PARIS 2026 · 24 MARCH
QSecDef 2026
World Symposium
Strategic security in the quantum-AI age. Expert briefings with government and enterprise decision-makers on the impact of Quantum Technologies on defence and national cybersecurity infrastructure.
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Programme
24 March 2026 · Palais des Congrès de Paris
A single-day programme covering quantum key distribution, post-quantum cryptography, defence applications, and EU policy. Afternoon sessions run from 13:00 to 18:00 CET, followed by evening networking.
- 12:00 60 min
Registration & Welcome Coffee
- 13:00 10 min
- 13:10 45 minExpert Panel Discussion
Global Perspective on Quantum in Security and Defence
- 13:55 5 min
Short Break
- 14:00 20 min
- 14:20 20 min
- 14:40 5 min
Short Break
- 14:45 45 minIndustry Pulses
Industry Pulses
Rapid-fire five-minute briefings from industry leaders
- 15:30 30 min
Coffee Break & Networking
- 16:00 50 minExpert Panel Discussion
Defending Post Quantum Digital Reality
- 16:50 5 min
- 16:55 5 min
- 17:00 25 min
- 17:25 25 min
- 17:50 10 min
Speakers
25 leaders from defence, telecommunications, European institutions, venture capital, and quantum technology.
Anna Beata Kalisz Hedegaard
CEO
QSecDef
Anna Kalisz Hedegaard has over 15 years of international experience in deep-tech, telecommunications, and defence communications networks. She brings a truly global perspective, having lived and worked across Poland, Denmark, the United States, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Germany. She worked at the European Patent Office and for the German Aerospace Center. Anna holds dual Master of Science degrees in Theoretical Cosmology (Physics) from the University of Southern Denmark, Nanoscience from Wright State University USA. As well as years of studies and research in telecommunications, radar, antennas and data systems. In 2024 founded deep tech start up QuantumPrime. In 2025 she won three entrepreneurship and leadership awards.
Zeki Seskir
Researcher
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Zeki Seskir's background is in Science and Technology Policy Studies (STPS) and Quantum Information Science. He is a researcher in the field of technology assessment (TA) at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS). He published on topics such as the QT start-up ecosystem, publication and patent landscapes, quantum radar, many-worlds interpretation, stakeholder engagement, and democratization of QT. He is coordinator of the project "QuTec: Quantum Technology Innovations for Society." He works for the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (TAB) on Military use of quantum technologies.
Malak Trabelsi Loeb
Founder & CEO
Vernewell Group
Malak Trabelsi Loeb is a legal expert in international business law with a focus on space law, technology and national security law, and the governance of emerging technologies, with emphasis on quantum and AI. She is the Founder and President of Vernewell Group and the Founder and CEO of Trabelsi Loeb Legal Consultants. Trabelsi Loeb advises governments, frontier-tech companies, innovators and startups, research institutions, and investors on regulatory strategy and risk, technology transfer and export control, foreign investment screening and national security reviews, cross-border data and cybersecurity, and trustworthy deployment in critical and space systems.
Martin Charbonneau
Nokia & Member of NATO STO TSI (Quantum)
Nokia
With a career immersed in the evolution of emerging technologies, Martin Charbonneau pioneers Quantum-Safe networking solutions at Nokia. His focus on Quantum-era cybersecurity fosters global collaborations with research and technology leaders in the quantum cryptography sphere, aiming to craft solutions for a dynamic security landscape. Martin partners with critical infrastructure organizations and enterprises, enlightening them about the urgency of securing network infrastructure through comprehensive defense-in-depth strategies. While Martin recognizes the vast potential of quantum computing technologies, his mission is to ensure a continued trust in our data and digital communication infrastructures. This commitment is rooted in a clear understanding of the transformative power of Quantum technologies and the necessity to protect our digital future. A product of Canadian education, Martin attended the Canadian Royal Military College (RMC, St-Jean, Canada). He is currently based in Canada's capital city, Ottawa.
Nydia Assaf Aragon
Founder
Enluz
EnLuz founder and international speaker, Nydia provides strategic advisory in data science, AI/ML, quantum computing, neuroscience, and IT risk & security. She leads Global Quantum and AI Literacy programs with a focus on accessibility and economic development. Nydia's team was a finalist in the 2025 Global Industry Challenge (NeuroQuantum Nexus), announced at the Quantum World Congress. In 2024, she was a finalist in a Global Climate Challenge, which led to a Quantum Fellowship sponsored by the U.S. Navy Nuclear Laboratory, culminating in a materials discovery publication presented at Fall TMS 2025. She is 2021 SAS's "Top Women in Analytics", 2022 the ATHENA Leadership Award nominee, recipient of MetLife's Center Stage Award (Q2 2018) for her digital transformation and compliance impact. With a background in electronic engineering and psych neuroscience, Nydia previously served as Global Principal for IT Risk & Security, where she advanced security posture maturity, developed metrics frameworks, optimized tooling spend, and co-led board-level security posture reporting for a Fortune 40 Fintech.
Olivier Duroyon
Head of Public Sector, Network Infrastructure
Nokia
Olivier Duroyon serves as the Head of the Public Sector segment for Network Infrastructure at Nokia, with responsibility for Defense, Public Safety, Research and Education Networks, and the modernization of local government and metropolitan infrastructure. Drawing on an engineering background, he has accumulated extensive experience in public affairs and business development, supporting national, regional, and local governments in the advancement and modernization of their ICT infrastructure.
José Pizarro De La Iglesia
Systems Engineer
European Space Agency
Jose Pizarro is a systems engineer with a knack for making quantum technologies work-in the real world and in space. He played a key role in shaping the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) User Requirements Document from the very start and led the LuxQCI roadmap definition. With hands-on experience as a space systems engineer, he now supports industry and member states at ESA, helping them navigate the uncharted waters of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Quantum Computing-exploring what they can (and maybe can't) do.
Maria Witte
Founder
Arise Innovations
Maria Witte is a chemist by training, science commercialization expert, and the founder of Arise Innovations. She works with the deep tech ecosystem across venture capital funds, venture builders, innovation institutions and startups to evaluate and steer deep tech ventures before failure becomes structurally locked in. She is the inventor of the 4x4-TETRA Deep Tech Matrix™ Framework (based on work with 200+ deep tech projects in 20+ international ecosystems), the world's first RD&I-certified operating system for deep tech evaluation, venture intervention and action order sequencing. The framework is designed to make scientific, technological, organizational, and capital risks measurable and actionable, rather than implicit or intuition-driven.
Luke Pulsford
Founder
quantumsecuritysearch.io
Luke Pulsford is the Founder of quantumsecuritysearch.io part of the SecuritySearch.io group, a specialist talent firm connecting organisations across the quantum ecosystem with the expertise needed to build and scale Quantum Readiness and Security Programs. Prior to founding the SecuritySearch group in 2023, Luke led and built security recruitment practices at leading specialist firms. With 13 years in Information Security and Emerging Risk recruitment, Luke has developed deep domain knowledge across Post-Quantum Cryptography, Quantum Key Distribution, and crypto-agility frameworks, and was an early mover in Emerging Risk talent, placing one of the UK's first enterprise AI security leaders in 2019. In late 2025, he created the Quantum Security Vault, a proprietary platform of quantum security professionals set for release in Q2 2026.
Owen O'Donnell
Marketing, Strategy & New Product Introductions
VIAVI Solutions
Owen O'Donnell is responsible for marketing, strategy and new product introductions in VIAVI's Wireless Business Unit, with a particular emphasis on virtualized 5G radio access, core network and PQC Performance testing (TeraVM platform). Owen has more than 35 years' experience in the industry with positions at Ericsson and Huawei, and has lived and worked in Sweden and U.K. prior to settling in Ireland.
Jana Jentzsch
Certified Specialist Lawyer for IT Law
BHO Legal
Dr. Jana Jentzsch has been a certified specialist lawyer for Information Technology Law (IT law) since 2011. She advises and represents well-known German and international companies and public authorities on legal and strategic matters relating to software use—particularly in connection with technology-use risk assessments (software licensing, AI applications, data use, information security) and the legal implications of digital transformation strategies (e.g., cloud transformation and AI implementation). From September 2021 to March 2022, she successfully completed the "Technology Leadership Program" at the University of California, Berkeley.
Eric Piroux
Director, Entrust Center of Excellence
Entrust
Eric Piroux is an experienced business professional in Cybersecurity, Trust Services, PKI and Cryptography. With a strong business-oriented approach, he has driven digital transformation initiatives for Financial Institutions, Corporations and e-Government entities. Eric has successfully led the international expansion of IT Security and GRC software vendors out of France, Spain, Italy and Germany after a career as Commercial Attaché in several French Embassies. Eric graduated from ESSEC Paris with a Master of Business Administration. At the Entrust Center of Excellence, he empowers organizations to achieve their digital goals, implement cost-effective identity-centric security solutions and prepare for the transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography. Eric also represents Entrust at the Secure Identity Alliance.
Niki Harris
Quantum Security Defence Canada
QSECDEF Canada
Niki Harris brings expertise in quantum technologies, AI governance, and defence policy, with a focus on emerging technology strategy and international security. She previously served as an AI Policy Analyst at Canada's Department of National Defence, where she advised on AI ethics frameworks, autonomous systems governance, and led research on quantum-AI integration for defence innovation. During her tenure, she collaborated with NATO, the Five Eyes, NIST, and others on international AI governance initiatives, including the US political declaration on the military use of AI and developed risk management frameworks for AI systems. Niki holds a Public Policy, International Relations & Security degree from Carleton University, 2025 and is based in Ottawa, Canada.
Michael Baczyk
Investor
Heartcore Capital
Michael Baczyk is an investor at Heartcore Capital, backing early-stage, sector-defining quantum companies. He leverages his technical expertise and strategic market understanding to establish relationships with founders building the future of quantum computing, sensing, communications and quantum safe. He was previously VP of Business Intelligence and first employee at Global Quantum Intelligence, where he directed a global team of quantum experts, led the most extensive analysis of the Chinese quantum ecosystem, and shaped 30+ strategic projects for national security advisors, VCs, and Fortune 500 executives. Michael was educated at Cambridge, ETH Zurich and worked at CERN Quantum & AI, and Los Alamos Quantum Labs. He is a double winner of global quantum hackathons and was awarded Europe's best young scientist, 1st at EUCYS by the European Commission.
Alessandra Jabłonowska
Poland Quantum Ambassador & Head of Quantum Programming
Girls in Quantum & Perspektywy Women in Tech
Alessandra Jabłonowska is expanding quantum education and outreach, bridging research, policy, and public engagement. At CERN, she co-organized the Polish Teacher Training Program, providing hands-on quantum education for teachers, and contributes to CERN's Open Quantum Institute. Alessandra is a strong advocate for gender equity in STEM. She is Poland Quantum Ambassador & Head of Quantum Programming for Girls in Quantum. She contributed to Poland's "Girls to STEM" campaign, inspiring young women to pursue science. She has organized major events, including the quantum track at the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit. She also founded Ask a Quantum Scientist, an international interview series featuring top researchers, now used as educational material.
Sébastien Bedu
Major Account Manager
DigiCert
Sébastien Bedu is a Major Account Manager at DigiCert, where he supports leading French organizations in designing and governing their digital trust architectures. He addresses strategic challenges such as cryptographic resilience, machine identity management, and compliance with European regulations, including NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act. His approach positions digital trust as a lever for sovereignty, risk control, and sustainable performance. Previously at Lookout and Forcepoint, he contributed to the adoption of Zero Trust and SASE architectures within critical environments. His career has been defined by managing complex enterprise sales cycles and aligning security strategy with business imperatives.
Mads Hedegaard
Space and Defence, Data and AI Infrastructure
Rheinmetall
Mads is responsible for mission-critical, high-security Data and AI infrastructure at Rheinmetalls new space developments. With over a decade of experience across the Defence and Space sectors, including roles at Rheinmetall, Airbus, and OHB SE, he specializes in bridging the gap between complex engineering and cutting-edge data science. From leading logistics and product services for the Starlab space station to architecting transnational AI infrastructure solutions for ESA, his focus is on advancing operational excellence through robust, sovereign technology. He is passionate about pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AI, data analytics, and high-security infrastructure to secure our future.
Adam McElroy
CTO
Eclypses
Adam McElroy brings over 25 years of security leadership experience to his role as Chief Technology Officer for Eclypses, where he brings the voice of the customer into all dimensions of the firm and ensures communications are relevant and impactful. Prior to Eclypses, Adam was the Group Head of Cyber Risk for a European bank after a successful career in risk advisory and technology innovation. He has built international security teams across many industry sectors – including finance, critical infrastructure, government, and military - his impact has been recognised in multiple awards and he is a frequent speaker at industry forums and conferences.
Marin Ivezic
CEO
Applied Quantum
Marin Ivezic is the founder of Applied Quantum, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations prepare for the opportunities and threats of quantum technology. A former quantum entrepreneur, he previously led cybersecurity and quantum technology practices at a Big Four firm as well as at IBM and Accenture, and he also served as a CISO and CTO at Fortune Global 500 companies. With over three decades of relevant experience and over a decade of experience working on quantum readiness initiatives with governments and critical infrastructure organizations, Marin specializes in bridging the gap between cutting-edge innovations and practical cybersecurity strategy.
Adrian Neal
CEO
QuStream
Adrian Neal is a two-time winner of the NATO Defence Innovation Challenge and an international expert in Cybersecurity and Cryptography. He serves as Senior Director and Global Lead for Post-Quantum Cryptography at Capgemini, and CEO of QuStream, delivering cutting-edge quantum-safe encryption (504-bit hardness) in Web3 environments. With nearly 40 years of experience across 8 countries and sectors including banking, energy, pharma, and defense, Adrian advises governments, defense organizations, and multinationals on post-quantum readiness. He also consults on cybersecurity for Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) on socio-economic risks from cryptographic instability. Adrian is a member of the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR). He founded two Oxford spinouts: Oxford BioChronometrics, a fraud detection pioneer cited by global media and US Congress, and Oxford Scientifica, focused on secure military communications, with both ventures earning NATO cybersecurity awards.
Dr. Fabiana Da Pieve
Program Manager, DG CONNECT
European Commission
Fabiana designs work programs and policy initiatives in both the domain of PQC and broad-scope future quantum networks. She has a long academic career in fundamental physics and also a side education and professional experience in cryptography, in particular on the cryptographic tests of the Galileo Public Regulated Service and on the TESTA network service. She designs new initiatives for research and deployment in cryptography, design new policy proposals, analyses implications of different policy proposals related to a variety of technologies on cyber-resilience, foster collaborations at interinstitutional level for the PQC transition in EU-bodies, oversees the work of the NIS PQC workstream, and perform continuous analysis of different sub-fields to push real-world cryptographic solid initiatives and to foster the exploration and advancement of quantum technologies.
Dr. Alessia Bizzarri
Policy Assistant Enabling & Emerging Technologies, DG CONNECT
European Commission
Alessia, is expert policy assistant to the Director of "Enabling and Emerging Technologies" Directorate in DG CONNECT, European Commission. She has over 20 years of experience across the European Commission, European Central Bank and national authorities, combining strategic leadership roles, scientific advisory work and programme governance and design. Her role in translating complex scientific and technical evidence into structured, evidence-based policy recommendations allows the steering of activities related to the design and planning of multi-annual work programmes and of high-visibility policy portfolios. She constantly operates at the science-policy interface, ensuring coherence between research, regulation and implementation, playing a fundamental role in delivering policy impact in the complex landscape of emerging technologies.
Edouard Debry
Research Engineer
MBDA
Edouard is a specialist in Applied Mathematics with a career dedicated to solving complex system challenges. He earned his PhD in Environment Modeling from École des Ponts et Chaussées in 2005, laying the groundwork for over a decade of high-impact research. After serving as a Research Fellow at CEREA and a Research Engineer at INERIS (the French Institute for Risk Assessment), he transitioned his expertise in atmospheric and environmental modeling toward the cutting edge of defense technology. Since 2019, he has been a Research Engineer at MBDA, where he focuses on Optimization and Quantum Computing, leveraging his deep mathematical background to drive innovation in next-generation computation.
Frederic Lesage
Senior Engineering Leader
MBDA
Frédéric Lesage is a senior engineering leader with over 15 years of experience in software development, data engineering, and Industry 4.0 transformation at Airbus. He has led multidisciplinary teams in defense systems, software integration, and smart manufacturing, driving large-scale digital initiatives across international sites (UK, Germany, Italy). Specialized in data architecture, machine learning, and AI applications, he has designed enterprise-grade Data Fabric environments, implemented predictive maintenance systems improving industrial performance by 30%, and deployed LLM-based solutions leveraging RAG architectures and Azure AI services. Frédéric combines strong technical expertise (data engineering, ML, OT protocols, cloud-native architectures) with enterprise architecture practices (TOGAF, ArchiMate) and hands-on leadership experience in complex, safety-critical environments.
Dr. Joe Spencer
Director
Global Quantum Intelligence
Dr Spencer is one of the world's leading authorities on quantum technology, with a defence-sector background that has shaped the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme and influenced international roadmaps and defence applications.
Venue
Palais des Congrès de Paris
2 Place de la Porte Maillot, 75017 Paris, France
Getting there: Métro Line 1 to Porte Maillot. RER C to Neuilly-Porte Maillot. Direct bus from Charles de Gaulle airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can buy tickets for the event by pressing the buy tickets button, if you would like to attend as a group or a delegation please contact us.
Buy a ticket as a non member for €320.00. Buy a ticket and QSecDef membership together for €299.00 (event special promotion, currently open). Existing members buy a ticket for €220.00 utilising a special discount code.
We encourage all participants to have an early brunch and arrive at midday. Spend an hour being introduced to our delegates and meeting fellow senior stakeholders during the registration coffee. A coffee break is also served at 15:30 between the afternoon sessions.
The simplest route is Metro Line 1 to Porte Maillot. Use Exit 3 signposted Palais des Congrès and you will arrive directly at the venue concourse. Or take RER C to Neuilly - Porte Maillot, which connects to the complex via a short underground passage. From Charles de Gaulle (CDG), take RER B to Châtelet - Les Halles, transfer to Metro Line 1 towards La Défense and alight at Porte Maillot. From Orly (ORY), ride Orlyval to Antony for RER B to Châtelet - Les Halles, then Metro Line 1. From Beauvais (BVA), the official airport coach runs non-stop to Paris Porte Maillot.
Registration and welcome coffee opens at 12:00. The programme begins at 13:00 with the welcome address and runs through to closing remarks at 17:50. An evening social event follows at 20:30.
Palais des Congrès de Paris, 2 Place de la Porte Maillot, Paris. Level 3, Auditorium Havana. Three large hotels are close to the venue: Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, Le Méridien Paris Arc De Triomphe, and The AC Hotel Paris Porte Maillot. The event is in the afternoon so it is also possible to fly in and out or take the train without a hotel if required.
Register for QSecDef 2026
Join 25+ speakers and decision-makers from defence, telecoms, and government for a single day of actionable quantum security intelligence in Paris.