INESC Brussels HUB Summer Meeting 2025 

Strategic Autonomy & Dual-Use R&I: Coherence, Capabilities & Europe’s Future

Dates:
25 and 26 june, 2025

Happening at:
BIP Meeting Centre, Brussels

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The 2025 INESC Brussels HUB Summer Meeting – titled “Strategic Autonomy & Dual-Use R&I: Coherence, Capabilities & Europe’s Future” – is a high-level European event that brings together research and innovation actors, EU policymakers, industry leaders, and national authorities.

Amid increasing geopolitical complexity and a rapidly evolving R&I landscape, the meeting will foster critical dialogue on how Europe can strengthen its strategic autonomy through innovation, dual-use technologies, and coherent funding frameworks.

By convening thought leaders and practitioners from across Europe, the event aims to shape forward-looking R&I policy and practice, while highlighting the contributions of European research-performing organisations. It also seeks to position the R&I stakeholders as dynamic players in this collective European effort, bridging civil and defence research, and contributing solutions aligned with EU strategic priorities.

 

Participation Format

The 2025 INESC Brussels Hub Summer Meeting is primarily an in-person event.

While live streaming will be available, online participants will have access to view the sessions only. Interaction, Q&A, or participation in working groups will be reserved for on-site attendees.

Deadline for registration is: 19th June 2025

Objectives

The 2025 INESC Brussels HUB Summer Meeting aims to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing European debate on strategic autonomy, dual-use innovation, and research and innovation (R&I) governance by pursuing the following objectives:

  1. Explore coherence across EU funding programmes that are key for Europe’s strategic autonomy and resilience, including FP10 (or R&I in the next MFF), EDF2, EDIS, Digital Europe, and national defence R&I strategies.

  2. Highlight the role of Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs), Technical Universities, and other Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) in the dual-use and defence R&I ecosystem, advocating for their increased visibility and participation.

  3. Frame dual-use technologies as strategic enablers of European resilience, industrial decentralisation, and preparedness in domains such as energy, cybersecurity, health, mobility, and civil protection.

  4. Contribute to shaping EU approaches to knowledge security, addressing the growing tension between open science and the protection of critical technologies, including issues of export control, researcher mobility, and the integrity of knowledge value chains.

  5. Support a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities across the European R&I system to improve programme design, ensure complementarity between funding instruments, and unlock collaborative potential.

  6. Strengthen the positioning of INESC and the broader European research community as contributors to the formulation of forward-looking EU policy and funding priorities aligned with Europe’s long-term strategic goals.

Strategic Context

The 2025 INESC Brussels HUB Summer Meeting is rooted in a critical moment for Europe’s research and innovation system, as the continent grapples with intensified geopolitical tensions, accelerating technological transitions, and a demand for deeper industrial and technological sovereignty.

This meeting aligns with key EU policy frameworks and strategic documents, including:

  • The European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS)
  • The EU Strategic Compass
  • The Letta Report on the future of the Single Market
  • The Draghi Report on EU competitiveness
  • The interim evaluation of Horizon Europe
  • The design phase of Framework Programme 10 (FP10) or, more broadly, the role of R&I in the next MFF, and EDF2

     

It responds to Europe’s growing need to:

  • Support technological sovereignty through investment and capability-building
  • Promote knowledge security in an era of shifting global alliances and open science dilemmas
  • Ensure coherence across sectoral and horizontal policy frameworks, connecting R&I, defence, industrial strategy, and societal resilience

We are organising this event in close partnership with key institutions in the European Research Area, in Portugal and with Science | Business as Media Partner.

A key institutional partner in this strategic dialogue is PlanAPP – Centro de Competências de Planeamento, de Políticas e de Prospetiva da Administração Pública. Integrated into the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, PlanAPP is a central service of the Portuguese government under the authority of the Prime Minister. It operates with administrative autonomy and plays a leading role in supporting strategic planning, defining government priorities, ensuring coherence across sectoral and transversal planning instruments, and evaluating the implementation and impact of public policies.


PlanAPP’s engagement brings a unique dimension to the Summer Meeting: it embeds public policy foresight and planning within the broader debate on dual-use R&I and strategic autonomy. It reinforces the event’s ambition to bridge research, governance, and societal relevance and to support the development of a coherent, impact-driven European research and innovation strategy.


In this context, the meeting also seeks to engage with the Foresight Unit of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, a key actor in promoting anticipatory governance and long-term thinking across EU institutions. The potential dialogue between PlanAPP and the JRC Foresight Unit represents a unique opportunity to bridge national and European approaches to foresight, policy planning, and strategic coherence. This collaboration would contribute to shaping a more resilient and future-oriented research and innovation ecosystem across Europe.

Thematic Pillars

The thematic structure of the Summer Meeting reflects the multi-dimensional nature of Europe’s strategic autonomy agenda, bridging research, technology, policy design, and foresight. Each pillar is designed to foster high-level dialogue between R&I actors, EU institutions, national authorities, and strategic stakeholders, contributing to a collective understanding of Europe’s innovation governance and future capabilities.

1- Programme Coherence and Strategic Design

Focus: Alignment and complementarity across EU funding programmes (FP10, EDF2, EDIS, Digital Europe, and national strategies).

Why: Fragmentation across instruments risks undermining Europe’s strategic ambitions. A more integrated design is needed to reflect the cross-sectoral nature of strategic autonomy.

Intended outcome: Shared strategic reflections on programme coordination and coherence, including the role of different types of actors in shaping and delivering future missions.

 

2- The Role of Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) in Dual-Use and Defence R&I

Focus: Elevating the contribution of RTOs, technical universities, and public research organisations in dual-use and defence ecosystems.

Why: Despite their central role in innovation, RPOs face constraints in accessing defence-oriented instruments. Addressing institutional and regulatory barriers is essential for a more inclusive and effective innovation strategy.

Topics: Eligibility, institutional models, value creation, consortia structures

Intended outcome: Strategic reflections on how RPOs can be more effectively mobilised to contribute to Europe’s defence and resilience objectives.

3- Dual-Use Innovation for Resilience and Distributed Capability-Building

Focus: Identifying key areas where civil and defence research intersect such as AI, sensors, energy resilience, photonics, autonomous systems, and cyber-physical security.

Why: A resilient Europe requires investments that scale innovation across its full geographic and institutional spectrum. Dual-use innovation offers a pragmatic path forward.

Use cases: Health biosensing, smart textiles, maritime autonomy, critical infrastructure protection, mobile energy systems

Intended outcome: Cross-sectoral insights into future-oriented technology development, with a focus on fostering partnerships and distributed innovation ecosystems.

4- Knowledge Security and Open Strategic Research

Focus: Navigating the emerging governance challenges between open science and strategic protection in a fragmented geopolitical landscape.

Why: Europe must maintain academic openness while developing safeguards for critical and dual-use knowledge domains.

Framing source: “As open as possible, as restricted as necessary”

Topics: Export controls, knowledge value chains, dual-use research ethics, IP management

Intended outcome: Strategic reflections on institutional and policy mechanisms that balance openness with resilience and security imperatives.

5- Foresight and Strategic Planning for R&I Governance

Focus: Embedding anticipatory capacity in research policy design and innovation strategy.

Why: Strategic autonomy requires today’s capabilities and tomorrow’s foresight. Planning and futures thinking are key to informed and coherent decision-making.

Key contributors: PlanAPP (national strategic planning), JRC Foresight Unit (EU-level foresight and anticipatory governance), EPRS (EU Policy)

Topics: Scenario-building, impact planning, cross-sector foresight, anticipatory governance models

Intended outcome: Initiation of a structured dialogue between national and EU foresight actors, promoting shared learning and long-term vision for Europe’s R&I system.

Programme Structure

Day 1 – Strategic Landscape and Systemic Challenges

Setting the scene: European ambition, institutional coherence, and foresight framing

Day 1, 25 June


12:00 Reception networking and light lunch
Plenary Panel I Coherence in Strategic Autonomy – Aligning FP10, EDF2 & EDIS
Plenary Panel II The Role of RPOs in Dual-Use and Defence R&I
Foresight Session How to think the future of defence and dual-use?

Parallel Thematic Roundtables A
A1: Distributed Capability-Building
A2: Policy Instruments for Knowledge Security

Heading #3
Time
Session
Description
12:00
Check-in and Light Lunch
13:00
Welcome and Opening Keynotes
Welcome: Inês Lynce, Chair of the Management Committee of the INESC Brussels HUB and President of INESC ID

Manuela Teixeira Pinto, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union
13:30
Plenary Panel I: Strategic coherence: How best to align Europe’s defence tech programmes?
Michalis Ketselidis, Senior Expert, Defence Industry and Space, General Secretariat of the European Commission

Katarzyna Ananicz, Head of Common Security and Defence Policy Unit at Polish Permanent Representation to the EU

Renzo Tomellini, General Manager, Brussels Office, Leonardo

Muriel Attané, Secretary General, EARTO

Moderation: Simon Pickard, Science Business
14:30
Plenary Panel II: On the front line: Which role for RPOs in dual-use and defence R&I?
Doris Schroecker, Head of Unit, Industrial Research, Innovation & Investment Agendas (RTD.E.1)

António Gaspar, Business Development, INESC TEC

António Braz Costa, General Director, CITEVE Technological Centre

Geraud Gilloud, EU R&I Manager, TNO

Guillermo Cisneros, Rector Emeritus, UPM – Universidade Politécnica de Madrid

Moderation: Simon Pickard, Science Business
15:30
Foresight Session How to think the future of defence and dual-use?
Gabriel Osório de Barros, Deputy-Director-General, Centre for Planning and Evaluation of Public Policies (PlanAPP)

João Farinha, Foresight Unit, Joint Research Council (JRC)

Henri van Soest, Senior Analyst, Defence, Security and Justice, RAND Europe

TBD, European Parliament Research Service (EPRS)

Moderation: Eduardo Silva, INESC TEC and Simon Pickard, Science Business
16:30
Coffee break and networking
17:00
Parallel Thematic Roundtables A
A1: Distributed Capability-Building
Firestarter presentations:

– Navy Commander Bruno Pica, National Focal Point for the European Defence Fund, PoC for the Capability, Armament & Planning Directorate of the European Defence Agency

– Pedro Lousã, Chief Operating Officer, Beyond Vision

– Pedro Petiz, Director of Strategic Development, TEKEVER

– Lieutenant-Commander Tiago Lopes Monteiro, Portuguese Naval Staff, innovation and Transformation Division

Moderator and rapporteur: Ana Ribeiro, EU Funding Defence Unit, Magellan-Circle

A2: Policy Instruments for Knowledge Security
Firestarter presentations:

– Johan Evers, Technical Coordinator Export Controls, Sanctions, Security & Defense and Knowledge Security at IMEC and representative of European Export Control Association for Research Organisations (EECARO)

– Linda Solstrand Dahlberg, Head of Brussels Office, UiT – the Artic University of Norway, on research security and academic-military cooperation

Moderator and rapporteur: Sophie Viscido, Partner, Technopolis Group
18:00
Day 1 Wrap-up
Summary of key insights, synthesis of foresight session, and framing for Day 2.
19:30
Summer Meeting Dinner + Guest Talk
Hosted by INESC in partnerships with ADRA – The European Association on AI, Data and Robotics (open to all speakers and per invitation only)

Programme Structure

Day 2 – Technology Frontiers, Strategic Actors and Collaboration Pathways

Zooming in: Dual-use innovation domains, partnerships, and future directions

Heading #3
Time
Session
Description
08:45
Check-in and Welcome Coffee
09:30
Plenary Panel III: Key enablers: How can dual- use innovation boost Europe’s resilience?
Dirk Peters, European Commission, Defence Technologies (DEFIS.2)

Mihnea Costoiu, Rector, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest

Thibauld Jongen, Head of Industry Futures, ADRA (AI, Data and Robotics EU association) and CEO Common Sense Robotics

Krister Talvinen, Manager of Defence Programmes, VTT

John Rodrigues, Director, INESC INOV

Moderation: Simon Pickard, Science Business
10:30
Parallel Thematic Roundtables B
B1: Health, Cyber, and Sensors for Societal Resilience
Firestarter presentations:

Paulo Freitas, President, INESC Microsystems and Nanotechnologies

Hugo Paredes, Coordinator of the Centre for Human-Centered Computing and Information Science (HumanISE), INESC TEC

Nazua Costa, Business Development Manager, INESC INOV

Moderator and rapporteur: Ricardo Marvão, Co-founder, Beta-I, Entrepreneur.

B2: Robotics, Power Systems and Autonomy – Strategic Tech for Civil and Defence
Firestarter presentation:

Ignacio Gil, Senior Researcher, Energy Flexibility & Smart Grids, INESC TEC

Nuno Cruz, Coordinator, Centre for Robotics and Autonomous Systems, INESC TEC

Moderator and rapporteur: TBD
11:30
Coffee & Networking
Open networking opportunities.
11:45
The road to FP10: Can Europe build the right foundations for its R&I future?
Focus on identifying synergies, gaps, and forward-looking coordination.

Andreas Schwarz, Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva

Carla Matias dos Santos, Research and Space Councilor, Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union

Verena Fennemann, Head of Fraunhofer EU Office Brussels

Mattias Bjornmalm, Secretary General, CESAER

Moderation: Simon Pickard, Science Business & Ricardo Migueis, Head of INESC Brussels HUB
12:45
Conclusions and next steps
All moderators concluding remarks

João Claro, Vice-Chair of INESC Brussels HUB, President and CEO of INESC TEC
13:00
Light Lunch and farewell

Speakers

Profiles Summer Meeting (1)

Inês Lynce

President of INESC-ID

Chair of the Management Committee, INESC Brussels HUB

Profiles Summer Meeting (2)

Manuela Teixeira Pinto

Deputy Permanent Representative COREPER

Permanent Representation of Portugal to the EU

Profiles Summer Meeting (3)

Michalis Ketselidis

Senior Expert, Defence & Space

General Secretariat of the European Commission

Profiles Summer Meeting (4)

Katarzyna Ananicz

Head of Common Security and Defence Policy Unit

Polish Permanent Representation to the EU

Profiles Summer Meeting (5)

Renzo Tomellini

General Manager

Leonardo, Brussels Office

Profiles Summer Meeting (6)

Muriel Attané

Secretary General

EARTO - European Association of Research & Technology Organisations

Profiles Summer Meeting (2)

Doris Schroecker

Head of Unit

Industrial Research, Innovation & Investment Agendas (RTD.E.1)

Profiles Summer Meeting (7)

António Gaspar

Business Development

INESC TEC, Portugal

Profiles Summer Meeting (8)

António Braz Costa

General Director

CITEVE Technological Centre

Profiles Summer Meeting (9)

Geraud Gilloud

European R&I Project Manager

TNO

Profiles Summer Meeting (10)

Guillermo Cisneros

Rector Emeritus

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Profiles Summer Meeting (11)

Gabriel Osório de Barros

Deputy Director-General

PlanAPP

Profiles Summer Meeting (12)

João Farinha

Foresight Unit

Joint Research Centre (JRC)

Profiles Summer Meeting (3)

Bruno Pica

Navy Commander

National Focal Point for the European Defence Fund, CAP POC European Defence Agency

Profiles Summer Meeting (4)

Pedro Lousã

Chief Operating Officer

Beyond Vision

Profiles Summer Meeting (5)

Pedro Petiz

Director of Strategic Development

TEKEVER

Profiles Summer Meeting (6)

Tiago Lopes Monteiro

Lieutenant-Commander

Portuguese Naval Staff, innovation and Transformation Division

Profiles Summer Meeting (7)

Johan Evers

Technical Coordinator Export Controls

European Export Control Association for Research Organisations (EECARO)

Profiles Summer Meeting (8)

Linda Solstrand Dahlberg

Head of Brussels Office

UiT – the Artic University of Norway

Profiles Summer Meeting (9)

Dirk Peters

European Commission

EU Defence Technologies (DEFIS.2)

Profiles Summer Meeting (14)

Mihnea Costoiu

Rector

National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest

Profiles Summer Meeting (10)

Thibauld Jongen

Head of Industry Futures

ADRA (AI, Data and Robotics EU association) and CEO Common Sense Robotics

Profiles Summer Meeting (18)

Krister Talvinen

Manager of Defence Programmes

VTT Technical Research Centre

Profiles Summer Meeting (16)

John Rodrigues

Director

INESC INOV

Profiles Summer Meeting (11)

Paulo Freitas

President

INESC Microsystems and Nanotechnologies

Profiles Summer Meeting (12)

Henri van Soest

Senior Analyst

Defence, Security and Justice, RAND Europe

Profiles Summer Meeting (13)

Hugo Paredes

Professor & Center Coordinator

Centre for Human-Centered Computing and Information Science (HumanISE), INESC TEC

Profiles Summer Meeting (14)

Nazua Costa

Business Development Manager

INESC INOV

Profiles Summer Meeting (15)

Ignacio Hernando Gil

Senior Researcher

Energy Flexibility & Smart Grids, INESC TEC

Profiles Summer Meeting (16)

Nuno Cruz

Coordinator

Centre for Robotics and Autonomous Systems, INESC TEC

Profiles Summer Meeting (17)

Andreas Schwarz

Head of Cabinet

Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva

Profiles Summer Meeting (18)

Carla Matias dos Santos

Research and Space Counsellor

Permanent Representation of Portugal to the EU

Profiles Summer Meeting

Verena Fennemann

Head of Office

Fraunhofer EU Office Brussels

Profiles Summer Meeting (19)

Mattias Björnmalm

Secretary General

CESAER

Profiles Summer Meeting (17)

Simon Pickard

Network Director

Science|Business

Profiles Summer Meeting (20)

João Claro

President and CEO

INESC TEC, Portugal

Profiles Summer Meeting (21)

Ricardo Migueis

Head of Office

Head of INESC Brussels HUB

Roundtable detail

🔹 A1: Distributed Capability-Building – Regional Innovation for Strategic Autonomy

Objective

To explore how Europe’s strategic autonomy can be strengthened through a geographically distributed, networked approach to innovation and production rather than through centralised, siloed systems. Focus on empowering R&I ecosystems across Member States, with special attention to regions often overlooked in strategic agendas.

Format

Moderated roundtable with regional innovation actors, EC, RTOs, industry representatives, and national foresight agencies (e.g. PlanAPP).

Topics

  • How to avoid centralisation of dual-use capacity in a few Member States
  • Case studies of regional innovation with dual-use potential (e.g. maritime, space, energy, border control)
  • Leveraging structural funds and national plans in support of distributed tech sovereignty
  • Integrating regional clusters and SMEs into strategic value chains

 

Expected Insight

Strategic reflections on the value of a decentralised innovation model, actionable ideas for regional engagement in FP10/EDF, and inspiration for coalition-building beyond the usual suspects.

🔹 A2: Policy Instruments for Knowledge Security

Objective

To address the rising importance of knowledge protection, technology control, and institutional capacity for managing sensitive research while preserving scientific openness and collaboration.

Format

Closed-door (Chatham House-style) discussion with CESAER, EC, national security offices, university compliance officers, and INESC R&I leadership.

Topics

  • Institutional strategies for managing dual-use research of concern
  • Export controls, researcher screening, and cyber risks
  • Legal and ethical dimensions of knowledge security
  • Knowledge value chains in a geopolitically divided world
  • The meaning of “as open as possible, as restricted as necessary” in practice

 

Expected Insight

Greater clarity on shared concerns and divergent national approaches, informal benchmarking of institutional practices, and emerging areas for support in FP10.

🔹 B1: Health, Cyber, and Sensors for Societal Resilience

Objective

To highlight how dual-use innovation can simultaneously enhance national security and civil protection. The focus is on health preparedness, cyber-resilience, and next-gen sensing systems.

Format

Mixed technical-policy session with contributions from INESC MN, EDA Biosensors NCP (e.g. Major Wilson Antunes), SMEs, public health authorities, and DG HOME/DEFIS.

Topics

  • Wearables for emergency responders and soldier well-being
  • AI-powered biosensors for pandemics and biothreats
  • Cyber-physical systems for critical infrastructure protection
  • Cross-sectoral use of sensors in health, energy, mobility

 

Expected Insight

An inventory of emerging technological capacities, and identification of application domains where civil-defence convergence is ripe for scaling.

🔹 B2: Photonics, Power Systems and Autonomy – Strategic Tech for Civil and Defence

Objective

To examine technologies that are central to both defence capabilities and Europe’s digital and green transitions, notably photonics, widebandgap semiconductors, autonomous systems, and secure energy.

Format

Technology-focused roundtable with R&I entities, Tekever, TopGaN, Nanovation, Thales, and tech leads (e.g. EC’s Photonics Partnership or CHIPS JU).

Topics

  • High-frequency communications and LiDAR
  • Energy-autonomous systems for field operations and disaster zones
  • Photonics for sensing, medical devices, communications
  • Underwater comms, autonomous maritime platforms

 

Expected Insight

Shared vision of where Europe must invest and coordinate to ensure global competitiveness in enabling technologies that serve both civilian and strategic security needs.

Expected Outcomes

The INESC Brussels HUB Summer Meeting 2025 is designed to stimulate shared learning, policy-oriented dialogue, and institutional alignment in support of Europe’s strategic autonomy and dual-use research agenda. The expected outcomes include:

  • A reinforced positioning of INESC and its institutes within the European R&I ecosystem, as contributors to the dual-use, strategic autonomy, and anticipatory innovation agendas.

  • Enhanced visibility for Portugal’s policy and foresight expertise at the EU level, supported by PlanAPP’s engagement and contributions to cross-sectoral coherence and planning excellence.

  • Strategic reflections on the coherence and complementarities across key EU programmes (FP10, EDF2, EDIS, Digital Europe), helping to shape future alignment efforts and inform collaborative approaches.

  • Strengthened dialogue between research-performing organisations (RPOs), EU institutions, and national authorities regarding their roles in delivering on Europe’s resilience and technological sovereignty objectives.

  • Insights into emerging dual-use technology pathways — particularly in the fields of cyber-physical resilience, smart sensing, photonics, and distributed power systems — and how they intersect with civil and defence needs.

  • Increased awareness of the growing importance of knowledge security, and an informal mapping of institutional strategies, ethical considerations, and policy mechanisms under development.

  • Deeper European foresight collaboration, bringing together PlanAPP, the JRC Foresight Unit, EPRS, and EU policy actors in an exploratory dialogue on anticipatory governance and long-term R&I strategy.

  • Opportunities for future project alliances and policy engagement, through structured matchmaking sessions and bilateral exchanges facilitated during the event.

With the support and strategic collaboration of:

Stay tuned for more updates on the event and programme!
Please note that all timings listed are in GMT, the time zone commonly known as Western European Time (WET), to ensure clarity for our global visitors.

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