Martynas Barysas

Director for Internal Market, BusinessEurope

Martynas Barysas joined BusinessEurope as Director for Internal Market in February 2018. His main responsibilities are to oversee the development of the organisation’s positions on the free movement of goods and services (including transport), the digital economy, better regulation and single market governance in general. Before joining BusinessEurope he worked at the European Parliament’s IMCO Committee Secretariat, and also had extensive experience of work at the Council when posted as special attaché for the Internal Market at the Lithuanian Permanent Representation to the EU.

Klaus Beetz

CEO, EIT Manufacturing

Klaus looks back on more than three decades of industry experience in software and system engineering, including five years of international delegation to Eastern Europe. He joined Siemens in 2002 and was heading the Global Technology Field “Software and System Engineering” and responsible for the worldwide research and technology transfer of innovative engineering technologies for software intensive systems and digital technologies. From 2011 to 2015 he was delegated as Director for Business Creation & Entrepreneurship to the Innovation Community EIT Digital within the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and since 1st of January 2020 he is the CEO of EIT Manufacturing.

Kerstin Jorna

Director-General, DG GROW, European Commission

Kerstin Jorna is a German national and a civil servant at the European Commission where she has held various positions, amongst others as Head of Cabinet of several Commissioners and different Director posts. Mrs. Jorna is the Director-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Before, Mrs. Jorna was Deputy Director-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. Mrs. Jorna also held positions on the Board of the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund as well as the European Innovation Council Fund.

Michael Merkle

CEO & President, Agathon AG and Chairman of the CECIMO Communication and Advocacy Committee

Michael Merkle is CEO & President of Agathon AG Switzerland and Chairman of the Communication and Advocacy Committee at CECIMO.  Before taking over Agathon, Michael was Managing Director of Bystronic Laser AG, one of the world’s leading suppliers of laser cutting systems and sheet metal processing.

Felix Rohn

Policy Officer, DG EMPL, European Commission

Felix Rohn’s professional start made him explore the markets of Central and Eastern Europe as they emerged in the early 1990ies. In 1998 he became a civil servant in the European Commission where he worked in the policy fields enterprise, higher education, vocational education & training before he changed to skills and qualifications. Today in charge of the Blueprint for sectoral cooperation on skills and working in the Pact for Skills team, he is the interface between his skills and qualifications unit in DG Employment and sectoral units in other DGs in the Commission.

René Delbé

Senior Technical Security Specialist IoT/OT and Sustainability Speaker, Microsoft

René Delbé has been working in IT security for over 15 years and was a member of the start-up CyberX (OT&IoT Security), which was acquired by Microsoft in 2020. His focus is on consulting and conception of complex IT/IoT/OT security projects, as well as on the development of the partner landscape and know-how transfer in this area.Through his projects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, he “thinks outside of the box” and has set himself the goal of ensuring greater sensitivity and security in the field of OT and (I)IoT. He regularly shares his experience and solutions at remote and live events.

Maika Föhrenbach 

Policy Officer, DG CNECT, European Commission

Maika Föhrenbach is currently Policy Officer in the Unit responsible for cybersecurity and digital privacy policy at DG CONNECT in the European Commission. In this position, Maika is member of the team working on the Cyber Resilience Act and contributed to drafting the proposal and now working on the negotiations. Maika also works on the development of an EU cyber certification for cloud services and is in charge of the EU-US cybersecurity dialogue for CNECT. Previously, Maika worked in the private sector with different trade associations, including on digital files with AmCham EU and on internal market and trade issues with SGI Europe (representing public services).

Stewart Lane

Head of Business Development EMEA, Renishaw and Chairman of the CECIMO  Additive Manufacturing Committee

Stewart joined Renishaw plc in 2000 and has held a number of positions in the company, including General Manager of Renishaw’s UK and Ireland sales subsidiary and the Group’s Corporate Business Development Manager. He is currently the Sales Director of Renishaw’s French subsidiary based in Paris and is also a non-executive director of the UK’s Manufacturing Technology Association.  Since 2018, Stewart has been Chairman of the Additive Manufacturing Committee at CECIMO.

Iva Tasheva (Moderator)

Co-founder and Cybersecurity Lead, CyEn

Iva Tasheva is the co-founder and cybersecurity lead at CyEn, a family-owned micro consultancy established in Brussels in 2018. She helps public and private sector organisations manage cybersecurity governance, risk and compliance (GRC). She has experience in the public, digital, transport, banking, medical devices and non-profit sectors. She is certified ISO 27001 Lead Implementer and ISO 27799 Lead Manager.

Benjamin Wollet

Domain Architect Security and IAM, TRUMPF

Benjamin Wollet is Domain Architect Security & IAM at TRUMPF Machine Tools with expertise in secure architecture and coding, digital identities, identity management, and cryptography. Within TRUMPF Machine Tools, he designs secure products and advises on product requirements to comply with industry standards like IEC 62443.

Brando Benifei

Member of the European Parliament

Brando Benifei is an Italian MEP serving his second term and is the Head of Delegation of Partito Democratico in the European parliament. He is Rapporteur for the Artificial Intelligence Act in the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO).

Massimo Carboniero

CEO, OMERA and Chairman of the CECIMO Technical Committee

Dr Massimo Carboniero is CEO and co-owner of OMERA, a company with headquarters in Chiuppano (Italy) and leader in the production of metal forming machine tools. He is a Board member and co-owner of TIMAC, a company based in Schio (Italy), manufacturer of circle shears, special machine tools and automations. Moreover, he is a Board member and co-owner of FAIB, a company based in Bassano del Grappa (Italy), specialized in the production of hot and cold dies for the automotive sector. He graduated the Faculty of Economics and Business of Venice University with a Master’s Degree in Business Economics. Dr Carboniero is also Immediate Past President of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE, the Italian association of machine tool, robot and automation manufacturers. In 2021, he was honored by the President of the Italian Republic with the title of Commander of the Order “To the Merit of the Italian Republic.

Baptiste Fosséprez

CEO, PEPITe

Baptiste Fosséprez joined PEPITe as CEO, in September 2021. After a career in space industry and media, Baptiste dedicates his time and effort in managing a team aiming at making Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics accessible at scale in the manufacturing industry. His drive comes from the desire to tackle “the greatest challenge facing mankind”: transform our global manufacturing capabilities into sustainable businesses thanks to the power of data. Baptiste holds a M.Sc. in Engineering and an E-MBA from the ULouvain, Belgium.

Kilian Gross

Head of Unit, Artificial Intelligence Policy Development and Coordination, DG CNECT, European Commission

Kilian Gross is Head of Unit in DG CNECT, responsible for policy development and coordination with regard to Artificial Intelligence. Based on the results of the Public Consultation on a White Paper drafted by the Unit, in April 2021 the latter has proposed a legal framework, aiming to address the risks generated by specific uses of AI as well as an updated Coordinated Plan aiming to align AI policy support measures among EU Member States. The Unit is currently following up the process for the adoption of the legal proposal as well as the implementation of the Coordinated Plan on AI. In addition, Kilian Gross leads the legal team, which has prepared the proposal for a European Chips Act.

Paul Ribus

Managing Director, Fanuc

Managing Director/CEO at the market leading company FANUC with a demonstrated history of more than 20 years within the automation industry. Experienced in establishing tactical alliances and synergies with companies providing high-end factory automation to achieve the most efficient and productive manufacture.

Josua Burkart

Managing Director, HPO Forecasting

Josua Burkart is the managing director of hpo forecasting ag. His team contributes to a thriving workplace in Europe by providing high quality incoming order forecasts for the industrial sector. He has many years of consulting experience in industry and other sectors. In addition to the Swiss Association of the Mechanical, Electrical and Metal Industries (Swissmem), numerous industrial companies from all over Europe are working with hpo’s incoming order forecasts since many years. Josua Burkart holds Master’s degrees in International Affairs and Governance from the University of St. Gallen in (Switzerland) and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (France).

Marcus Burton

Non-executive Director, Yamazaki Mazak UK and Chairman of the CECIMO Economic Committee

Marcus Burton joined Yamazaki Mazak as Group Business Development Director for Europe in October 2005. He was appointed Managing Director of Yamazaki Mazak U.K. Ltd in October 2007 and European Group Managing Director in January 2010 responsible to Japan for all Mazak’s European operations including Manufacturing, Engineering and the European Sales and Service subsidiary companies.In April 2017 Mr Burton took on the new role of non-executive Director of Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd, with specific interest in future business direction and external relations. Mr Burton is also the Chairman of the CECIMO Economic Committee.

Emilija Timmis

Senior Economist, The World Bank

Emilija Timmis is a Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Macroeconomics, Trade, & Investment Global Practice, currently covering the European Union (EU). Emilija leads analytical work, including on fiscal and debt management, economic growth, structural reforms; as well as lending operations and country engagement products. Emilija joined the World Bank in 2016 as a Young Professional and country economist for Nigeria. Prior to joining the Bank, Emilija was an Overseas Development Institute fellow at the Ministry of Finance in Rwanda working on private sector development.