About The EU Innovation Hub
The EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security is a collaborative network of innovation labs that was established by the Council’s Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) in February 2020. The EU Innovation Hub is a cross-sectorial EU platform and aims to ensure coordination and collaboration between all innovation actors of the wider field of the internal security.

The Innovation Hub, being composed of various EU Agencies, European Commission (HOME and JRC), the Council General Secretariat and the EU Counter Terrorism Coordinators Office, works to provide the latest innovation updates and effective solutions to support the efforts of internal security actors in the EU and its Member States, including justice, border security, immigration, asylum and law enforcement practitioners.

For more information on the Hub, click here.


Schedule

9:00 - 9:30

Registration

Welcome

Co-chairs of the EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security Steering Group
Zsolt Szolnoki, Senior High Councillor, Ministry of Interior, Hungary
Nicolas Bessot, Head of Unit, DG Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission

Keynote
Bartjan Wegter, EU Counter-terrorism Coordinator

Opening address
Innovation as a driver for EU security policy
Olivier Onidi, Deputy Director General, DG Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission

Foresight as a means to better prepare for emerging security challenges

The aim of this panel discussion is to analyse the key components that should be addressed for a more tailored foresight approach to civil security and to make the necessary links with Key Enabling Technologies (KETs). In addition, the panel discussion will also focus on potential ways to strengthen the end-user’s foresight capacity and better preparedness towards emerging security challenges in the EU stemming from KETs.

Introduction: Marta Cygan, Director, DG Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission

Moderator: Hans Martin Pastuszka, CERIS expert, Fraunhofer Institute

Panellists:

  • Alexandra de Maleville, JRC, European Commission
  • Thierry Hartmann, DCIS, French Ministry of Interior, AHEAD project coordinator
  • Ricardo Neisse, Senior Research Officer, Frontex
  • Mark Wittfoth, Head of Observatory, Europol Innovation Lab

11:15 - 11:45

Coffee Break

Advancing Biometric Technology and Identity Management in the EU: Exploring the Need for Testbeds and Sandboxes

The roundtable will focus on the necessity and feasibility of creating a dedicated testing and evaluation platform for biometric technology and ID management technologies in the EU.

Introduction: Philippe Harant, Head of Strategy, Capabilities and Coordination Unit, eu-LISA

Moderator: Javier Galbally, Senior Capability Building Officer, Research and Development, eu-LISA

Panellists:

  • Christoph Busch, Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
  • Frøy Løvåsdal, Senior Advisor, National Police Directorate, Norway
  • Sebastien Marcel, Senior Researcher at Idiap and Professor at the Université de Lausanne, Switzerland

12:45 - 14:15

Lunch Break

The benefits of Explainable AI in Internal Security

AI, for instance in the form of large language models, has become an integral part of our daily lives, and the internal security sector is no exception, as AI-based tools and technologies help practitioners carry out their work in the times of big data.
This panel aims at demystifying the use of AI in internal security by discussing how Explainable AI can improve decision-making, accountability, and transparency in internal security, helping to increase trust in AI systems while ensuring that they are used responsibly.

Introduction: Andrei Lințǎ, Deputy Executive Director, Europol

Moderator: Maximilian Zocholl, Specialist Technology and Innovative Solutions, Europol Innovation Lab

Panellists:

  • Babak Akhgar, Director of CENTRIC, Sheffield Hallam University
  • Irina Orssich, DG for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
  • David Reichel, Project Manager Justice, Digital and Migration Unit, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights
  • Kelly Vink, Legal advisor AI & data science, Netherlands Police

15:15 - 15:45

Coffee Break

Encryption & access to data

Innovation, by industrialising research results, constitutes a key approach for increasing the level playing field of Internal security regarding the challenge of encryption. While new and emerging technologies remain central to this effort, judicial and prosecution processes offer also room for innovation as recent case law well demonstrated.
The session will further explore this approach while reporting on the recommendations expressed by the High Level Group on Access to data for effective law enforcement.

Introduction: Jorge Espina, Deputy National Member for Spain at Eurojust, and chairperson of the Eurojust Cybercrime Working Group

Moderator: Gwendal Le Grand, Deputy Head of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) Secretariat

Panellists:

  • Martijn Egberts, National Public Prosecutor for Digital Investigations, The Netherlands
  • Anders Fällgren, Director of Division for Police Issues, Ministry of Justice, Sweden
  • Tiphaine Romand-Latapie, Team Leader, Synacktiv Reverse Engineering

16:45 - 17:00

Closing remarks & outlook

Nicolas Bessot, Head of Unit, DG Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission & Zsolt Szolnoki, Senior High Councillor, Ministry of Interior, Hungary


Speakers

Zsolt Szolnoki
Senior High Councillor, Ministry of Interior, Hungary
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Nicolas Bessot
Head of Unit for Innovation and Security Research in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs
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Bartjan Wegter
EU Counter-terrorism Coordinator
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Olivier Onidi
Deputy Director General, DG Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
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Marta Cygan
Director, DG Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
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Hans-Martin Pastuszka
CERIS expert, Fraunhofer Institute
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Alexandra de Maleville
JRC, European Commission
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Thierry Hartmann
DCIS, French Ministry of Interior, AHEAD project coordinator
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Ricardo Neisse
Senior Research Officer, Frontex
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Mark Wittfoth
Europol Innovation Lab, Head of the Observatory
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Philippe Harant
Head of Strategy, Capabilities and Coordination Unit, eu-LISA
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Javier Galbally
Senior Capability Building Officer, Research and Development, eu-LISA
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Christoph Busch
Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
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Frøy Løvåsdal
Senior Advisor, National Police Directorate, Norway
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Sébastien Marcel
Senior Researcher at Idiap and Professor at the Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
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Andrei Linta
Deputy Executive Director Europol
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Maximilian Zocholl
Specialist Technology and Innovative Solutions, Europol Innovation Lab
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Babak Akhgar
Director of CENTRIC, Sheffield Hallam University
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Irina Orssich
DG for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
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David Reichel
David Reichel, Project Manager Justice, Digital and Migration Unit, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights
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Kelly Vink
Legal advisor AI & data science, Netherlands Police
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Jorge Espina
Deputy National Member for Spain at Eurojust, and chairperson of the Eurojust Cybercrime Working Group
Read more →
Gwendal Le Grand
Deputy Head of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) Secretariat
Read more →
Martijn Egberts
National Public Prosecutor for Digital Investigations, The Netherlands
Read more →
Anders Fällgren
Director of Division for Police Issues, Ministry of Justice, Sweden
Read more →
Tiphaine Romand-Latapie
Team Leader, Synacktiv Reverse Engineering
Read more →
Grégory Mounier
Europol Innovation Lab, Head of EU Innovation Hub Team
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Eu Innovation Hub 2022
Eu Innovation Hub 2023