CEPA 2026 Tech & Security Conference

Hosted at the House of Sweden, 2900 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007, the conference doors will open at 8:30 a.m. and the program will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m. | Welcome Remarks

H.E. Nicola Clase, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States of America
Dr. Alina Polyakova, President & CEO, Center for European Policy Analysis

9:10 a.m. | Fireside Chat: Congressional AI Priorities

Representatives Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Lori Trahan (MA-03) join CEPA for a fireside chat on how Congress is approaching artificial intelligence and where legislative momentum is building.

The Hon. Donald Beyer, US Representative (VA-08), US House of Representatives
The Hon. Nathaniel Moran, US Representative (TX-01), US House of Representatives
The Hon. Lori Trahan, US Representative (MA-03), US House of Representatives
Moderator: Dr. Alina Polyakova, President & CEO, Center for European Policy Analysis

9:40 a.m. | Panel: AI & What It Means To Be Sovereign

This panel will explore why and which governments are prioritizing sovereignty, how industry has responded to national sovereignty efforts, and what an increased focus on sovereignty means for AI adoption and infrastructure build-out in the US and Europe.

Christopher Ahlberg, Co-Founder, Recorded Future
Lucy Cronin, Vice President, EU Public Policy, Amazon
Christian Garrett, Investment Partner, 137 Ventures; Co-Founder, Onodrim
Anja Manuel, Member, International Leadership Council, Center for European Policy Analysis; Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum; Co-Founder and Partner, Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel
Moderator: Lucinda Creighton, Senior Fellow, Tech Policy, Center for European Policy Analysis

10:30 a.m. | Report Presentation: Forging a Transatlantic Biotech Partnership to Meet the China Challenge

CEPA presents key recommendations from Allies in Innovation: Forging a Transatlantic Biotech Partnership to Meet the China Challenge, the inaugural publication of the CEPA Biotech Initiative.

Kiana Aran, Member, International Leadership Council, Center for European Policy Analysis; Associate Professor, Jacobs School of Engineering, UC San Diego; Co-Director, Center for Technologies for Healthy Aging
Elly Rostoum, Resident Senior Fellow, Tech Policy, Center for European Policy Analysis

10:40 a.m. | Fireside Chat: Announcing the Global Shadow War Initiative

Today, no conflict is isolated. North Korean soldiers fight for Russia in its war in Ukraine. Drones built on Iranian designs cross into Europe’s airspace. Chinese factories help fuel Moscow’s war machine. Authoritarian forces systematically undermine alliances that keep the world secure and prosperous, with the goal of reshaping them for their own repressive ends. Sabotage, espionage, targeted violence, electronic warfare, and air incursions. Each a part of a concerted campaign of aggression driven by Russia, China, and Iran that spans the globe.

Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Lithuania (2020-2024)
Jim Sciutto, Chief National Security Correspondent, CNN

10:55 a.m. | Panel: The Defense Innovation Dividend

As defense budgets across the alliance turn into real capabilities, this panel will examine how key leaders across the ecosystem, including governments, defense industry, and the finance community, can integrate, produce, and field rapidly innovative capabilities.

Christian Brose, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Anduril Industries
Justin Fanelli, Chief Technology Officer, US Department of the Navy
Luca Goretti, Chief of Staff, Italian Air Force (2021-2025)
Frank Kendall, Secretary of the Air Force, US Department of the Air Force (2021-2025)
Moderator: Catherine Sendak, Director, Transatlantic Defense and Security, Center for European Policy Analysis