Meet the Speakers

Achim Berg represents the largest German mobility platform Flixbus as chairman of the advisory board at Bitkom. Previously, Berg was Chairman of Arvato´s Executive Board and Bertelsmann´s Executive Board, held senior management positions at Microsoft headquarters in Seattle and managed Microsoft´s operations in Germany. Initially as General Manager Microsoft Germany and Area Vice President Microsoft International, he was appointed to the US corporate headquarters as Corporate Vice President for the Windows Phone Division. In this role, he led the Windows Phone business and its associated services, and later became responsible for the Operator Channels division to work with mobile operators, cable and media companies, consumers and businesses of all sizes to deliver innovative solutions.

Previously, Achim Berg was a member of T-Com´s Board of Management and since 2002 has been responsible for fixed-network marketing and sales at Europe´s largest telecommunications company. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of T-Mobile and Matav (the largest telecommunications company in Hungary). From 1999 to 2001, Achim Berg held the position of CEO of Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH. Between 1995 and 1999, he held senior sales management positions at Dell Deutschland GmbH, most recently as director of the computer manufacturers SME business. Achim Berg made his first career steps between 1989 and 1994 in various sales functions at Bull AG in Cologne. Achim Berg graduated from the University of Applied Sciences Cologne in 1989 with a degree in computer science. He also completed the European Potential Management Program at the European Economic School EAP, Paris, London, Madrid, Rome and Berlin.

He enjoys spending his free time with his family and sports activities such as running and skiing.

Beruflicher Werdegang:
Seit Juni 2019 – Mitglied des Europäischen Parlaments

Ausschüsse und Delegationen:
Mitglied:

• Ausschuss für konstitutionelle Fragen (AFCO)
• Delegation für die Beziehungen zu Kanada

Stellvertretendes Mitglied:

• Haushaltsausschuss (BUDG)
• Ausschuss für Industrie, Forschung und Energie (ITRE)
• Ausschuss für bürgerliche Freiheiten, Justiz und Inneres (LIBE)
• Delegation für die Beziehungen zu den Vereinigten Staaten

2017 – Mai 2019 – Volt Europa, Mitgründer, Vizepräsident

Mitgründer einer politischen Bewegung mit dem Ziel Menschen neu für Politik zu begeistern, die heute 15,000+ Unterstützer in allen EU Mitgliedsländern, sowie Abgeordnete im Europaparlament und lokalen Parlamenten hat

2013 – 2016 – Beratungsunternehmen, Senior Associate

Fokus auf den sozialen und öffentlichen Sektor. Projekte schlossen u.A. große NGO Strategien, Beratung deutscher Agenturen und Ämter, sowie Recherche im Bereich des Impact Investing und der Zukunft des Euros ein

2012 – 2012 – Euroskop.org - Young Visions for Europe, Co-Initiator

Durchführung einer journalistischen Reise durch 20 europäische Hauptstädte, publiziert in DIE ZEIT und The European

Ausbildung
Master in Public Administration verliehen von der Columbia University und Hertie School of Governance; Bachelor der Philosophie & Volkswirtschaft von der Universität Bayreuth

Photo and Copyright © Michał Szyndel

Mario Brandenburg is a technology policy spokesman for the parliamentary group of the Free Democrats in the German Bundestag as well as the a member of the Committee for Education, Research and Technology Assessment and the Committee for Digital Agenda. 2018-2020 he also served as a member in the Study Commission Artificial Intelligence. Before entering the Parliament, Mario Brandenburg studied Business Informatics at the University of Applied Sciences in Karlsruhe and worked for the multinational software corporation SAP as Cloud Integration Architect.

Dr Helge Braun was born in Gießen in 1972. After obtaining his Abitur (highereducation entrance qualification) at Liebigschule Gießen and completing compulsory military service in Koblenz, he returned to Gießen where he studied medicine from 1994 to 2001, going on to work as a research assistant in the Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy at University Hospital Gießen from 2001 to 2009. He completed his doctorate in 2007 on the topic “The impact of intraoperative tachycardia on the postoperative prognosis”. He was a member of the German Bundestag from 2002 to 2005 and then again from 2009. From 2009 to 2013 he served as parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, during which time he was responsible for issues concerning young researchers, research in the life sciences, general and vocational training and the internationalisation of education and research. From 2013 to 2018 he served as Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor.

Since 14th of March 2018 he has been serving as Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks.

Prof. Dr. Tommaso Calarco has pioneered the application of quantum optimal control methods to quantum computation and to many-body quantum systems. Currently the Director of the Institute for Quantum Control of the Peter Grünberg Institute at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Professor of Quantum Information at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the University of Cologne, Tommaso received his PhD at the University of Ferrara and started to work as a postdoc in the group of P. Zoller at the University of Innsbruck. He was appointed as a Senior Researcher at the BEC Centre in Trento in 2004 and as a Professor for Physics at the University of Ulm in 2007, where he then became Director of the Institute for Complex Quantum Systems and of the Centre for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology. He has authored in 2016 the Quantum Manifesto, which initiated the European Commission’s Quantum Flagship initiative, and is currently the Chairman of one of the Flagship’s Governing Bodies: The Quantum Community Network (QCN). In 2020, together with the QCN, he has launched an initiative towards the creation of a consortium of European quantum industries, which has been legally established in 2021 under the name of European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC).

Photo and Copyright © Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH

Dr Christian Ehler has been a Member of the European Parliament for Brandenburg since 2004 and belongs to the Group of the European People's Party (EPP/CDU). He has been a Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) for over ten years and has been its coordinator for the EPP since the beginning of this legislative period. As rapporteur for Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) and Horizon Europe (2021-2027) Dr Christian Ehler is considered one of the leading figures in the design and implementation of the European Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation. He is the initiator of the ITRE working group on the implementation of the Framework Programmes, which ensures close parliamentary scrutiny of Europe's research and innovation funding. Furthermore, Dr Christian Ehler is Vice-Chair of the European Parliament's think tank STOA (Science and Technology Options Assessment).  One of Dr. Ehlers main priorities is to ensure Europe’s excellence in science, technology and innovation in all sectors, including health, digital and climate. As Rapporteur for Horizon Europe, he has put forward a number of instruments to reduce the administrative burden for researchers and SMEs and for boosting public-private partnerships contributing to achieving EU climate and digital goals.  In addition to his engagement in the field of research an innovation, in the European Parliament Dr Christian Ehler is also Member of the US Delegation and substitute Member of the Committee on Culture and Education, the Delegation for relations with Israel and the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Dr. Christian Ehler ist seit 2004 Abgeordneter für Brandenburg im Europäischen Parlament und gehört der Fraktion der Europäischen Volkspartei (EVP/CDU) an. Er ist seit über zehn Jahren Mitglied des Ausschusses für Industrie, Forschung und Energie (ITRE) und seit Beginn dieser Legislaturperiode dessen Koordinator für die EVP. Als Berichterstatter für Horizont 2020 (2014-2020) und Horizont Europa (2021-2027) gilt Dr. Christian Ehler als einer der führenden Köpfe bei der Gestaltung und Umsetzung von europäischen Forschung- und Innovationsprogrammen. Er ist Initiator einer ITRE-Arbeitsgruppe, die sich für eine engere parlamentarische Kontrolle bei der Umsetzung von Wissenschafts- & Innovationsprogrammen der EU einsetzt. Darüber hinaus ist Dr. Christian Ehler Stellvertretender Vorsitzender des Think Tank STOA (Science and Technology Options Assessment) des Europäischen Parlamentes.  Einer der Schwerpunkte von Dr. Christian Ehler ist es, Europas Exzellenz in Wissenschaft, Technik und Innovation in allen Sektoren – einschließlich Gesundheit, Digitalisierung und Klima – zu stärken. Um die EU-Klima- und Digitalisierungsziele zu erreichen, hat er in seiner Funktion als Berichterstatter von Horizont Europa eine Reihe von Instrumenten auf den Weg gebracht, um administrativen Hürden zu vereinfachen – für Wissenschaftler und KMU’s ebenso wie zur Stärkung öffentlich-privater Partnerschaften. Neben seinem Engagement im Forschungsbereich ist Dr. Christian Ehler im Europäischen Parlament Mitglied der Delegation für die Beziehungen zu den Vereinigten Staaten, stellvertretendes Mitglied im Ausschuss für Kultur und Bildung (CULT) und Stellvertreter in der Delegation für die Beziehungen zu Israel sowie der Delegation für den Mittelmeerraum.

Prof. Dr. Bettina Just got a PhD in mathematics and computer science from J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main. For many years, she managed projects in life insurance companies and specialized on migration projects of life insurance portfolios. Since 2010, she is a professor of mathematics and computer science at THM Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen. She teaches quantum computing classes and is the coordinator of the "Quanten an HAWn" network. This is a platform for members of universities of applied sciences (the german "Fachhochschulen") to develop teaching inspired by practical applications.

Sebastian Luber has a doctorate in Physics and is Senior Director for Technology & Innovation at Infineon. As the head of the Infineon-wide expert group on second-generation quantum technologies, he is actively involved in a variety of bodies dealing with quantum technologies. Recently he acted as a member of the German government's expert council for a national quantum computing roadmap.

Mathieu Munsch is a cofounder and the CEO of Qnami. He holds an engineering degree from the ENS Grenoble INP and a PhD from the University Grenoble Alpes. He worked as a scientist for the CEA and the University of Basel, where he developed new lasers and sources of quantum light. He is the author of > 15 publications in high profile papers such as Nature and the Physical Review. In 2017, Mathieu created Qnami, with the ambition to build a leading company in the quantum sensor market. Mathieu is actively involved in the creation of a European quantum ecosystem.

Cédric O was born on December 18th, 1982 in l’Arbresle and graduated from HEC Paris in 2006. He is a founding member of En Marche! political movement and has sit at its Executive Board since its creation. In May 2017, he joins both the Office of the President and the Office of the Prime Minister, as an advisor for State’s holdings and the digital economy. 

On March 31st, 2019, he is appointed Minister of State for Digital Affairs. His three priorities are the support and development of the digital economy in France, regulatory policies and the promotion of digital inclusion.

On July 26st, 2020, within Prime Minister Jean Castex’s Government, he is appointed Minister of State for the Digital Transition and Electronic Communications, in addition to his former responsibilities. He is now in charge of the digital economy, regulatory policies and all types of telecommunications, from infrastructures to daily uses for the French people.

Photo and Copyright © Gézelin Grée

Having a background in Data Science, Data Management as well as Innovation Management, Claudia Pohlink seamlessly connects business and Data Science aspects of Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Claudia’s team at Telekom Innovation Laboratories (T Labs), the research unit of Deutsche Telekom, drives the adaptation of AI methods such as machine learning (ML) across relevant business areas. Main research focus is on the application of Quantum Computing, in the field of Cyber Security as well as around sustainability use cases. Since T-Labs has established AI as a core innovation area in 2017, the research facility of Deutsche Telekom is one of the most active players in AI in Berlin. Projects from Claudia’s previous position in the Deutsche Telekom’s Chief Data Office include ‘Data Cockpit’ (data transparency and data control for end customers) and a ‘Portal for Intelligence & Analytics’ (internal community for data and AI use cases). Claudia is a member of the Bitkom Board for Artificial Intelligence. Moreover, she plays an active role in Berlin’s AI/ML and start-up communities and regularly shares her knowledge as guest speaker at industry events and reviewer at Berlin’s universities and kids’ events and at schools. In 2019, she was honored as one of the Global Women Leaders in AI.

Mit einem Hintergrund in Datenwissenschaft, Datenmanagement sowie Innovationsmanagement verbindet Claudia Pohlink nahtlos betriebswirtschaftliche und datenwissenschaftliche Aspekte der Analytik und Künstlichen Intelligenz (KI). Claudias Team in den Telekom Innovation Laboratories (T-Labs), der Forschungseinheit der Deutschen Telekom, treibt die Adaption von KI-Methoden wie dem maschinellen Lernen (ML) über relevante Geschäftsbereiche hinweg voran. Hauptforschungsschwerpunkt ist die Anwendung von Quantencomputing, sowohl im Bereich der Cybersicherheit als auch rund um Anwendungsfälle der Nachhaltigkeit. Da die T-Labs die KI im Jahr 2017 als Innovations-Kernbereich etabliert haben, gehört die Forschungseinrichtung der Deutschen Telekom zu den aktivsten Akteuren der KI in Berlin. Projekte aus Claudias früherer Position im Chief Data Office der Deutschen Telekom sind unter anderem das 'Data Cockpit' (Datentransparenz und Datenkontrolle für Endkunden) und ein 'Portal for Intelligence & Analytics' (interne Community für Daten und KI-Anwendungsfälle). Claudia ist Mitglied des Bitkom-Boards für Künstliche Intelligenz. Darüber hinaus spielt sie eine aktive Rolle in der Berliner KI/ML- und Start-up-Community und gibt ihr Wissen regelmäßig als Gastrednerin bei Industrieveranstaltungen und als Gutachterin an den Berliner Universitäten sowie bei Kinderveranstaltungen und an Schulen weiter. Im Jahr 2019 wurde sie als eine der Global Women Leaders in KI geehrt.
 

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ina Schieferdecker ist Generaldirektorin für Forschung für technologische Souveränität und Innovationen beim Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF). Ihre Abteilung setzt Initiativen zu modernen Schlüsseltechnologien wie Quantentechnologien, Materialtechnologien, Mikroelektronik, Kommunikation, Software und KI-Technologien sowie zur Zukunft der Arbeit und zur Wertschöpfung um. Vor ihrem Eintritt in das BMBF war Frau Schieferdecker Institutsleiterin des Fraunhofer-Instituts für offene Kommunikationssysteme (FOKUS), Professorin für Quality Engineering offener verteilter Systeme an der Technischen Universität Berlin und Direktorin des Weizenbaum-Instituts für die Vernetzte Gesellschaft. Sie ist Mitglied der Deutschen Akademie der Technikwissenschaften (acatech) und war u.a. Mitglied des Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen (WBGU), des Hightech- Forums (HTF) und des Vorstands der Technologiestiftung Berlin (TSB). Für ihre wissenschaftliche Arbeit erhielt sie verschiedene Auszeichnungen wie den EUREKA Innovation Award und den Alfried Krupp-Förderpreis für junge Hochschullehrer.

Ina Schieferdecker wurde am 18. März 1967 in Berlin geboren und studierte Mathematische Informatik an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Ihre Promotion legte sie 1994 an der Technischen Universität Berlin ab.
 

Bob Sorensen, Senior Vice President and Chief Analyst for Quantum Computing at Hyperion Research, drives research and consulting efforts in the United States, European, and Asian-Pacific markets for technical servers, supercomputers, clouds, quantum computing and high performance data analysis. Bob is the lead analyst for Hyperion Research’s quantum computing program that looks at global R&D, technology, industry, and government trends in the quantum, computing sector. His areas of expertise include analysis of HPC hardware, architectures, interconnects, HPC benchmarking and performance analysis, and assessments of emerging and disruptive technology trends in the HPC and IT sector writ large. Bob holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Rochester and a master’s degree in computer science from the George Washington University, and he strongly prefers C over Python.

Dimitri is Quantum Lead & Solution Architect at ABN AMRO with a broad range of technical, management and commercial skills.

Dimitri has built several high available and high performance internet environments, and managed and built networks for several customers as project manager and in technical roles, including a 40+ fiber uplink for the LOFAR radio telescope.

After a 10 year period of working on several startups in different roles ( CTO, COO, Full Stack IT), and after making the last one successfull , Dimitri started working at ABN AMRO Technology Lab to explore new technologies that can be applicable for the bank in 5 years and beyond. Dimitri is responsible for the creation and execution of the Quantum Program within the bank, managing 3 Quantum projects, and working with experts in the field of Information Security, Cryptography, IT and Data Science & Mathematics.

Within the Quantum ecosystem Dimitri is active as member of the Dutch Quantum Finance Initiative (ING, Rabobank, ABN AMRO), member of the Industry Council of the Quantum Software Consortium (https://www.quantumsc.nl),  participating in setting up Quantum.Amsterdam (https://www.quantum.amsterdam/) and bridging science, industry and government.