Details
Agenda
09.30 – 10.00 Welcome Coffee
10.00 – 10.05 Opening of the Conference
Christine Leuchtenmüller, Head of Office, KAS Nordic Countries
10.05 – 10.10 Opening Remarks
Ludger Siemes, German Ambassador to Sweden (tbc)
10.10 – 10.30 Keynote
Nico Lange, Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Defense and Security,
Center for European Policy Analysis
10.30 – 11.20 I. European Security Reconstructed: New Challenges and Pathways
In 2026, the transformation of Europe's security environment is showing no signs of slowing down. The drivers of change and insecurity have intensified and multiplied, with escalating armed conflicts in the Middle East, growing hybrid threat operations in the Baltic Sea Region, the Greenland crisis, and the ongoing war in Ukraine constituting just a few prominent examples. In order to respond effectively to these challenges, Europe needs to find the best ways to use its power, assets and potential to defend its core interests, such as supporting Ukraine and strengthening a European security architecture while preserving transatlantic relations. Moreover, it will also need to reinvent itself in the process for a stronger and more resilient Europe to emerge. Against this backdrop, this panel will take stock of the measures and initiatives undertaken at the European level since 2022 to address the deteriorating security environment and improve resilience. It will look at how these measures have fared and where the next big "construction sites" lie. The panel will also examine how the landscape of European security cooperation has evolved and what that means for its future trajectory and the creation of a truly united and resilient Europe.
Moderator:
Anna Rennéus Guthrie, Director, Stockholm Free World Forum
Panelists:
Iro Särkkä, Senior Research Fellow, Finland and Northern European Security, Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Ditte Brasso Sørensen, Senior Analyst & Deputy Director, Think Tank Europe
Hanna Ojanen, Associate Professor, University of Helsinki and Finnish National Defence University
Rikard Bengtsson, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Lund University
11.20 – 11.35 Q&A Session
11.40 – 12.30 Lunch and Mingle
12.35 – 13.30 II. Polar Crossroads: Security, Energy, and Influence in the Arctic
The Arctic is increasingly understood not as a remote periphery, but as a strategically significant region within global security and governance debates. Rapid environmental change, particularly sea ice loss, has expanded access to resources and maritime routes, heightening geopolitical interest and repositioning the region within international affairs. This raises a central question: is the Arctic moving toward intensified competition, or can it remain a space of cooperation? Addressing this requires attention to the key actors shaping regional dynamics and the interplay between security, economic, and environmental factors. Recent developments in Northern Europe illustrate these tensions. The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO has strengthened the alliance's Arctic presence, while increased Russian military activity in the High North contributes to a more complex security environment. At the same time, vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, such as subsea cables, highlight the growing need to be more aware of, and effectively tackle, hybrid threats. This panel will examine these developments from multiple perspectives, addressing security, energy, and economic dimensions, and situating Arctic change within a broader European security context.
Moderator:
Neil Melvin, Head of the Arctic and High North Programme, Swedish Institute of International Affairs
Panelists:
Andreas Østhagen, Research Professor, Fridtjof Nansen Institute
Andreas Raspotnik, Director, High North Centre, Nord University
Camilla T. N. Sørensen, Associate Professor, Royal Danish Defence College
Christian Keldsen, CEO, Business Greenland
13.30 – 13.45 Q&A Session
13.50 – 13.55 Closing Remarks
14.00 – 15.30 Closing Reception
Download the agenda: Programme 26-10-21 KAS Nordic Countries - Autumn Conference.pdf
