09:30 - 10:15 Opening Remarks of the Regional Defense Summit - Discours d’ouverture des Assises Régionales de la Défense
- Xavier Bertrand. President of the Hauts-de-France Region
- Sébastien Lecornu. Minister of the Armed Forces
10:15 - 11:00 Regional Defense Summit – Roundtable: “War Economy – What Response from Hauts-de-France?” - Assises régionales de la Défense // Table ronde «Economie de guerre: quelle réponse des Hauts-de-France?»
Moderator: Fanny Lefebvre, Communication & Public Affairs Director CCI Hauts-de-France
- Emmanuel Chiva. Délégué Général pour l’Armement / Chief Executive of the French Defence Procurement Agency
- Olivier Sichel. Acting CEO of Caisse des Dépôts and Director of Banque des Territoires
- Eric Trappier. CEO of Dassault Aviation
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Fanny Turgis. President of Turgis & Gaillard Group
- World in Progress Host: Isabelle Gounin-Lévy, journalist LCI
Introduction by Joseph Oughourlian, Chairman of PRISA
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Arancha González Laya, former Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation
Moderating: Delphine Déchaux, Editor in chief, in charge of International Affairs, Challenges
Network infrastructures and technologies are strategic assets for a nation’s sovereignty and economy.
Transport systems are vital for logistics during crises, making their protection and continuous operation a priority. Ensuring Europe’s resilience requires smarter data-driven mobility infrastructure and stronger crisis planning. Above all, it requires sustained investment to modernize and secure these critical systems. Control over submarine cables, 5G networks, and ports increasingly shapes global power dynamics, particularly in strategic regions like the Mediterranean. Reducing Europe’s dependence on external suppliers will depend on Europe’s ability to direct investment toward technologies that strengthen long-term strategic autonomy.
How can we ensure the sustainability of these infrastructures in a world where they are targeted for commercial, technological, and military exploitation?
- Arnaud Quémard. CEO of Sanef
- Prune des Roches. Partner at Andera Infra
- Xavier Bertrand. President of the Hauts-de-France Region
With an introduction by Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French Minister for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Keynote by Josep Borrell, former Minister and former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Advisor of World In Progress
Moderating: Olivier Sueur, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for the European Union and NATO at the French Ministry of Defence, Founder of OSStratégie.
As Europe faces an unprecedented period of geopolitical transformation, EU member states are urgently reassessing their strategic, economic, and trade priorities. From growing competition over natural resources and global commons to the critical need for defense manufacturing capabilities, the challenges are significant. How can Europe move from a position of dependency to becoming a truly sovereign actor?
- Zaki Laïdi. Professor at Sciences Po, former Special Adviser to the HRVP
- Luc de Rancourt. Director of the EDHEC Chair in Geopolitics and corporate strategy, EDHEC Business School
- Luis Vassy. Director of Sciences Po
- Henri Seydoux. CEO of Parrot
Moderated by Orysia Lutsevych Obe, Deputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme and head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House
- Pavlo Klimkin. Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2019
Moderating: Marc Bassets, El País Berlin Correspondent
Beyond increasing defense budgets, the entire industrial, technological, and logistical value chain must be strengthened to build true strategic autonomy.
While strengthening Europe’s defense manufacturing capabilities is essential - from advanced systems to resilient supply chains - this effort should go hand in hand with a renewal of Europe’s intelligence capacities and a genuine intellectual rearmament. To meet today’s complex security challenges, Europe must be able to anticipate threats, understand evolving geopolitical dynamics, and formulate strategies that integrate technological, industrial, and information dimensions. Building this integrated resilience will depend on closer cooperation between civil, military, and intelligence actors, as well as on sustained investment in innovation and critical skills.
- Jean-Pierre Filiu. Professor of Middle East Studies, Sciences Po
- Lieutenant-General Cédric Gaudillière. Deputy Secretary General for Defence and National Security.
- José Vicente de los Mozos. Chief Executive Officer, Indra Group
- Bernard Cazeneuve, France Former Prime Minister
