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).

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”.

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.

Pascal Maillot is the Deputy Head of the Quantum Technologies Unit within the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) at the European Commission. He oversees the €1 billion Quantum Flagship initiative, launched in October 2018 to advance Europe’s position in quantum science and technology.

He graduated as a computer engineer in 1998 and has held several positions in both the private and public sectors, including roles as a telecommunications project manager and cybersecurity analyst.

He later transitioned to the field of quantum technologies, where he now focuses on the development of a future quantum internet—a secure, pan-European quantum network interconnecting quantum computers, simulators, and sensors to enable the distribution of quantum information and resources. He has been serving in the EU institutions for over 20 years.

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.  

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 an Associate Research Fellow in the GRID Unit at CEPS. She is also Lead and Chair of the Governing Board at ImpaQT, a quantum tech consortium based in Delft (Netherlands). Andrea teaches Cybersecurity and Security and Technology at the Catholic University of Lille (France) and participates in many advisory and working groups in different organisations, such as NATO STO and CEN-CENELEC. Before, she was a Lead Digital Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre, a Brussels-based think tank and Lead Researcher at CIDOB, the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs.

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 Digitalization 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 also the Vice-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. In addition, she is a co-owner of One Wolf, a sustainable and innovative fashion brand. Sarmīte’s mission is to leverage her expertise and skills to create value for stakeholders and to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence. 

Sarmīte has published several papers on CRM, ICT industry competitiveness, and digitalization. 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.

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.

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.

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.