Date: 20.05.2025
Time: 08:30 – 14:00
Venue: Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC),
Saulėtekio av. 3, Vilnius
Moderator: Edvinas Kerza, Managing Partner at ScaleWolf, Former Vice Minister of Defense of Lithuania
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Event Overview
Building on the success of last year’s event, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Lithuania and the Norwegian Lithuanian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Lithuanian Defense and Security Industries Association, are pleased to invite representatives from political institutions and businesses to continue discussions on strengthening regional defense cooperation. This year’s event will focus on recent developments, particularly the U.S. position on defense and the European challenges surrounding defense funding.
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Preliminary Program
08:30 – 08:55 | Coffee & Registration
09:00 – 09:20 | Welcome & Opening Remarks
• Tore O. Sandvik, Minister of Defense, Norway
• Dovilė Šakalienė, Minister of National Defense, Lithuania (TBC/ Vice Minister of Defense)
09:20 – 09:40 | Keynote: “Current Security Challenges in Europe”
• Marius Veščega, Head of the European Commission Representation in Lithuania
An overview of the latest developments in European security and defense dynamics, highlighting the shifting global defense landscape and its impact on EU-NATO relations
09:40 – 10:00 | Keynote: “Europe’s Defense Industrial Dimension”
• Kyrre Lohne, Vice President of Government Relations and Business Development, Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace
10:00 – 10:30 | Coffee Break
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10:30 – 11:30 | Panel Discussion: “Addressing European Defence Industry Challenges in the Supply Chain”
Moderator: Vincas Jurgutis, Lithuanian Defence and Security Industries Association
Panelists:
• Monika Koroliovienė, Senior Adviser, Ministry of National Defence
• Rolf Kjos, National Armaments Director, Norwegian Ministry of Defence (MoD) (TBC)
• Romualdas Petkevičius, Senior Adviser, Defence Materiel Agency under MoD
• Jennifer Upton, Chief of Acquisition, NCIA
• Bård Ljones Stenberg, Vice President, International Sales & Marketing, Nammo AS
• Tom Tuhus, Country Director Norway and CEO, Thales Norway AS
• Vidmantas Janulevičius, President, Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists
11:30 – 12:30 | Lunch
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12:30 – 12:45 | Keynote: “Addressing European Defence Funding Challenges”
• Representative from Norway, smb on Defense Funding
12:45 – 13:45 | Panel Discussion: “Funding Challenges in European Defense”
Moderator: Edvinas Kerza, Managing Partner at ScaleWolf, Former Vice Minister of Defense of Lithuania
Panelists:
• Marius Veščega, Head of the European Commission Representation in Lithuania
• Virginia Gecaitė, Head of the EIB Group Office for the Baltic States, European Investment Bank
• Inga Beiliūnienė, Member of the Executive Board, Chief Business Development Officer at ILTE
• Giedrimas Jeglinskas, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
• Representative from Norway, on Defense Funding
13:45 – 14:00 | Closing Remarks & End of Event & B2B