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Speakers
Empowering Global Data Spaces, Shaping Tomorrow’s Cloud Infrastructure
Summit 2024 Speakers
Kuldar Aas
Data Governance Programme Lead, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications for Estonia
Kuldar is responsible for setting the strategy for Estonian public sector data quality, availability and reuse. As the government data governance lead, he is responsible for a number of programmes, including the national data governance framework, the establishment of data description and publication practices, incl the development of national data portals, the implementation of the once-only principle and the overall availability of good quality data for data economy and AI needs. Recognising the crucial need for developing data skills throughout the country, Kuldar is actively promoting communication and knowledge sharing among data professionals by managing the Estonian government CDO network, organising lectures and events on data governance and reuse, and being a founding member of the national Data Wisdom Network which brings together experts from both the public and private sector.
Ulrich Ahle
Gaia-X, CEO
Ulrich is a reputed executive in the IT sector, formerly Vice President and leader of the Manufacturing and Industrie 4.0 System Integration business at Atos in Germany. He is also founder and member of the Board of the International Data Spaces Association in Germany and served 16 years on the Board of the prostep IVIP organization until April 2018. After an apprenticeship as toolmaker at Hella KG, he studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Paderborn. In his career, Ahle hea ld several positions as development engineer, Director of PLM services, sales director and Vice President. He has been part of Nixdorf a Computer AG, Siemens and Atos. From January 2017 to November 2023 Ulrich Ahle was Chief Executive Officer of the FIWARE Foundation headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
Manuel Mateo Goyet
Acting Head of Unit – Cloud and Software, DG Connect, European Commission
Since March 2024 Manuel Mateo Goyet is an Acting Head of the Cloud and Software unit at the European Commission, DG Connect and earlier he was a Deputy Head of Unit since 2019. Before that, he served as Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Gabriel advising her on questions of copyright, audiovisual, disinformation, high performance computing, digital skills, and eHealth. Manuel Mateo joined the Commission (DG INFSO/CONNECT) in 2006 where he held several positions, including that of Assistant to the Director General, and of deputy Head of Unit dealing with inter-institutional relations. Prior to joining the Commission in 2006, Manuel gathered an extensive experience of industry by working in the private sector in Belgium, France and the Czech Republic. Manuel Mateo holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Free University of Brussels, a MBA in European Management that got him travelling through Spain (Deusto), France (Audencia) and the United Kingdom (Bradford Management Centre) and a Master in Political Sciences from the Free University of Brussels.
Chandra Challagonda
CEO, FIWARE Foundation
Chandra Challagonda is a tech executive with over two decades of experience in digital ecosystems, smart cities, and AI governance. As the CEO of FIWARE Foundation and its former VP of Business Development, he has been instrumental in expanding its global network and ecosystem, emphasizing sustainable strategies and partnerships. His expertise in data space development has shaped key EU projects like DSSC, DS4SSCC, and OpenDEI, focusing on data-sharing frameworks, security, and GDPR compliance. Chandra’s entrepreneurial journey includes founding multiple companies, one acquired by Microsoft and another based on FIWARE technologies. His work with OpenDEI and DS4SSCC emphasizes data spaces for smart cities and ethical AI. Additionally, he contributes to forums such as AI for Developing Countries at the UN, advocating for responsible and inclusive AI. Recognized for driving sustainable development and innovation, Chandra has been co-founder, board member, CEO, and CTO, strongly focusing on customer-centric strategies.
Benjamin Brake
Director General, Digital and Data Policy, German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport
Roland Fadrany
Chief Operating Officer, Gaia-X
Roland is the COO of Gaia-X from May 2022 onwards. He establishes effective policies, processes and organisations that promote the Gaia-X vision and mission. With over 20 years of international management and consulting experience in the IT industry, he brings strong leadership and digitalisation knowledge to the team. He has led a global service line, successfully delivered complex, critical programs, and managed multinational development-, delivery- and partner organisations at companies like EDS, HP, A1 Telekom Austria, Microsoft and Detecon. Roland oversaw comprehensive innovation and transformation initiatives in various industries in Europe and the USA. He holds a master’s degree in “Engineering Management” from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. He speaks English and German and lives in Vienna.
Ana García Robles
Secretary General, BDVA
CT Professional with a strong background in engineering, network design, service design, and technology strategy with working knowledge in Telecommunications, Mobile Technologies, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Smart Cities, and Living Labs. Experience in Research to Market implementation and technology application in several business sectors including Urban Innovation, Healthcare, Smart Manufacturing, AgriFood, Mobility, Education, Public Sector, etc. The professional experience developed over 20 years partly in the Telecom Industry and partly managing research and innovation communities, projects, and programmes as well as technology roadmaps with industry, research and policy makers at the European level. Experience both in the private sector and in public-private environments. Over 15 years working in international and multicultural environments, with experience managing technical, multidisciplinary and distributed teams. Extensive experience building strategic alliances with technology vendors and providers, SMEs, research institutions and public authorities (mainly municipal and regional governments) and policymakers. Speaker at public events and conferences. The impact and value of ICT technologies (in particular Data, AI and Mobile technologies) in business and society and innovation ecosystems are strong interests of mine. I would define myself as a Connector and an Implementer. Technology Strategy is my professional passion.
Pierre Gronlier
Chief Innovation Officer, Gaia-X
Pierre Gronlier has been working in the IT industry for the last twelve years, with a particular focus on operationalising and scaling systems in the field of real-time communication and cloud services. With a penchant for science and an academic background in embedded real-time systems and applied mathematics in signal processing and machine learning, he started as a research engineer in video compression before joining Skype and Microsoft in Estonia. He then moved to OVHcloud in France as a Cloud Solution Architect.
Dr Robert Habeck
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Federal Republic of Germany
Catherine Jestin
BoD Chairwoman, Gaia-X; Executive Vice President Digital and Information Management, Airbus
Executive Vice President Digital and Information Management at Airbus since 1 July 2021 and member of the Company’s Executive Committee. Catherine has previously held the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Airbus since March 2020. In this role, she drove state-of-the-art Information Technology systems and solutions supporting Airbus employees, customers and suppliers. Prior to this position, Catherine was Chief Information Officer at Airbus Helicopters, a role she held from July 2013 to February 2020. Before joining Airbus, Catherine held various positions, between 2007 and 2013, at Rio Tinto in Montreal, Canada, in Information Systems & Technology (IS&T). Catherine also spent 17 years at Accenture and was nominated Partner in 2002, a position she held for five years.
Petteri Kivimäki
CTO, Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions
Petteri Kivimäki is one of Europe’s leading technical experts in digital government and interoperability solutions. His career spans from software development to crafting complex cloud and technology architectures for both companies and public administrations. Petteri has worked as the technical lead responsible for implementing the X-Road data exchange layer as the national interoperability solution in Finland. He also coordinated the joint open-source software development of X-Road between Finland and Estonia. Before joining the Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS) as its Chief Technology Officer in 2018, Petteri worked as a technology architect in a leading global consultancy. Petteri earned a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Finland. He is also a certified cloud and technology architect, holding multiple certificates from renowned entities like AWS, Microsoft, and Google. An active participant in the tech community, Petteri has authored several articles on topics such as open-source software and APIs. He is also a regular contributor to technical working groups and a sought-after speaker at software conferences.
Noboru Koshizuka
Professor, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, The University of Tokyo
Professor, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, the University of Tokyo. He received the B.S., M. S. and D. S. degrees in information science in 1989, 1991, and 1994 from the University of Tokyo, Japan.
Since 1990, he has been researching ubiquitous computing, IoT (Internet of Things), embedded systems, human-computer interactions, and computer networks. Currently, his main research interests are IoT, smart city, smart building, data spaces, blockchain, operating systems, and computer networks. He is a Chair of Data Society Alliance, IDSA Japan Hub Coordinator, and so on.
Sven Loeffler
Head of Dataspaces and Data Products, T-Systems International
Sven Löffler is a leading expert in business intelligence and the data economy, with over 25 years of experience. As the Head of Data Spaces and Data Products at the Telekom Data Intelligence Hub of T-Systems, he pioneers the development of secure and user-friendly data sharing services. His extensive experience in business intelligence, data warehousing, big data analytics, AI, and the data-economy industry is reflected in his publication history, including books, articles, and blogs. Sven’s numerous recognitions, including multiple Outstanding Performance Awards from Cognos and a Special Contribution Award, highlight his innovative contributions. He has published extensively on topics such as data analytics and AI and has previously held the role of Executive IT Specialist and Business Development Leader at IBM Watson. Currently, he is also the Business Owner for the Catena-X Marketplace. Sven is dedicated to advancing the datasharing economy, helping organizations achieve secure, compliant, and valuable data exchanges.
Lars Nagel
CEO, IDSA
Lars Nagel is CEO of the International Data Spaces Association since its foundation in 2016. He is also a member of the Executive Board of Digital Hub Management GmbH, where he manages innovation and technology transfer. He has been a member of the first board of directors of Gaia-X and held the role of COO of Gaia-X AISBL in the first year. Previously, Lars founded and led GlobalGate, a provider of learning environments for industrial and research institutions. Lars studied Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Dortmund and graduated with a diploma in Engineering.
Pearse O’Donohue
Director, Future Networks Directorate, DG CNECT, European Commission
Pearse O’Donohue is Director for the Future Networks Directorate of DG CONNECT, European Commission, dealing with policy development and research as regards 5G networks, IoT, cloud and data flows, service platforms and next generation Internet.
Lotta Backlund is a professional moderator, communications pro and writer. During her career Lotta has served as Head of communications and PR for a publicly listed company, led development and sales in a TV production company and worked as a political advisor. Lotta is also a popular podcast host and columnist.
Klaus Ottradovetz
Distinguished Expert, Member of the Eviden Scientific community at Eviden International Germany GmbH
Alberto Palomo
Chief Strategy Officer, Gaia-X
Originally from Madrid, he obtained a PhD in Mathematical Physics, prior to working at an R+D lab in Canada developing numerical simulations for artificial neural networks. Alberto then spent the following 5 years coordinating the technical development of Data Science applications for a large electric utility company in the USA. In 2021, he was appointed Chief Data Officer for the Government of Spain, a novel technopolitical role aimed at prescribing data innovation policy, more so than the management of datasets. Under his lead, the Spanish National Data Office closely followed the innovative developments around European cloud and data, and with that assembled an architectural and governance model for the deployment of data spaces in Spain. Nationally, they also coordinated several WGs across Spanish ministries, federal agencies and industrial stakeholders, as well as promoted a series of normalisation standards for data management and governance.
Alessandra Perna
Senior Market Adoption Manager, Gaia-X
Alessandra Perna is Senior Market Adoption Manager at Gaia-X. She has joined Gaia-X since its beginning, heading the coordination of Gaia-X communities, including Gaia-X Hubs and industry ecosystems. She leads Gaia-X Endorsement Program, supporting projects and business initiatives to advance Gaia-X adoption in the market. She also oversees the Gaia-X Data Spaces Business Committee and manages the operations of the Data Spaces Business Alliance. Alessandra previously worked on program management in International Associations of different sectors. She holds a degree cum laude in Philosophy, a master’s degree cum laude in Neuroethics and a Master’s in European Project Management. She speaks English, Italian and French and has a beginner’s level of Hungarian.
Eliisa Sarkkinen
Lead Service Designer & Delivery Lead, Siili Solutions
Eliisa is a Lead Service Designer and Team Lead at Siili Solutions, with a strong competence in strategic design. She has extensive experience in both private and public service design and enjoys supporting organizations through change leadership. Recently, she has focused on the maritime sector, where she successfully led the team and ecosystem for the Virtual Port Arrival project in collaboration with the Maritime Data Space proof of concept as a part of the Gaia-X. The project was nominated as key initiative in the Global Green Shipping Challenge at the COP27 – United Nations Climate Change Conference. It brought key players together across the maritime ecosystem, including Fintraffic, ESL Shipping Ltd, the Port of Oxelösund, Yara International, SSAB, and 27 other organizations. Eliisa Sarkkinen holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Service Innovation and Design, Vocational Teacher Education, a Master of Science (M.Sc.), and she has also begun her doctoral studies at Aalto University.
Sille Sepp
Head of Urban Data Ecosystems, FinEst Centre for Smart Cities
Sille is the Head of Urban Data Ecosystems at the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities, where she leads strategic initiatives aimed at advancing data-driven urban innovation. At present, her primary focus is on the development of data spaces, managing the European data space for smart communities project at TalTech. With a background in managing the Community of Practice at the Data Spaces Support Centre and previous experience at the international nonprofit MyData Global, Sille brings extensive expertise in governance and interdisciplinary collaboration in designing open data ecosystems. She is deeply committed to leveraging technology and data to improve the quality of life in urban environments.
Catherine Simonnin
Tech lead Trust, Design Architecture & Innovation Governance, ORANGE/OBS/CTIO/DA/Emerging Technology & Incubation
Catherine has been working in the IT architecture domain for the last 19 years in different domains and entities of Orange. She is always looking for new technology challenges and innovative solutions even in management domain. With it’s master from Telecom Paris, she started to work on Intelligent Network first development in first generation GSM in SFR, then on telecom services for Equant customers. Catherine is today the Lead of the Sprint Conformity and label operationalization in Gaia-X.
Jaana Sinipuro
CEO, DataSpace Europe Ltd
Jaana is passionate about leveraging data to drive innovation and create lasting impact, with over 25 years of experience in data-driven business growth and analytics. As Project Director at Sitra, she helped shape the European Data Strategy and laid the foundation for data spaces in Europe. Now, as CEO of DataSpace Europe, she leads the development of a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) that empowers businesses to retain control of their data through secure, decentralized, and energy-efficient data sharing. As the EU’s first registered data intermediation service provider, she builds trusted, collaborative ecosystems across industries. She is also deeply committed to healthcare innovation, using data to optimize patient outcomes, while mentoring and promoting collaboration across sectors.
Ville Sirviö
BoD Member, Gaia-X; Coordinator, Gaia-X Hub Finland; CEO, Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS)
Ville Sirviö leads the Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS), overseeing the development of the X-Road® open-source software, which has hundreds of millions of end users worldwide. He also contributes his expertise as a board member of the Gaia-X European Association for Data and Cloud, advancing the development of European data spaces. With a diverse background ranging from startups to listed companies, Sirviö brings a wealth of experience in digital transformation. He has led organisations specialising in software development, digital commerce, digital government, interoperability, and open-source software. Throughout his career, he has been a frequent speaker and panellist at various technology conferences and events.
Henna Suomi
Chief Operating Officer, IOXIO
Henna Suomi is the Chief Operating Officer and standardization lead at IOXIO, a data intermediation service company specializing in data sharing for manufacturing, global logistics, and trade. With extensive experience spanning both industry and academia, she has been at the forefront of internet and data standardization activities and is currently involved in the CEN/CENELEC Digital Product Passport and Dataspace standardization initiatives. She is deeply committed to driving the adoption and value generation of fair, transparent, and secure data sharing, particularly in the area of industrial data sharing. Her expertise extends to data interoperability and developing scalable, practical solutions for decentralized data sharing, fostering collaboration across diverse sectors.
Hubert Tardieu
Independent Board Member, Gaia-X
After 27 years in Sema then SchlumbergerSema then Atos in various positions on Executive Committee including EVP for Global Telecom, Global Finance, Global Consulting& Systems Integration, Hubert Tardieu has been the advisor of Atos CEO helping him to form the vision of what will be our world in 5 years ahead. To help him in this task he formed the Atos Scientific Community in June 2009 which he chaired until October 2020. He is now consultant with his own company. Hubert Tardieu is the author of several books on Information System Design Methodology Merise and in March 2020: “Deliberately Digital: Rewriting Enterprise DNA for enduring success” Tardieu and all. Springer ed Hubert Tardieu has been successively, in 2020 the Interim CEO then in 2021 the Chairman of the Board of the Gaia-X AISBL until June 7. He is currently Independent Board Member in charge of relationships with governments.
Mario Petruzzella
Software Developer at Arsys Lab, Arsys
As a Software Developer in Arsys’ innovation laboratory, Mario Petruzzella collaborates in different R&D initiatives of the company aimed at facilitating the development of innovative technological solutions in the IT services market and boosting the digital transformation of companies. With a Technical Engineering Degree in Computer Sciences and expertise in agile methodologies as well as backend and frontend technologies, Mario Petruzzella joined Arsys as a developer in 2015 after a decade as an analyst and programmer in different sectors. Since 2022, he has been part of the Arsys Lab team, the company’s innovation laboratory, and he collaborates on various initiatives within the technological ecosystem that are promoting the Data Economy in Europe, such as Gaia-X and IPCEI-CIS. Additionally, he participates in various innovation projects based on technologies like blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and Web 3.0.
Julien Adelberger
Senior Project Coordinator, International Data Spaces Association
Julien Adelberger started working for IDSA in June 2022. He is mainly responsible for IDSA’s contribution to various research and innovation projects as well as the worldwide outreach of the association. One of these projects is Health-X dataloft, the first German health-based data space project that aims to ensure that data owners retain sovereignty over their data.
To strengthen the global efforts of the IDSA, Julien Adelberger joined the IOFDS (International Open Forum on Data Society) discussion forum together with Dawex, DSA (Data Society Alliance in Japan), Gaia-X, NTT, Mitsubishi Electric, Fujitsu, Siemens, DLR, Fiware and BDVA to recommend guide lining principles for policy makers and corporate representatives. He is furthermore active in regular talks with the international IDSA community with the goal to establish Hubs as well as liaisons, research- and competence centers with the private and public sector.
Fascinated by new technological developments, intercultural experiences and working with an international team of colleagues, Julien Adelberger found his way to IDSA due to the future oriented topic of data sharing and digital sovereignty on a global scale.
As a background, Julien holds a bachelor’s degree in international business in Dortmund and a bilingual master’s degree in Development Economics and International Studies from the Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen-Nürnberg. He also studied at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Australia during a foreign semester focused on gaining advanced expertise in international relations and economics.
Martine Gouriet
Director of Digital Uses, EDF
Martine Gouriet is director of digital uses within EDF Group, a role which she assume in 2019. Most recently, she was Director of IT and Telecom shared services at the company. Previously , she was leading EDf subsidiary Edelia which is specialized within data, energy efficiency and smart grids. She has worked during 17 years within Orange and she has launched in France the IP and VOD TV. Martine Gouriet is also board director of Gaia X, leading the work related to labels and energy in the association. She is gratuated from ” Ecole Polytechnique ” and ” Telecom Paris Tech“.
Frédéric Bellaiche
PhD, Vice President of Technology and Research, Dawex – Data Exchange Technology
Frédéric Bellaiche, PhD, Vice President of Technology and Research at Dawex – Data Exchange Technology, is a recognized expert in Data Exchange architecture and security. Frédéric leads the Gaia-X Data Exchange Services Working Group, is the Data Exchange lead at Gaia-X Federated Services French Hub, and a member of the Data Spaces Support Center expert group.
Leonardo Camiciotti
Executive Director, TOP-IX Consortium
Leonardo Camiciotti is currently Executive Director of the TOP-IX Consortium (wwww.top-ix.org). Since 2006 he has been responsible for the TOP-IX Development Program, which facilitates new business creation by providing infrastructural support (i.e. Internet bandwidth, computing resources and product prototyping) and promotes technological innovation projects in different sectors (e.g. Interconnection, Cloud Computing, Big Data, etc.), aiming at producing economic and social impact. He is President of the InterCloud Exchange Foundation ETS and Member of the Board of Directors of GAIA-X Association for Data and Cloud (AISBL). Previously, he was Research Scientist, Strategy & Business Development Officer and Business Owner at Philips Corporate Research. He graduated in Electronic Engineering from the University of Florence and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Turin.
Sébastien Picardat
CEO, Agdatahub
As an expert in strategy and organisation in agriculture, Sébastien has solid experience in information technology and institutional relations in the agricultural sector. With a global vision of the agricultural ecosystem, he carries Agdatahub’s ambitions to decision-makers in the institutional and agricultural world in France and Europe.
Kai Meinke
Co-Founder & Business Lead, deltaDAO AG
Kai is the Co-Founder and Business Lead of deltaDAO AG and the Lead of the Gaia-X Open-Source Software (OSS) community. With a background in IT and Economics. deltaDAO is the orchestrator of the Pontus-X digital service ecosystem, the largest publicly available X-ecosystem, which is now the home of four Gaia-X lighthouse projects and operated by European federators.
Lucas Eustache
PhD student, the Governance and Regulation Chair, Paris Dauphine-PSL
Lucas Eustache has been a doctoral student in the Governance and Regulation Chair since the start of the 2022 academic year. Graduating with a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in 2022, his thesis, supervised by Eric Brousseau, focuses on the business models of data-sharing intermediaries.
Joëlle Toledano
Professor Emeritus associated with the Governance and Regulation Chair, Paris Dauphine-PSL University, Member of the French National Digital Council
Joëlle Toledano is an emeritus professor of economics and a member of the “Governance and Regulation” Chair at Paris-Dauphine University. Furthermore, she serves as a member of the National Academy of Technologies of France and as board member of digital companies. She holds a PhD in mathematics and economics and has pursued a dual career in academia and business before becoming involved in public policy issues. From 2005 to 2011, she served on the board of the French regulatory authority for electronic communications and posts (Arcep), and from 2013 to 2022, on the board of the French national frequencies agency (Anfr). Joelle has published extensively on industrial economics and the economics and regulation of digital and postal services, including several books, numerous articles, and a series of public reports and research papers. Her latest book, GAFA: reprenons le pouvoir (Odile Jacob, 2020), has been the recipient of three awards, including the prize for the best economics book.
Lucille Verbaere
Senior Project Manager, European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
Lucille is Senior Project Manager at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), leading activities related to Data Space, Cybersecurity and Content Authenticity in EBU Technology and Innovation department. She is board member of Tems EU project for the deployment of a European Media Data space and lead the Media Ecosystem at Gaia-X. She is also President of the Cybersecurity Committee of Security4Media association (security4media.org) that aims at improving Cybersecurity and Trust in Media. Lucille has 25y-experience in Media, Cybersecurity, Telecommunications, Air Transport and Semiconductor industries. She started as an R&D engineer at STMicroelectronics then moved to Program and Product Management positions at SITA, providing connectivity and data management services to airports and airlines. Before joining EBU in September 2020, Lucille was responsible for a portfolio of cybersecurity products based on quantum physics at IDQuantique.
Harri Ketamo
Founder & Chairman, Headai
Harri Ketamo, Ph.D., is an entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in cognitive sciences, artificial intelligence and game development. Currently he is Founder & CEO at Headai, a company providing secure and energy efficient text mining infrastructure. Before Headai, Ketamo has been e.g. founder & CEO of gameMiner (game AI), xTask (adaptive learning) and SkillPixels (serious games).
Jakob Rehof
Professor, TU Dortmund University, Director at Lamarr Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Director of Research Strategy, Fraunhofer ISST
Since 2006 Jakob Rehof is full professor of Computer Science at the TU Dortmund University, where he is chair of Software Engineering, and as of April 2024 director of the Lamarr Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Dortmund. By joint appointment, Rehof was director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Software- and Systems Engineering (ISST) in Dortmund 2006-2021, and since 2021 he is director of Research Strategy at the Fraunhofer-ISST. Jakob Rehof studied Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Copenhagen and got his Ph.D. in Computer Science at DIKU, Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen. In 1997 Rehof was a visiting Researcher at the University of Stanford, CA, USA.From 1998 until 2006 he was a researcher at Microsoft Research, Redmond, WA, USA.Prior to all of the above he studied Classical Philology (Latin & Greek) and Philosophy at the University of Aarhus and the University of Copenhagen and was a DAAD scholar at the Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen. In 2023 Jakob Rehof received the CAV Award in Computer Aided Verification. Rehof is a member of the editorial board of the Communications of the ACM.
Ernst Stöckl-Pukall
Head of Division, Digitization and Industrie 4.0, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
As Head of Division “Digitization and Industrie 4.0″ in the Department for Industrial Policy in the Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action Ernst Stoeckl-Pukall focuses on topics regarding a successful digitalization of the manufacturing sector in Germany. He focuses on setting up the federated and globally interoperable industrial data ecosystem Manufacturing-X. In that role he is also responsible for the “Plattform Industrie 4.0” and he takes care of Germany’s various bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities in the field of Industrie 4.0. The Plattform Industrie 4.0 is headed by the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Minister for Education and Research. The platform is a central player in the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector in Germany and includes all relevant stakeholders such as industry, academia, trade unions and politics. It also initiated the project GAIA-X which aims at building a sovereign data infrastructure. Ernst Stoeckl-Pukall is also in charge of various research and support funding schemes addressing in particular the automotive sector and topics like autonomous driving and the digital transformation of the sector. He is also responsible for the “Important Project of Common European Interest” designed to set up the next generation cloud-edge structures in Europe. The project is also known as “8ra-cloud edge continuum”. Before his current post Ernst Stoeckl-Pukall was in charge of the maritime sector after having returned from his post at the German Embassy of New Delhi where he served as economic and commercial counsellor. He graduated in Economics at Ludwig Maximilians-University in Munich.
Francisca Rubio
General Manager, Gaia-X Hub Spain
Francisca is electronic engineer with master in Photovoltaic Energy (PV) and Business (MBA). She has always worked as R&D and Innovation director of different companies in different sectors.
Anne-Sophie Taillandier
Director, TeraLab
Director of TeraLab since 2015, Anne-Sophie Taillandier is a graduate of Supélec (Centrale Supelec) and holds a PHD in Machine Learning from ENS Paris Saclay. She has extensive experience in software publishing and in industry. She will help you to specify your use-cases and identify the right partners in the TeraLab ecosystem. In addition, she is an expert for Cap Digital since 2013. Anne-Sophie Taillandier has been the Director of TeraLab at IMT since 2015. TeraLab’s objective is to support companies in the adoption of new data and AI technologies by implementing an ecosystem of researchers, innovative companies and Startups and by providing sovereign, neutral and secure technologies. She is a founding member of Gaia X, and coordinator of the development of federated services of Gaia X. Previously, she had a diverse professional experience within software publishers such as Dassault Systèmes for 10 years but also as CTO of LTU Technologies in recognition of images, the qualified member of the Board of Directors of Cap Digital. Anne-Sophie has been an academician of technologies since 2022.
Helmut Leopold
Head of Center for Digital Safety & Security, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
Helmut Leopold has more than 30 years of experience in the IT and communication technology market. Currently he is with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology where he heads the Digital Safety and Security Center. In this role he is responsible for the digital research programme covering areas such as artificial intelligence and data science, cyber security, and IoT systems among others. He was a key driver for the digitalisation and introduction of broadband Internet and interactive television in Austria and is today recognised as a digitalisation expert with international innovation awards and state prices. He is the key organizer of the International Digital Security Forum (IDSF) and is leading several national initiatives and expert groups and currently acting as coordinator of the Austrian Gaia-X Hub. Mr. Leopold holds a degree (Ing.) from the technical college HTL for electronics and telecommunications, holds a masters’ degree (Dipl.-Ing.) in computer science from the Vienna University of Technology and made his PhD in computer science at the University of Lancaster, UK.
Jan Fischer,
Gaia-X Hub Germany Coordinator – acatech, co-lead of Gaia-X Hubs sounding board
Jan Fischer studied politics and technology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) before starting as a project manager for the Gaia-X Hub Germany at acatech – the National Academy of Science and Engineering. He has been the project coordinator of the Gaia-X Hub Germany since summer 2023.
Peter Verkoulen
Hub Programme Director, Dutch Gaia-X – TNO, Lead of Gaia-X Hubs sounding board
Peter Verkoulen has been working in science, business and government after having obtained an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Computer Science. He is now working as an independent advisor on building innovation ecosystems & business development and as a speaker and facilitator. Currently, he is serving as the Coalition Manager of the Dutch Blockchain Coalition (DBC). He is also the manager of the Dutch Gaia-X hub on behalf of TNO.
Alfredo Nulli
Head of Portfolio & Center of Excellence, Noovle
I have been degreed in Computer Science at University of Pisa in 1996. My career has begun with Sun Microsystems / Netscape as Software developer. My career in Sun has been developed in the Professional Service Unit with EMEA coverage in the Java Practice. In 2005 I’ve joined Cisco covering different position in the EMEA and WW organization for DC business in the Service Provider vertical. In 2012 I’ve joined EMC/VMware as EMEA CTO Hybrid cloud. In this role I’ve finalized my Cloud Architect skillset adding Management and financial skills. Straight after this experience I’ve started a CTO role in Purestorage focusing on Cloud and Service Provider and data management. In 2020 I’ve joined TIM subsidiary Noovle to run the Portfolio and Center of excellence. In this role I’ve also added skills related to Partnership and architecture. Actually I am in TIM with same and expanded role
Dominique Michiels
Chief Service Delivery Officer, OVHcloud
Dominique Michels is Chief Service Delivery Officer at OVHcloud and a member of the Executive Committee. He joined OVHcloud in 2017 to manage the operation of all services delivered to customers with a strong focus on their satisfaction. An IT enthusiast for 40 years, he has accumulated considerable experience in IT production, architecture, and software development, performing diverse roles at Worldline (Atos subsidiary), such as the management of large cost centres & profit centres, including running large, complex international projects. In a multicultural landscape, he was also a key contributor to the various M&A and transformation programs.
Masaru Dobashi
Senior Specialist and Executive IT Specialist (Platform), NTT DATA Group
Masaru Dobashi is a Senior Specialist and Executive IT Specialist (Platform) at NTT DATA Group. He leads global activities related to Data Spaces at NTT DATA and contributes to their implementation as a technical expert. He is also a sub-Project Manager of the International Testbed of Dataspace Technologies at the University of Tokyo. | Member of the Data Society Alliance | IDSA Ambassador | Senior Expert at the IT Promotion Agency in Japan
Yassir Sellami
Software Engineer, Gaia-X
Yassir works in cooperation with the CTO Office as a Software Developer. His goal is to bring my technical expertise as a software developer in all aspects of a software engineering lifecycle. Yassir has been working lately in the e-commerce and retail industry and is very excited to work on an ambitious and meaningful project Gaia-X. It’s essential for him to constantly learn and broaden perspectives concerning computer science to always have a healthy challenge at hand. Yassir speaks English, French and Arabic and has a beginner level of Japanese.
Ewann Gavard
Technical Lead, Gaia-X
Ewann is one of the developers in the Gaia-x CTO Team. He helps implement the specifications created by the Working Groups to ensure their viability and propose new specifications or changes through Gaia-X Lab. He’s been working as a professional software developer since 2013, mainly in the North of France before joining Gaia-X beginning of 2023. He worked in big retail companies as well as in startups and emerging companies. He worked mainly as a full-stack developer, but also as the technical leader and backend lead developer. He also loves being able to follow the software lifecycle, from business needs to production deployment and maintenance.
Vincent Kelleher
Software Engineer, Gaia-X
Vincent joined the CTO Team as a Software Engineer at the end of 2023. Bringing over a decade of diverse experience in software engineering across various sectors, including public organizations, power-grid management, entertainment, and retail, Vincent thrives on embracing new challenges. His passion extends beyond the professional realm, as he actively engages in side projects at home. Vincent is a firm believer in the strength of polyglot development to achieve the highest performance and quality standards using state-of-the-art solutions. His commitment to innovation is reflected in his advocacy for interoperability and decentralization. As a dual citizen of France and Ireland, Vincent is fluent in both French and English, providing him with a multicultural perspective.
Dominique Epardeau
General Secretary- Financial and International Affairs, Eona-X
Dominique Epardeau is chartered Accountant and holds a master’s degree in finance from the Dauphine University. After 3 years as financial auditor in Arthur Andersen, and 3 years as Controller for Sara Lee Personal Products, she oversaw numerous projects during 23 years within Amadeus, spanning from the financial monitoring of worldwide R&D/ innovation projects and intangible assets to the deployment of data quality programs and process optimization. She joined Groupe ADP for 2 years to build EONA-X, the Mobility, Transport and Tourism Dataspace founded SNCF, by AF KLM, Amadeus, Groupe ADP, Renault Group, Accor, AMP etc and became General Secretary and CFO of EONA-X. Supporting GAIA-X activities since its early days, in 2020, she is also actively involved in the GAIA-X life as co chair of the Mobility Sounding board and co lead of the Lighthouse Projects Sounding board.
Christoph Lange-Bever
Head of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence department, Fraunhofer FIT / Senior Researcher, RWTH Aachen University
Christoph Lange is the head of the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT and a senior researcher at the cooperating chair for Information Systems at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. He has been working with Fraunhofer since 2014, with RWTH since 2019. In 2011, he received a Ph.D. from Jacobs University Bremen, Germany for enabling collaboration on semiformal mathematical knowledge by semantic web integration. His research is broadly concerned with knowledge engineering and data infrastructures: choosing the right formalism to represent domain knowledge in an expressive but scalable way following the Linked (Open) Data and FAIR Principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable, or, alternatively “fully AI ready”). This enables and facilitates machine support with sharing, retrieval, analysis, quality assessment, publishing, collaborative authoring, etc. Results have been published in high-profile international journals and conferences (h-index 30 according to Google Scholar). Application domains range from information integration within enterprises to research infrastructures to cross-organization data spaces. These applications have been subject of contractual R&D for leading German and international enterprises in the automotive and other sectors. On semantic web and intelligent computer mathematics topics, Christoph Lange has organised numerous conferences, challenges, trainings and workshops, co-supervised 10 PhD students, taught lectures and coordinated lab and seminar classes, served as an expert for several international funding bodies and contributed to international OMG and W3C standards.
