General
This event is organized by the Volt There International Foundation. You can also following this event online via YouTube:
If you join online, you don't have to register via this page. If you want to attend the event in Prague in-person, you will need to register via this page.
IMPORTANT: Please note that by signing up the in-person event, you are agreeing to be filmed and appear on camera as part of the online broadcast.
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.
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.
Context
This is a Volt Europe thematic community event. Thematic communities facilitate online policy discussion, will be a landing place for many grassroots initiatives across Europe, support policy teams on all levels of Volt with expertise and writing election programmes, and much more.
This is the third event of an event series with European thematic communities, to expand their European basis. Join us every month with a different European community in a different country. This month with the Defense & security Community (DefCom) and in the Czech Republic.
Do you want to join more health policy discussions, stay up-to-date with the activities of DefCom and are you a member of Volt? Then join us on Workplace: https://volteuropa.workplace.com/groups/194467028517731
Location & time
Where does the event happen? Kavárna Na Boršově at Náprstkova 272/10 11000 Praha 1 in the Czech Republic
When does the event happen?
Begin:
End:
Admission:
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