Agenda
The conference opens on 12 November and is preceded by a challenge on 11 November
MONDAY 11 NOVEMBER
Global Blockchain Challenge
Meetings (by invitation only)
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Open to the public, subject to capacity restrictions.
Upon invitation only.
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Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
TUESDAY 12 NOVEMBER
Opening
- Rogelio Velasco, Junta de Andalucia
- Enrique Alonso, Spanish State Council
- Susana Carrillo, Málaga City Council
- María Parga, Alastria
- Gerard de Graaf, European Commission
- Julie Maupin, INATBA Board / IOTA
A World Ledger: DLT Five Years from now
Can DLT become the backbone of a decentralized digital economy? What would such an economy look like? What are the advantages of DLT compared to the current system and does it make sense to try and replace the current systems with decentralized ones? Will the economy become more fair and help to stop the centralization of power, wealth and data with a few actors?
- Valery Vavilov, Bitfury (Keynote)
Governments are beginning to recognise the potential of blockchain to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability in the deliverance of government services while also curbing costs. At the same time, a whole new innovation industry is growing rapidly, and the race for the most attractive blockchain jurisdiction is underway. Governments must therefore answer two key questions: What can blockchain really do for the public sector (that other technology solutions can’t)? And what can the public sector do to encourage and support blockchain innovation?
- Sheila Warren, World Economic Forum (Keynote)
What has led us to this path, and why are we going to such an effort to create a decentralized world? What are the potential benefits and negatives? How can we facilitate a collective mindset among companies, DLT-communities, government and regulators to achieve our vision? How can we improve our collective intelligence?
- Julie Maupin, INATBA Board / IOTA Foundation (Moderator)
- Sheila Warren, World Economic Forum
- Valery Vavilov, Bitfury
The potential for blockchain to revolutionise the long-standing practices and trends of global industries is countless, none more so than in the field of intellectual property. Whether it be for the registration and tracking of copyrights and patents, the execution of IP transactions through smart contracts, or the heightened ability to improve the overall efficiency of the patent ecosystem, blockchain is and will continue to play a significant role in the future development of IP. This panel will look to explore how blockchain technology can transform the IP ecosystem, in particular, for SMEs and those that deal with IP across the world economy. How can blockchain be used to bring greater transparency and simplify existing IP practices to the betterment of SMEs, researchers, and small businesses? How will blockchain foster greater innovation among these entities and what current use cases exist? What problems and challenges still exist and how can they be overcome?
- Emmanuelle Ganne, World Trade Organisation (Moderator)
- Graham Rivers-Brown, UK IPO
- Georg Weber, European Patent Office
- Anne Rose, Mishcon de Reya
- Pascal Asselot, IPwe
A deep dive into the “how”, “what”, “when” and “who” of Blockchain adoption. There are still more questions than answers, although some of the questions have already been addressed by Consortiums and Ecosystems have started to be created. This panel will review real-world use-cases from America, Asia, Europe and Africa in order to address key questions and deliver an overview over lessons learned, trying to highlight how to solve some problems while showing that Blockchain technology has advantages over legacy system for SMEs, Large Companies and Public Administrations.
- Gagik Yeghiazarian, PUBLIQ Foundation (Moderator)
- Nuria Ávalos, Repsol
- Sergio Mottola, San Marino Innovation
- Rebeca Hoffman, OOC Oil & Gas Blockchain Consortium
- Alejandro Pardo, Inter-American Development Bank, LACChain
Technological Convergence
We currently exist in a world where communication and human behaviors are becoming increasingly related to how humans interact with software. The computational models of human behavior, human computer-interaction, intelligent user interfaces, mobile computing, big data, IoT and blockchain convergence for social good are changing society as we know it. What impact will the convergence of big data, IoT and blockchain have upon how humans, socialise, work, and communicate amongst each other in the future? How will we make such technologies more accessible as well as to the betterment of non-technical audiences?
A world where a quantum network becomes a reality is rapidly approaching. Quantum networks stand to significantly improve upon traditional networking platforms, promising novel applications, including the realisation of distributed quantum computation and sensor networks. How does the technology work and what does it mean for the future of blockchain? How will the transition from contemporary blockchain networks to networks with quantum connectivity look? How can blockchain support quantum networks?
- Montse Guardia Güell, President of the Quantum Blockchain Association (Keynote)
This panel will delve into how the convergence of big data, AI, and blockchain may benefit each other and shape the future of digital technology. When big data, IoT, and AI converge through the support of blockchain technologies, they all may benefit from the improved capacity to accelerate the analysis of large amounts of data. How will this convergence of technology foster the improvement in the exchange of data? What new opportunities can this unleash, particularly as it concerns building better business models? This panel will bring together leading minds within all three fields to address these and other questions.
- Christoph Steck, Telefónica (Moderator)
- Erica Andrade, NOSi Akademia
- Martijn Vlek, Oracle
- Cristina Aranda Gutiérrez, TAIGER
- David Shrier, University of Oxford
Today’s dynamically-evolving threats have transcended both physical and digital realms. Simultaneously, interconnectivity of technology, the pervasive 24/7 news cycle and social media, amplify the impact of a cybersecurity attack on business operations, reputation, shareholder value and bottom line. How can the convergence of technologies offer new opportunities for understanding new security threats? How can they be used to mitigate these threats? What challenges do we still face in striving towards a more secure environment?
- Ignacio Alamillo, Logalty (Moderator)
- Luis Pastor, Grant Thornton
- Jacqueline O’Hale, ROOM33, SA
- Masanori Kusunoki, Japan Digital Design
- Concepción Cordón, Empresa Municipal de Aguas de Málaga (EMASA)
We will address the specific theme of the role of female talent in Blockchain technology, and the new challenges and opportunities that this disruptive technology represents for women, for the ICT sector and for STEM jobs. For this, we will have the participation of experts to discuss in the search for solutions and the definition of the steps to follow.
- Welcome remarks: Lorena Garcia de Izarra, Deputy Minister of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University, Junta de Andalucia
- Key note: Results of the 21st diagnosis of the situation of women in the Andalusian ICT sector, Loreto del Valle, General Director of Digital Economy and Innovation of Junta de Andalucia
- Rocio Díaz Mariscal, head of training and information technology service of Junta de Andalucia
- Loreto del Valle, General Director of Digital Economy and Innovation of Junta de Andalucia (Moderator)
- Teresa Alarcos, CEO and Founder de WStartupC
- Cristina Aranda, Taiger
- Tanvi Ratna, Policy 4.0
- Concepción Cordón, EMASA
- Julie Maupin, INATBA Board / IOTA Foundation
- Closing remarks: Maria Parga, President of Alastria
- Isaac Agudo Ruiz, NCIS Lab (Moderator)
- José Antonio Aguado, University of Malaga
- Jesús Ruiz, Alastria
- José Mínguez, Endesa
- Jose Antonio Jimenez Soto, Ayuntamiento de Málaga
The potential for blockchain to revolutionise the long-standing practices and trends of global industries is countless, none more so than in the field of intellectual property. Whether it be for the registration and tracking of copyrights and patents, the execution of IP transactions through smart contracts, or the heightened ability to improve the overall efficiency of the patent ecosystem, blockchain is and will continue to play a significant role in the future development of IP. This panel will look to explore how blockchain technology can transform the IP ecosystem, in particular, for SMEs and those that deal with IP across the world economy. How can blockchain be used to bring greater transparency and simplify existing IP practices to the betterment of SMEs, researchers, and small businesses? How will blockchain foster greater innovation among these entities and what current use cases exist? What problems and challenges still exist and how can they be overcome?
- Tom De Block, AIOTI (Speaker)
Book signing by David Shrier.
Blockchain for a sustainable society and new business models
Development Aid remains a crucial factor in providing much needed economic, environmental, social, and political support to developing countries. Can blockchain help address lending risks related to their dependence on the U.S. Dollar, giving developing countries a better and fairer chance of partaking in the global economy? How can DLT help make DevAid more effective and efficient? Can it help to bring sustainable growth to developing countries, while not exploiting the environment?
- Vidya ShankarNarayan, Director General for Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Canadian Ministry of Innovation (Keynote)
This session digs deep into the current and prospective use cases for DLT in addressing real-world economic and sustainability challenges. How can DLT strengthen existing infrastructures? How can smart cities address sustainability issues and cultivate new business models and opportunities for local entrepreneurs? And finally, how can DLT have meaningful social impact within developing and transitioning countries, for example by guaranteeing food safety and supply chain transparency?
- Stefan Junestrand, Tecma Red (Moderator)
- Tanvi Ratna, Policy 4.0
- Simona Pop, Bounties Network
- Ariane Rodert, EESC
- Graham Douglas, Oracle
DLT and blockchain technology has cultivated new means through which measures of social impact and environmental practices can be improved, offering new opportunities for understanding where, how, and in what way we can tackle emerging issues. What best practices currently exist? What projects and organisations are leading the way in this field? How can such measures be improved to have a more tangible effect within the real-world?
- Joerg Walden, iPoint (Moderator)
- Vanessa Grellet, ConsenSys
- Caroline Dama, Grassroots Economics
- Iulian Circo, Proof of Impact
- Dr. Bitange Ndemo, Kenya Blockchain Association (Keynote)
- Claire Doodle, Claire Doole Communications – Training & Moderating (Moderator)
- Stela Mocan, World Bank Group
- Christina Lomazzo, UNICEF
- Caroline Malcom, OECD
- Bernhard Kowatsch, WFP
- Caroline Anstey, Inter-American Development Bank & World Economic Forum (Moderator)
- Franz von Weizsäcker, GIZ
- Santosh Misra, Government of Tamil Nadu, India
- Chris Zhong, Blockchain Philanthropy Foundation / Accenture Australia
- Mariam Turashvili, National Agency of Public Registry, Ministry of Justice, Georgia
The climate crisis raises disruptive issues that require, as part of the response, the use of disruptive technologies such as Blockchain. The objective of this session is to raise awareness on the availability of options to leverage the Blockchain technologies to support climate actions. The panel will bring together policymakers, finance experts and practioners who have first-hand experience in harnessing blockchain technologies to support climate action programs. They will discuss use cases of Blockchain technology in climate action and climate policy making and where available share experiences on its implementation.
- Bjorn-Soren Gigler, European Commission (Moderator)
- Massamba Thioye, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Lauren Carter, UNDP
- Tom Baumann, Climate Chain Coalition
- Juerg Fuessler, Climate Ledger Initiative and INFRAS
- Steven Haft, Consensys AG
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Sponsored by INATBA WG Energy.
- Irene Adamski, Energy Web Foundation (Moderator)
- Etienne Gehain, Engie
- Walter Kok, Energy Web Foundation
- Alexandra Schneiders, University College London
- Juan Miguel Perez Rosas, Finboot
Sponsored by INATBA WG Identity.
- Kai Wagner, Jolocom (Moderator)
- Daniel Du Seuil, Digipolis / EBP
- Elizabeth M. Renieris, Hackylawyer
- Paolo Campegiani, Bit4id
- Christoph Schneider, GLEIF
Sponsored by INATBA WG Mobility.
- Denis Avrilionis, Compellio (Moderator)
- Justyna Petsch, EUIPO
- Piero Cavigliasso, Guala Closures Group
- Setra Rakotomatovo, la Poste
- Eusebio Felguera Garrido, Telefónica
Sponsored by INATBA WG Education.
- Margherita Leder, ITALIA4BLOCKCHAIN (Moderator)
- Emanuela Campari Bernacchi, Gattai, Minoli, Agostinelli & Partners
- Marcel Harmann, SEBAversity
- Hennie Bulstra, Dutch Governmental Education Institute
Historically, small and medium-sized enterprises have faced significant difficulties in gaining access to financing. This has proven to be problematic in their long-term development, given that many are reliant upon external funding from banks to subsidise new investments and projects. Given the emergence of blockchain as a platform for facilitating access to alternative credit, this panel will explore how SMEs can benefit from blockchain applications in practice. What blockchain-based use cases have helped SMEs to access finance, develop new business models and to improve access to markets? How have governments facilitated the emergence and uptake of blockchain by SMEs? How far we have moved towards the token economy and what concrete steps are needed in the near future to better enable SMEs to fully grasp the opportunities created by the digital economy?
- Michael Gebert, Chairman European Blockchain Association (Moderator)
- Thomas Dünser, Director of the Office for Financial Centre Innovation
- Jens Glaso, CEO BlockBonds
- Dagmar Tricot, Ferrum Enterprises
- Cony Weber, European Crowdfunding Network
Blockchain for Smart Cities.
- Henry Roigas, INATBA / Guardtime (Moderator)
- Misra Santosh, Government of Tamil
- Soumaya Ben Dhaou, United Nations University
- Renske Stumpel, BLING / City of Groningen
Stablecoins and Central Bank Cryptocurrencies
Explore the potential use cases and societal benefits that stablecoins offer, while also addressing the potential risks and how they can be mitigated.
- Dante Disparte, Libra Association (Keynote)
Outline the present and future issues affecting the adoption and long-term viability of stablecoins, specifically as it concerns regulatory compliance. How might the emergence of stablecoins affect citizens and market stability? How do such tokens fit into the current regulatory framework, where are the gaps?
- Olivier Guersent, Director-General of DG “Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union”, European Commission (Keynote)
Central banks have often been vocal in their criticism and opposition to digital cryptocurrencies, viewing them as both speculative and volatile in nature. At the same time, several central banks are actively working on, or at least researching, their own cryptocurrency, including in Uruguay, Lithuania, Spain, and China. Given the emergence of stablecoins, will more central banks warm to the idea of pursuing their own stablecoin project? How would a central bank backed cryptocurrency look and how would the currency be used? What risks are entailed by emerging use cases of stablecoins and what opportunities does a central bank issued cryptocurrency offer in subduing these risks and benefiting global finance?
- Yuko Kawai, Bank of Japan (Keynote)
Is the world economy ready for a global digital currency? What would such a global currency look like and do stablecoins or central bank issued cryptocurrencies represent a viable option? Could a cryptocurrency become the world’s key currency? How can national regulators and jurisdictions cope with the issues and repercussions a truly decentralized global currency might have on the economy and how can nation states make sure their interests and those of their citizens will still be respected? Join us as our keynote speakers discuss these and many more questions and discuss about the future of money and the role of big corporations as new actors in monetary policy.
- Jennifer D’Hoir, The French Digital Asset Association (Moderator)
- Yuko Kawai, Bank of Japan
- Olivier Guersent, Director-General of DG “Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union”, European Commission
- Dirk Bullmann, European Central Bank
- Jumpei Miwa, Financial Service Authority of Japan
Blockchain for Europe
- Tom Lyons, EU Observatory (Keynote)
The European Union has recognised the potential of blockchain technologies to foster innovation and facilitate positive change across a number of different sectors. In line with this, it is actively experimenting through innovative political partnerships to deploy better European public services, thanks to blockchain-enabled EU strategic infrastructures. Its objective is to connect the public with the private sector and regulators with industries, encouraging the creation of a wider EU blockchain stakeholders’ community. In further strengthening its involvement, the EU has extended its support of startups and innovation ecosystems across the space through grants and equity funding. This information session offers attendees an opportunity to understand more about the EU’s blockchain policy and funding initiatives, in addition to answering any questions about how to get involved and benefit.
- Pascal Van Knijff, Future of Trust CryptoDaily Cuttingwood Academy (Moderator)
- Peteris Zilgalvis, Head of Unit “Digital Innovation and Blockchain”, DG CONNECT, European Commission
- Vally Fidelman, EASME
- Andrés Sánchez Sandaza, Fundingbox, Ledger project
- Pierre Padilla N-able, Blockpool project
- Almudena de la Mata, Blockchain Intelligence, Blockchers project
- António Damasceno, F6S Network Limited, Block.IS and Blockstart projects
- Sonia Belén Palomo, Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía, Peers to Blockchain Project
- Pascal Van Knijff, Future of Trust CryptoDaily Cuttingwood Academy (Moderator)
INATBA WG Roundtables
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
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Upon invitation only.
Open to the public, subject to capacity restrictions.
Blockchain and privacy
- Dan Lipiec, QEDIT (Keynote)
- Jesus Ruiz, Alastria
- Pelle Braendgaard, uPort
Meetings (by invitation only)
Upon invitation only.
Upon invitation only.
4 Corner Connexion
WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Opening
- Nina Siedler, INATBA Board
Blockchain and Platforms: Disruption of Data Monopolies?
Just as Bitcoin is seen as a way out of big bank monopolies, DLT in general is sometimes seen as a means of disrupting the platform society. It might, therefore, seem counterintuitive that not only big banks but also major platform companies like Amazon aggressively research and seek to deploy DLT. Are these companies acting against their own interests? Should DLT innovators join with or fight them? What did we learn, if anything, from the advent of the Internet and the rise of the platform economy, and what are the implications of those lessons for the blockchain revolution?
- Maria Velentza, European Commission, Directorate-General for Competition (Keynote)
Can self-sovereign identity / DNS systems / IP rights management systems / etc. on DLT foster a consumer centric data model that challenges vertical data silos and monopolies globally? Will we soon have a decentralized Facebook, Uber, AirBNB and Instagram? What are the up- and downsides of our current centralized networks? What problems still have to be solved to enable truly decentralized social networks? Are the dynamics of these challenges within social networks fundamentally different from those of the e-commerce world? Or are they two sides of the same coin?
- Chris Berg, RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub (Moderator)
- Lee Brenner, Facebook
- Ling Wu, TBCASoft
- Takeshi Fukuizumi, Softbank
Forming a successful start-up can be challenging to say the least, even more so when you’re at the forefront of innovation in a field that most neither know about, nor understand. On the one hand, blockchain has opened up new possibilities when it comes to start-up financing. On the other hand, such opportunities have enabled dubious projects, unsupported by business fundamentals or a business plan and only created for the purpose of collecting vast amounts of money. Join us for our “Founders Forum” and hear firsthand about the possibilities and problems DLT start-ups have to face. How can start-ups better explain their product and convince potential partners? How can they determine the right jurisdiction and legal form for their business? What can start-ups do to prove their legitimacy to potential users and authorities?
- Stephan Apel, Outlier Ventures (Moderator)
- Julie Maupin, INATBA Board / IOTA Foundation
- Lon Wong, ProximaX
- Arthur Breitman
Interoperability and Standardization
Historically, major standards organizations such as ISO, IEEE, ITU, ETSI, and others have faced numerous challenges in ensuring global standardization across various technology-based industries. Blockchain is no exception, and in order to ensure the success and long-term viability of blockchain solutions, globally recognised standards are pivotal. How do standardization challenges translate to blockchain, and what lessons can be learned from past mistakes? What technical issues inhibit the widespread standardization of blockchain? How could appropriate standards help overcome some of blockchain’s most pressing issues (e.g. privacy, security, and governance) and thereby open the door to new use cases?
- Emilio Davila-González, European Commission (Moderator)
- Ramesh Ramadoss, IEEE Blockchain Initiative
- Suzana Maranhao-Moreno, ITU-T on Application of Distributed Ledger Technology
- Jakkampudi Adiseshaiah Chowdary, The Blockchain Standards Committee of India
- Ismael Arribas, Kunfud
More and more standard setting bodies are giving attention to blockchain, with some even already actively working to create actual specifications. Meanwhile, some standards have already been organically created by the developer community and are steadily gaining traction. Lawmakers and regulators have little ability to influence these paths and can only follow the initiatives of individuals, start-ups, and standard-setting bodies. The multitude of different approaches may however be detrimental to the success of the technology itself. Would a more coordinated approach be preferable? If so, who can or should take the lead? Should the approach be top-down, e.g. led by governments or standardization associations? Or, in the true spirit of Blockchain, would a decentralized and community focused approach yield better results?
- Manuel Machado, Worldline (Moderator)
- Almudena de la Mata, Blockchain Intelligence / BI Law Institute
- Pelle Braendgaar, Consensys/uPort
- Amanjyot Johar, Proteum Capital
The European Union is aggressively moving forward to build a pan-European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI). The aim is to provide DLT-based government services to EU citizens and residents that can be accessed and used across all EU Member States, exploiting the full scale of the Digital Single Market. Notarization, Diplomas, Self-Sovereign Digital Identity and Trusted Data Sharing are just the first of many more use cases to be implemented on the new platform. In order to reach its ambitious goal of having a running infrastructure up by 2020, the European Blockchain Partnership (EBP) is actively trying to establish interoperability standards. What policies and measures is the EBP utilising to achieve this and how is the EBP going about choosing which types of government services should be interoperable across the Union? What must happen on the political side, and what must happen on the technical side, in order to make this dream a reality?
- Jesus Ruiz, Alastria Board (Moderator)
- Andrea Caccia, CEN/CENELEC JTC 19
- Lluís Ariño, Diploma Use Case Convenor
- Carlos Pastor, BME
- Oscar Burgos, DG DIGIT
“Blockchain Nations” are products of the vision and ambitious efforts of countries to advance the adoption of blockchain technologies and accelerate the progression of digitised societies. However, the myriad of potential blockchain applications and use cases across various sectors, coupled with the insular nature of most blockchain platforms, has meant that avoiding technological and operational silos is now a real challenge. Consequently, the adoption of high levels of standardization and interoperability, supported by the convergence of technologies, has become a must. This panel will analyze the experiences and lessons learned from Central and South America in addressing the interoperability and standardization problems faced by blockchain. How has standardization and interoperability been achieved in these two regions, and what challenges do they still face? What lessons can be learned from one another, and how can the solutions presented translate on both a regional and global level?
- Claudia Mancini, CMancini Comunicação Estratégica (Moderator)
- Roberto Fernández-Hergueta, Alastria
- Abel González, Parliament of Paraguay
- Víctor Muñoz, t4IR Center Colombia
- Mauricio Tovar, t4IR Center Colombia
Blockchain and privacy
This chat will share the work done so far by the EDPB, as well as the remaining gaps surrounding compliance with the GDPR. What potential issues are posed for blockchain, and how can these challenges be overcome to ensure compliance with the regulation? Can the blockchain evolve to achieve compliance with EU and global data protection regulations, or must regulation also adapt to an increasingly decentralized environment?
- Ken Timsit, ConsenSys (Moderator)
- Ventsislav Karadjov, European Data Protection Board
This session will offer some insight into the state of the art in cryptography and zero knowledge proofs. It will highlight the opportunities offered by new technological developments, including zero-knowledge proofs, data obfuscation methods and next generation algorithms. What impact will such developments have on quantum computing and vice-versa? What challenges are still faced despite such technological progress?
- Daniel Benarroch, ZKProof.org
What hurdles does the blockchain ecosystem currently face in ensuring adequate privacy, particularly within the corporate and start-up sphere? What does it take to create privacy preserving solutions using blockchain? How can privacy be ensured for corporate-related data and what projects are currently underway to resolve these issues?
- Tom Lyons, Observatory (Moderator)
- Bart Preneel, KU Leuven
- Marie Wallance, IBM
- Jonathan Rouach, QEDIT
- Enrique Factor Santoveña, Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD)
Sponsored by INATBA WG Privacy.
- Marcin Zarakowski, Lisk Foundation (Moderator)
- Joern Ergbuth, University of Geneva
- Alexandra Giannopoulou, IVIR
- Elizabeth M. Renieris, Hackylawyer
- Piotr Rutkowski, Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs
Blockchain for a sustainable society and new business models
- Saila Rinne, European Commission (Moderator)
- Edwin Morley-Fletcher, Lynkeus
- Lorenzo Cristofaro, P&A
- Minos Garofalakis, Athena RC
Blockchain in the Public Sector: How can blockchain make governments more effective, service-oriented and transparent
(INATBA WG Public Sector sponsored)
- Roxane Faure, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (Moderator)
- Sabrina Rioux, National Research Council, Government of Canada
- Antonio De Luca, INPS – Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale
- David Suomalainen, Ministry of Infrastructure of Sweden
- Nina-Luisa Siedler, DWF/ INATBA (Moderator)
- Arwen Smit, EMEA Lead MOBI (Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative)
- Nicolai Bartkowiak, Volkswagen
- Nicolas Busch, Evan Network
Sponsored by INATBA WG Governance
- Monique Bachner, thinkBlocktank (Moderator)
- David Arroyo, CSIC
- Albi Rodriguez, LACChain Alliance
- Shigeya Suzuki, Keio University
- Bronwyn Voyce, Independant Consultant
- Ad Kroft, AboutGovernance
- Jo Bronckers, FIBREE (Moderator)
- Andrew Knight, RICS
- Mark Bessett, RESO
- Katarina Adam, SIMMST
- Martijn Odijk, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
Leave no one behind: Can blockchain contribute to reducing inequalities?
(sponsored by INATBA WG Social Impact)
- Khalid Belghiti, Scrypt (Moderator)
- Chris Bayer, Development International e.V.
- Benjamin Clair, BetterChain
- Caroline D.C. Madagow, Grassroots Economics
- Areti Kampyli, Alice
Today represents a crucial moment in time for the recognition and development of blockchain as a transformative technology for the betterment of businesses and society. However, in order to advance this movement, we need to shape an appropriate ecosystem where SMEs can develop their blockchain solutions, improve their current business models, and create new ways to serve clients and address pressing social needs. This panel will share their knowledge and experiences in proposing methodologies and strategies to enhance SME innovation and further support the implementation of blockchain. What barriers exist in spurring innovative blockchain initiatives by SMEs? What pilot projects and good practices have been adopted across different countries to advance blockchain-friendly ecosystems? What lessons can be learned from these projects and initiatives?
- Sonia Palomo, IASP (Moderator)
- Olivier Zephir, Technoport Incubator
- Miguel Fernandes, Dengun Digital Group
- Jiang Yu Zhong, Run Huatong C.o.
- Víctor Valera, NOSi
Companies, governments, and universities are facing the unique challenge of addressing the digital skills gap that currently clouds blockchain technology. In an increasingly digitized society, it is key that everyone understands new and emerging learning methodologies, which not only help to remove the technical barriers that exist between regular people and the developers behind new technologies, but also help people all around the world to better understand the purpose, technical features, and importance of such technologies. What type of infrastructures and organizations have been created (or are required to be created) in order to address the concept of “lab/demonstrators” for real concrete use cases? How are different companies, governments, and universities addressing the need to speed-up the understanding and knowledge of blockchain technology, as well as its convergence with other key information technologies?
- Salvatore Moccia, Fintech News (Moderator)
- Óscar Bazoberry, World Data
- Rosa Molina, Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
- Zenu Sharma, St. Johns University
- Luz Parrondo, UPF Business School
Identity is integral to a functioning society and economy. Having a proper way to identify ourselves and our possessions enables us to create thriving societies and global markets. At its most basic level, identity is a collection of claims about a person, place or thing. However many aspects of those identities remain in a dark age, for example the way we issue and manage academic credentials has not changed that much – and doesn’t take advantage of the possibilities of digital technology. In this session we will look at how blockchain and decentralized identity can be the backbone of an ecosystem for diplomas and certification, and explore what can be done with it.
- Ludovic Courcelas, Observatory/ConsenSys (Moderator)
- Alexander Mühle, Digital Credentials Initiative
- Alexander Grech, StrategyWorks
- David Mills, Airbus
Stablecoins and Central Bank Cryptocurrencies
Sponsored by INATBA WG Finance.
- Lukas Repa, EC DG CONNECT (Moderator)
- Jumpei Miwa, Financial Service Authority of Japan
- Narae Lee, Blockkrafters Korea
- Amandine Doat, Ledger
- Tanvi Ratna, Policy 4.0
One industry in which we can see the DLT in live action is the Finance industry. The aim of this panel will be to have an industry-based discussion about the evolution of the financial markets infrastructure that we may witness owing to the DLT. How far the current regulation can accommodate DLT based financial market transactions? How existing market players can collaborate with incumbents in the ecosystem? Can DLT support in developing a sustainable financial market with more open, transparent and accessible infrastructure? These are the few topics that will be covered during the panel session.
- Arnab Naskar, STOKR and Finance WG co-chair of INATBA
- Silke Noa Elrifai, Gnosis
- Jacek Czarnecki, MakerDAO
- Haroldo Jayme, Central Bank of Brazil
- Thrasos Thrasyvoulou, Oracle
Venture Capital interest in the blockchain scene has significantly peaked over the past few years, due in part to the increasingly observed success and widespread application of blockchain technology across various fields. The objective of this session is to generate discussion and share the opinion of both investors and start-up organisations on how venture capital and crypto-funds are investing in blockchain technologies and applications. How do leading actors in the space invest in blockchain? What new and specific approaches have they adopted with ICOs/STOs in comparison to contemporary VC investments? What lessons can be learned from the first years of an investment and what initiatives are currently being undertaken in Europe?
- Maria Staszkiewicz, Czech Fintech Association (Moderator)
- Richard Muirhead, Fabric
- Stephan Apel, Managing Partner at Outlier Venture
- Patrick Van de Mosselaer, Founding Partner & Managing Director at Tioga Capital
- Viktor Fischer, Rockaway Blockchain Fund
Closing Session: Technology, law and ethics
- Francisco de la Torre, Major of Málaga
Emerging technologies in the field of artificial intelligence, blockchain, bio-technology, neurotechnology and ICT may improve human wellbeing but together ultimately fundamentally transform human beings and societies. This keynote will explore the important legal and ethical challenges in this field, drawing form his long experience as judge and policy makers. The intended goal of this keynote is to explore the role of the State in accompanying the deployment of disruptive technologies in society.
- Egils Levits President, Republic of Latvia (Keynote)
- Silvio Micali, Algorand/MIT/Turing Award Winner (Keynote)
Humanity is challenged by a scientific tsunami, which questions the idea that human beings are the ultimate authority. Human free will is at stake if we increasingly leave decisions to artificial intelligence, governed by algorithms. Given the current trajectory in allowing technology to dictate our lives, what space will remain for human free will and consciousness?
- Bitange Ndemo, Kenya Blockchain Association (Keynote)
- Carlos San Basilio, State Secretary of Treasury and Territorial Politics of Spain
- Introduction to Farewell Cocktail, Carmen Sánchez, Provincial Delegation of Economy, Knowledge, University and Enterprises
Blockchain for Europe
Over the past two years, the European Investment Bank has actively lent its support to various blockchain and DLT initiatives, as well as start-ups and organisations within the field. In elaborating further on this, this panel will set out how the EIB financially supports technological innovation within the field of DLT and blockchain. What projects and use cases has the EIB invested in and supported? How is the EIB leveraging blockchain technology to support SMEs and start-ups? What challenges does it still face?
- Harald Gruber, European Investment Bank (Keynote)
Public entities and institutions are becoming more interested in financially backing blockchain and DLT-based initiatives, understanding the opportunities such technologies provide for the greater society. Building on this sentiment, the objective of this session is to explore what governments and public institutions are doing to fund innovative technologies, namely blockchain and DLT. Each panelist will aim to share their own experiences with funding DLT-based initiatives and use cases, as well as provide an overview of the EU AI/Blockchain investment fund and investment support program that will be launched in early 2020. What are the existing investment gaps impacting blockchain technologies? What challenges exist in financing digital innovations and tech companies? What possible solutions exist to close the funding gap for early stage and scale-up blockchain ventures?
- Gerard de Graaf, Director, Digital Single Market, EC (Moderator)
- Greg Medcraft, OECD
- Alejandro Pardo, Inter-American Development Bank
- Samia Melhelm, World Bank Group
- David Dana, European Investment Fund
- Nadia Filali, LaBChain Consortia, Caisse des Dépôts
EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum Workshop on Skills.
The objective of this session is to share experiences of the role digital innovations and deep technologies are playing in promoting economic growth and social development in emerging markets. The session will particularly focus on the Eastern Partnership countries in the context of the EU4Digital program and explore topics related to innovation policies, digital innovation ecosystems and the process of scaling up deep tech startups and SMEs in emerging market economies. The session will furthermore draw from international experiences and best practices and discuss to what extent the lessons learned from these programs are applicable to emerging markets. Finally the panel will present the new Digital Innovation and Scale-up initiative- a program that aims to support the scale-up of deep technology companies in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, including Horizon 2020 associated countries. The program is being implemented through a partnership between the European Commission, the World Bank Group, the European Investment Bank Group and the EBRD.
- Bjorn-Soren Gigler, European Commission (Opening Remark)
- Juan Navas Sabater, World Bank (Moderator)
- Stela Mocan, Innovation and Blockchain Labs, World Bank
- Anna Pobol, EU4Digital Innovation Lead & Assoc. Professor Belarusian State Universit
- Bjorn-SorenGigler, European Commission
- Vigen Arushanyan, Armenian Blockchain Association
- Leyla Baghirzade, Global Oracle Association for Leaders (GOAL)
- Stas Basko, Blockchain Association Belarus
- Vano Narimanidze, Association Blockchain Georgia
- Michael Chobanian, Blockchain Association of Ukraine
- Vitalie Tarlev, ICT Association of Moldova
INATBA WG Roundtables
Upon by invitation
Upon by invitation
Upon by invitation
Upon by invitation
Upon by invitation
Upon by invitation
Meetings (by invitation only)
Upon invitation only.
4 Corner Connexion
Blockchain for and in Asia