Norwegian – Lithuanian Business Forum: Creating Partnerships for Regional Defence
Date: 20 May 2025
Time: 08:30 – 14:00
Venue: Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC) Saulėtekio av. 3, Vilnius
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 Defence and Security Industries Association, are pleased to invite representatives from political institutions and businesses to continue discussions on strengthening regional defence cooperation.
This year’s forum will focus on recent developments in global and regional security, particularly the U.S. position on defence and European challenges surrounding defence funding.
Program
08:30 – 08:55 Coffee & Registration
09:00 – 09:20 Welcome & Opening Remarks
• Tore O. Sandvik, Minister of Defence, Norway
• Dovilė Šakalienė, Minister of National Defence, Lithuania (TBC)
09:20 – 09:40 Keynote: “Current Security Challenges in Europe”
• Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas (TBC)
09:40 – 10:00 Keynote: “Europe’s Defence Industrial Dimension”
• Eirik Lie, Executive Vice President, KONGSBERG / President, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
10:00 – 10:30 Coffee Break
Panel Session I: Supply Chain Challenges
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 (TBC)
• Christina Brouwers, Senior Advisor, National Armaments, Norwegian MoD
• Matas Radavičius, Adviser, Defence Materiel Agency under MoD
• Evaldas Dūdonis, Partner, Head of Defence Sector Group, Sorainen
• Bård Ljones Stenberg, Vice President, International Sales & Marketing, Nammo AS
• Eirik Lie, Executive Vice President, KONGSBERG / President, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
• Robertas Dargis, Vice President, Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch
Panel Session II: Defence Funding
12:30 – 12:40 Keynote: “Addressing European Defence Funding Challenges”
• Marius Veščega, Head of the European Commission Representation in Lithuania
12:40 – 13:45 Panel Discussion: “Funding Challenges in European Defence” Moderator: Edvinas Kerza, Managing Partner at ScaleWolf, Former Vice Minister of Defence of Lithuania
Panelists:
• Marius Veščega, Head of the European Commission Representation in Lithuania
• Virginia Gečaitė, Head of the EIB Group Office for the Baltic States, European Investment Bank (TBC)
• Inga Beiliūnienė, Member of the Executive Board, Chief Business Development Officer, ILTE
• Edvinas Kerza, Managing Partner, ScaleWolf; Former Vice Minister of Defence
13:45 – 14:00 Closing Remarks & End of Event