The 4th industrial revolution - What will transatlantic cooperation look like?

Ben is a British writer and technologist, specialising in the effects of the internet and the ubiquitous digital network on the worldʼs political, cultural and social spheres. He enjoys an international career as a speaker, explaining complex technological and sociological topics to lay audiences and as a high-level advisor on these matters to governments and business. He is currently a Robert Schuman fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, an Innovator in Residence at the Centre for Creative and Social Technologies at Goldsmiths, University of London, a non-resident fellow of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C., a member of the European Commission High Level Group on Media Freedom and contributing editor of the UK edition of WIRED magazine. He is the accredited inventor of the word “Podcast”, published in The Guardian (2004).

Prior to joining Friends of Europe, Dharmendra Kanani was director of policy at the European Foundation Centre (EFC). He was the England director at the Big Lottery Fund, the largest independent funder in the UK and fourth largest in the world. Dharmendra has held senior positions in the public and voluntary sectors and advisor to numerous ministerial policy initiatives across the UK.

Amanda Long is Director General at Consumers International (CI) and a champion of ethical business practice and pro-consumer issues. She joined Consumers International following a highly-successful career working with blue-chip multinational FMCG corporations, small/medium-sized enterprises and the public sector. At Consumers International, Long works – among other things – to promote consumer rights in the digital age and to improve conditions for cooperation with emerging economies in the field of consumer privacy and data protection. Long was shortlisted for the ‘Public Service’ category at the 2011 First Women Awards, hosted by the CBI and Real Business magazine recognising trailblazing women and in 2012 was awarded the ‘Responsible Business Game Changer’ Award by HRH Prince Wales charity, Business in the Community.

Taavi Rõivas has a long history of political service and notably served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia from 2014 to 2016. Prior to this he held other roles, including as Minister of Social Affairs and as member of the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia). As a Parliamentarian, he worked as Deputy Chairman of the Parliament, chaired the European Union Affairs Committee and Finance Committee, and from 2014 to 2017 was the leader of the Reform Party. Rõivas has also worked as a corporate customer account manager at an IT company, and as an advisor to several ministers, including: Märt Rask, Minister of Justice; Paul-Eerik Rummo, Minister of Population; and to Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, as well as the elder of the Haabersti city district of Tallinn.

A research engineer by training, Khalil Rouhana has over 25 years of experience within the European Commission. As Deputy Director-General, Rouhana’s responsibilities include policies for the digital economy, notably for research, innovation and industrial strategies, digital solution for societal challenges as well as cybersecurity. Prior to joining the Commission, Rouhana started his career as a research and development engineer for the aeronautics industry and deputy director for the electrical engineering division of the French University in Beirut. Rouhana also served as the director of Esigetel, (Ecole supérieure d’Ingénieurs en Génie Informatique et Télécommunications”), a renowned French school of engineering.