Stockholm Tech Live Announces EU Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager and NATO Assistant Secretary General David as Keynote Speakers

Stockholm, 3 May 2022 – Stockholm Tech Live, the Nordic Region’s technology event of the year, has announced two high-profile international policymakers as keynote speakers. Margrethe Vestager, who has served as Executive Vice President of the European Commission for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age since December 2019, and as EU Competition Commissioner since 2014, will speak on EU policies to support start-ups in the digital world, to be followed by a question-and-answer session with questions from the floor.

Stockholm Tech Live takes place at Kistamässan on 11-12 May and includes a conference open to all with a conference pass.

The European Commission is determined to make this Europe's “Digital Decade”. Europe must now strengthen its digital sovereignty and set standards, rather than following those of others – with a clear focus on data, technology, and infrastructure. As digital technology is changing people’s lives, the EU’s digital strategy, led by Margrethe Vestager, aims to make this transformation work for people and businesses, while helping to achieve its target of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

With the current hostilities in Ukraine and the rising level of cybercrime and digital security threats, there will also be a timely appearance by David van Weel, NATO Assistant General Secretary for Emerging Security Challenges. In this role he leads the Alliance’s efforts to provide a coordinated approach to all new and emerging challenges. These include cyber and hybrid threats, terrorism, as well as emerging and disruptive technologies (such as AI and quantum computing), energy security challenges, including those posed by environmental changes, and data policy.

The Emerging Security Challenges division also runs the Science for Peace and Security Programme, which promotes dialogue and practical cooperation between NATO and partner nations through scientific research, technological innovation and knowledge exchange.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Margrethe Vestager and David van Weel will be joining our high-powered cast of speakers at Stockholm Tech Live,” said Jenny Lans, Content Director at Nordic Live Expo, which is organising the event. “Alongside the exhibition, Stockholm Tech Live will be setting the agenda for digital transformation with a conference featuring some of the world’s greatest technology visionaries, thought leaders and policymakers,” she added.

"Their precense is a great contribution to the expo and just goes to show how important it is for science, technology and business to meet and share input and ideas," said Jennifer Björk, Exhibition Director for Stockholm Tech Live.

Margrethe Vestager

Following the 2014 European Parliament election, Margrethe Vestager was nominated as Denmark’s European Commissioner, becoming Commissioner for Competition. After the

election of Ursula von der Leyen as President, retained her Competition portfolio while also becoming one of the Commission’s three Executive Vice Presidents, with responsibility for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age.

Margrethe Vestager is a member of the Danish Social Liberal Party, and of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE). She served in Danish governments as Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs from 1998 to 2000 and Minister of Education from 1998 to 2001. She was leader of the Social Liberals from 2007 to 2014 and served as Minister of Economic Affairs and the Interior from 2011 to 2014.

David van Weel

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that David Van Weel would be his new assistant in August 2020. Before joining NATO, David van Weel was the Foreign Policy and Defence Advisor for the Prime Minister of The Netherlands (2016-2020). This position followed a long career in The Netherlands Ministry of Defence, where he ended as Director for International Affairs and Operations/Policy Director (2014-2016) after serving as the Chief of Cabinet for the Minister of Defence and the Permanent Secretary (2012-2014) and as the senior policy officer for, amongst others, operations in Afghanistan and Libya, NATO, nuclear policy and disarmament, special operations and the preparation of the Defence Budget. David started his career in the Royal Netherlands Navy.