemented IT solutions for major organisations and managed multi-million dollar programs and projects. Currently, he focuses on quantum computing, focusing on its practical application and popularisation.

Alexandra comes with 15 years of professional experience within the public sector, private sector and academia.

She is currently working at Pasqal – the global quantum computing leader based on neutral atoms technology – as the Global Public Policy Lead. In her role, she takes responsibility over Pasqal’s Public Affairs, Standardisation and Sustainability activities.  

Alexandra previously worked as Chief Economist in the Cloud & Software Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT). In that role, she took responsibility over the economic, competition, statistical, industrial and investment aspects of cloud computing. She notably acted as the Commission’s trusted advisor to guide 12 Member States and hundreds of companies from the data, cloud and software ecosystems to design and set-up the Important Project of Common European Interest on Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services. 

Prior to that, she worked at Accenture where she pursued strategic consultancy missions for more than 50 public administrations and local governments across Europe in which she specialised in the digital transformation of public services and cities.

Alexandra started her career as an academic and teaching fellow at the College of Europe, where her research focused on the use of European public funding to shape local policies in Spain, Italy and Portugal.

She graduated in Economics and Sociology and in European Affairs and Public Policy, from the London School of Economics (LSE), the College of Europe, Sciences Po. Paris and la Sorbonne. 

Freeke is a seasoned executive at the forefront of quantum and deeptech innovation. She has a proven track record of building ecosystems at the intersection of policy, academia, and industry. As co-founder and first director of Quantum Delta NL, the Dutch national quantum initiative, she spearheaded its €615M Ecosystem Approach, one of the largest public investments in quantum worldwide.

In 2024, she joined Qblox as part time Government Affairs Officer and was elected in May 2025 as Vice-President of QuIC. In parallel she launched an independent consultancy, advising leading organizations including NATO on quantum supply-chain vulnerabilities. 

Beyond her executive roles, Freeke serves on advisory boards for the European Innovation Council (EIC) and OrangeQS, and is a two-term Co-Chair of a WEF Global Future Council.

As a trained Delft Systems Engineer, she was in senior leadership positions at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs before dedicating herself to Europe’s quantum technology landscape.

Dr. Gustav Kalbe studied Applied Physics at the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium. In 1991 he studied Applied Optics at the Imperial College of Science in London. In 1995 he completed his studies and earned a PhD in Physics, Molecular Spectroscopy, at the UCL, Belgium.

He started his professional career as a project manager in photonic networks at the incumbent telecom operator in Belgium. He was R&D manager when he left the company.

In 1998 he joined the Directorate General Information Society & Media of the European Commission where he started working as Project Officer managing research projects of the European Framework Programs for Research. Over the years he had several assignments in quantum technologies, photonics, and cybersecurity.

In 2014 Gustav Kalbe became HoU for Administration & Finance in the European Commission, in DG Connect.

In 2016 he was appointed HoU of the newly created High Performance Computing and Quantum Technology unit in DG Connect.

In 2018 he became responsible for the establishment and operation of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking. He occupied the post of Interim Executive Director of the JU until its autonomy by the end of 2020.

In January 2021, he was appointed Deputy to the Director of DG Connect C “Digital Excellence and Science Infrastructure”.

Since May 2022 Gustav is the Acting Director of DG Connect C “Digital Excellence and Science Infrastructure”.

Mira Yossifova is a Bulgarian futurist and innovation policy expert who has dedicated nearly two decades to transforming strategic foresight into actionable government policies. Currently serving as the Director of Policy and Analysis at the Ministry of Innovation and Growth of Bulgaria, she stands at the intersection of technology, innovation, and strategic planning in shaping the country’s future.

With over 18 years of experience in governmental organizations, Yossifova has built her career around strategic foresight, innovation policy, and analytical research. Her professional journey includes significant roles across multiple Bulgarian institutions, including positions at the National Employment Agency, Ministry of Culture, and State Agency for Research and Innovation, before ascending to her current leadership role in the innovation sector.

Since November 2021, she has focused specifically on innovation policy, where her responsibilities encompass writing strategic analyses, conducting assessments, and implementing governmental strategic foresight projects. Her work involves crafting strategies that prepare Bulgaria for future technological and economic challenges while fostering an environment for sustainable growth.

As CEO of OQC, Gerald spearheads the company vision, mission and values through the delivery of strategic objectives and ensuring shareholder value. Gerald has spent two decades delivering technology solutions for customers across life sciences, financial services, energy and defence at leading companies including Accenture and PwC. He was also a Director at the UK Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office, working on security related projects; a position he held for 8 years.

Lene joined the Novo Nordisk Foundation in 2019 to establish and lead activities in the Nat-Tech area covering the natural- and technical sciences, this including activities relating to quantum technologies and artificial intelligence.  She has a background as a Professor of physics, Niels Bohr Institute (NBI) at Copenhagen University (~20 years).

Lene is a physicist, trained also in mathematics. She is an experimentalist and at the Niels Bohr Institute she constructed the first optical tweezers manipulation facility in Scandinavia. She is an expert in the interphase between quantum and the life sciences and is key designer of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme, of the Quantum Foundry Copenhagen, as well as of the AI and quantum dedicated super-compute facilities Gefion and Magne, respectively. As a researcher, she has been the leader of several interdisciplinary large-scale research projects, including center leader of a Grundforskningsfond Center of Excellence. She has received several research prizes, e.g., the Danish Optical Society prize for young investigators, the Silver Medal of the Danish Royal Academy of Sciences and Letters, and the Elite Research Prize from the Danish Research Councils, the largest Danish public research prize. Lene Oddershede is a member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, of the Danish Royal Academy of Sciences and Letters, and of the Global Future Council for quantum economy at the World Economic Forum (WEF). 

PhD in physics from SDU, Odense, Denmark 1998.  

Pierre Desjardins, co-founder and CEO, Managing Director. He is a graduate of École Polytechnique and Columbia University in New York (Master of Science in quantum physics obtained in 2013). He has worked as a research assistant at MIT’s Quantum Photonics Lab. From 2014 to 2020, he was a strategy consultant at Roland Berger, a global consulting firm. He managed or participated in over 40 projects, advising companies and investment funds on strategic and operational assignments.

Johannes is CEO and founder of QBN, the Global Industry Network for quantum technologies. He is also an active advisor and investor, and has been awarded as Best Ambassador for EU Sovereignty. With a robust background in deeptech, quantum physics and applied R&D, a wealth of experience in company and ecosystem building as well as international cluster management, Johannes plays a pivotal role in bridging the gap between industry, science and policy and leverages his expertise and global network to drive the societal and economic impact of quantum!

Andrea G. Rodríguez is Director for Quantum Technologies at Adigital, the Spanish Digital Economy Association. She is also Acting Chair of the Governance Board at IMPAQT, a quantum computing consortium based in Delft, The Netherlands. Andrea is also an Associate Research Fellow in the GRID Unit at CEPS. She participates in many advisory and working groups at different organisations, such as NATO STO.

Bio to follow.

From France, Mr Jaffart has over 20 years of experience in the European space sector.

Mr Jaffart graduated from the University of Brighton in the UK in 2000 with an honours degree in European business and technology, then gained dual Masters in Business Administration degrees from the former ESC Reims (Reims Management School in France) and Dublin City University. In 2012, Mr Jaffart was awarded a Masters degree in military national resource strategy and policy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (now Eisenhower School) at the National Defence University in Washington DC.

Before joining ESA, Mr Jaffart worked for Airbus Defence and Space as Vice-President and Head of Strategy, Corporate and New Business Development in Space Systems, leading a trans-national team based in France, Germany and the UK. He simultaneously served as a member of the Space System Executive Board and as a member of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites Board.

Previously, Mr Jaffart worked in various roles at the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), that went on to become part of Airbus Defence and Space in 2015. These included notably Vice-President and Head of Sales & Marketing Business Growth for Space Systems, Head of Strategy at Astrium Satellites (a subsidiary of EADS) based in Ottobrun, Germany, where he was responsible for the OneWeb bid for the first generation of the constellation and the creation of the joint-venture Airbus OneWeb Satellites.

As Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications, Mr Jaffart will be responsible for ESA’s satellite telecommunication programmes, namely the implementation of the full portfolio of ARTES 4.0 projects in partnership with European and Canadian industries and operators and developing the programme’s commercial nature.

He will also be responsible for strategic programme lines related to 5G/6G non-terrestrial network integration, secure communications, and quantum/optical technologies and for the new portfolio of programmes approved at the ESA Ministerial Council in 2022, namely the ESA contribution to EU Secure Connectivity Programme IRIS2, Moonlight, and Civil Security from Space.

With over 15 years of work experience in the ICT industry, Sarmīte is a Senior Expert in Digitalisation at the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia, where she leads and coordinates the implementation of the national digital transformation strategy in the higher education and research sector. Sarmīte is Chair of the States Representatives Group of the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership that aims to accelerate the development and deployment of 5G and 6G technologies in Europe.

She represents Latvia on the EuroHPC JU Governing Board and has contributed to the EU Quantum Strategy Working Group, supporting Europe’s long-term vision for quantum technologies. In Latvia, she has been instrumental in developing advanced digital skills programs for quantum technologies, bridging education, research, and industry needs. Through her work at the intersection of policy, science, and innovation, Sarmite is committed to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and building a resilient ecosystem for digital and quantum technologies.

Sarmīte has published several papers on CRM, ICT industry competitiveness, and digitalisation. She is passionate about learning new things, exploring new opportunities, and making a positive impact in the world.

Jan Ellsberger is a globally recognised leader in the ICT industry with more than 30 years of experience with research and innovation, industry ecosystem development, standardisation, policy development & regulation, and strategy development in the telecommunications and automotive industries. From 2000-2012 he was leading Ericsson’s global standardisation operations. He has also served in leading positions in several industry associations such as 3GPP, 5GAA, ERTICO and the Horizon Europe CCAM Association.

Sapphire works at the intersection of telecoms and quantum, developing technical and commercial use cases for quantum technologies in the telco ecosystem. She has a PhD in quantum theory, where she explored the mathematics of open quantum systems and investigated ways to extend the lifetime of useful quantum effects. She then spent several years as a consultant building network models for telco strategy projects including mergers, spectrum acquisitions, and network sharing agreements, as well as writing and researching white papers on spectrum, satellite, and entrant operator policy. She is excited by the potential offered by widespread quantum communication infrastructure – enabling use cases not only for telcos, but across a wide range of sectors including healthcare, logistics, and research. 

Dr. Fabiana Da Pieve works as Programme Manager at the European Commission, DG CONNECT, in the Unit “Emerging and Disruptive Technologies”, where she focuses on both post-quantum cryptography and quantum communications, designing work programmes and policy initiatives. She has 19 years experience in fundamental research, on problems related to the entanglement, many-body physics, and, in the last part of her academic career, space missions. She also had an education in cryptography and worked in the past on the cryptographic tests of the Galileo Public Regulated Service. She is strongly involved in designing new initiatives to facilitate the EU transition to PQC, for both deployment actions and fundamental research for new applications and cryptanalysis, and she is strongly involved in the work of PQC workstream of the NIS cooperation group on setting the path for a coordinated transition across the whole EU. For quantum communications, she designs new activities in the context of EuroQCI, both for the ground and space segment, also beyond the sole key exchange functionality to facilitate the path towards future broader scope quantum networks.

Samih Souissi is currently the Chief of Staff of the Expertise Department of the French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI). He leads ANSSI’s work on the transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC).

Before joining ANSSI, he was a policy officer at the French telecom regulator (Arcep) focusing on Open Internet issues. Prior to that, he worked as a cybersecurity consultant and a research engineer.

Besides, he is actively engaged with the internet governance and cybersecurity community, serving on the scientific council of Afnic (the French NIC) and the scientific committee of Internet Society France.

Samih holds a MSc in engineering and a PhD in computer science and networks with a focus on cybersecurity from Telecom Paris. He is also a graduate of University of London-LSE in international relations.

Elena Kaiser works as Deputy Head of EU Cybersecurity Strategy and Policies Division at the Italian National Cybersecurity Agency.

In her role, she contributes to the development and analysis of EU cybersecurity policies, ensuring alignment with national interests and regulations, and she represents the Agency in relevant EU working groups.

Before that, she was the Legal Advisor of the Cybersecurity Agency of the Ministry of Economy of Luxembourg.

Elena holds a Ph.D. in Public, International and European Law and is qualified to practice law in Italy.

Enrico is a cybersecurity professional in financial services specialising in application security. At EY, he helps teams build and run secure software by embedding security into the SDLC, leading threat modelling, and driving remediation of vulnerabilities that put sensitive data at risk.

With a strong interest in quantum resilience, Enrico works with EY clients to get ready for the post-quantum era by performing crypto‑agility tests, building cryptographic inventories, and exploring pilots of post‑quantum cryptography in various applications. He actively tracks the European Commission’s Recommendation on the transition to PQC, the NIS Cooperation Group’s Coordinated Implementation Roadmap & NIS2, translating policy into practical migration roadmaps and setting vendor requirements.

Current priorities include reducing “harvest now, decrypt later” exposure, modernising key management and aligning security, infrastructure on quantum‑ready standards.

Elizabeth Thomas-Raynaud is Head of the Emerging Digital Technologies unit of the Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).

A dual citizen of Canada and France, Elizabeth joined OECD in 2020 as Head of Secretariat for the newly announced Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). More recently, she was tasked with launching the Global Forum on Technology (GFTech), a multistakeholder platform for anticipatory dialogue on the long-term opportunities and risks of emerging technologies. In 2023, GFTech identified quantum technologies as a key focus area. Its expert focus group on quantum technologies brings together 49 experts from 26 nationalities, whose deliberations complement the policy activities of the OECD Policy Committees. More information on the work is available here.

Prior to the OECD, Elizabeth directed digital economy policy at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), leading global business engagement at the UN, G20, APEC and others on issues such as Internet and telecoms, cybersecurity, privacy, and digital trade.

She studied International Economics and Political Science at the University of British Columbia, in Canada for her Bachelor of Arts and pursued a Master of Arts at City, University of London, in the UK. Executive follow-up studies include, MIT Sloan and CSAIL’s AI programme; Singularity’s Emerging Technology programme and the European Space Agency’s Space law course, with more surely to come.

Josh Fedder serves as Deputy Head of the UK Office for Quantum, a pioneering unit established in 2023 under the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology. He oversees the Office’s international engagement, regulation and national security portfolios, shaping interoperable approaches to quantum while building trusted partnerships with like‑minded nations. Josh focuses on aligning roadmaps, de‑risking critical supply chains, and translating complementary capabilities across ecosystems into shared advantage—driving economic growth and safeguarding national security.

Dr. Jeongwon LEE is the Director of the Korea-Europe Quantum Science and Technology Cooperation Center (KE-QSTCC), where he leads initiatives to strengthen collaboration between Korea and Europe in the quantum technology ecosystem.

He holds an M.S. in Electronic Engineering and a Ph.D. in Technology Policy, with his doctoral research focusing on the effectiveness of government R&D subsidies.

With a background in radar system development in the defense sector, he has contributed to shaping Korea’s national ICT strategies, including those related to quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, and other emerging fields.

At the Institute of ICT Planning & Evaluation (IITP), Korea’s primary ICT funding agency, Dr. Lee served as the R&D coordinator for the Korea Quantum Flagship Project.

He has played a key role in fostering the national ecosystem for quantum communication and sensing.

Sofie Lindskov Hansen is Chief Quantum Expert in Denmark’s Office of the Tech Ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She holds a PhD in quantum physics from the Niels Bohr Institute and a medical physics degree from Rigshospitalet. Her career spans academia and industry—including R&D in nanophotonic quantum optics and roles at Sparrow Quantum and Kvantify—bridging deep science with real-world applications.

At the MFA, Sofie helps connect Denmark’s research strengths with allies and industry through the International Quantum Hub and supports Denmark’s quantum-specific MoUs with the United States (2022), the United Kingdom (2024), and Japan (2025). She also serves on the CEPS advisory board guiding Europe’s transition to a quantum-safe world. Her scientific background includes peer-reviewed work on integrated quantum photonics—such as single-photon routing in photonic circuits and waveguide-QED nonlinearity—and a doctoral thesis on single-photon manipulation in nanophotonic circuits.

A founding director of Cullen International in 1988, Philippe has worked extensively on EU regulation affecting the telecoms and internet sectors and the implementation at national level across Europe. He is widely regarded in the industry as one of the leading experts in the field. Philippe pioneered the practice of cross-country benchmarking of national regulation – the core methodology used across all of Cullen International’s intelligence services. He leads business development activities for the company – focussing on building Cullen International’s business outside of Europe, in particular in Latin America, the Middle East & North Africa. Philippe frequently presents Cullen International research at industry conferences, client briefings and training courses.

Tomas Jakimavicius is a European Government Affairs Director at Microsoft. His main activities focus on Digital Infrastructure, Cloud, Quantum and Industrial regulatory policies impacting Microsoft and its customers’ use of and access to Microsoft’s products and services. Tomas has over 15 years of a wide-ranging senior level experience in both private and public sectors. In his career, he held leadership and advisory positions in trade associations and private sector companies and served as a diplomat at the Council of the European Union with a focus on EU digital regulatory policies.

As Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen is tasked with combatting the increasingly complex security threats facing the EU, whilst at the same time strengthening our external borders and our internal security. This goes hand in hand with her responsibility to ensure our freedoms, justice and democracy are strengthened too.

Axel Ferrazzini leads a consulting firm based in Brussels, specialised in quantum technologies and intellectual property rights. He heads the academic programme for the quantum computing and technologies major at EPITA, a leading engineering computer science school in Paris. He teaches innovation strategy at Bocconi University in Milan.

He is listed as an inventor on more than 20 patents and has contributed to standards development organisations for more than 20 years. Axel has served as an elected member of the ETSI Board since 2014 and of the Global Intellectual Property Alliance Board since 2022. He has been ranked in the IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists since 2022.