Thomas Becker is Managing Director of STRING, one of Northern Europe’s largest cross-border regional cooperation networks, bringing together cities and regions across four countries and representing around 14 million people. He specializes in climate policy, energy transition, infrastructure development, and regional integration. Previously, he served in senior positions within the Danish government, including Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Climate and Energy and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. His expertise focuses on green transition, cross-border cooperation, and long-term strategic development.
John Strand is CEO and founder of Strand Consult (since 1995), one of the leading telecom and digital policy analysis firms. He specializes in mobile markets, regulation, and digital transformation, and is known for early assessments of 3G, MVNOs, the iPhone, WiMAX, and OpenRAN. His work combines technical expertise with regulatory and geopolitical analysis, focusing on EU telecom policy, infrastructure economics, network security, and risks linked to Chinese vendors and supply chains. He advises governments, regulators, and multinational companies.
Prof. Ryszard M. Machnikowski is Dean of the Faculty of International and Political Studies at the University of Łódź. Since 2022, he has headed the Centre for Strategic Analysis and Forecasting at the Faculty, and since 2023 he has also been the Head of the Department of Foreign Policy and Security Theory. He is an expert for the National Science Centre (Poland) and serves in advisory capacities for the Conseil Supérieur de la Formation et de la Recherche Stratégique and the Equipe Sécurité Défense at CNAM in Paris. He is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Master’s programme in Criminology at CNAM and has previously collaborated on the Countering Lone Actor Terrorism project at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue in London.
Timo Hellenberg is the CEO of Hellenberg International Ltd. and a globally recognized security expert. He has served as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Finland on EU affairs and has advised several government agencies across Europe, the United States, Russia, and Southeast Asia. For over twenty years, he has published and worked as an expert in international relations and political science, and has been affiliated with the University of Helsinki and the University of Tampere.
Retired Col. Vaidotas Malinionis is the Founder and Managing Director of the National Defence Foundation and the Association of Colonels, as well as Managing Director of the Lithuanian Defence and Security Industry Association. He has played a key role in shaping the Lithuanian and Baltic defence industry, leading initiatives such as MILEX, MAPEX, and operational-level wargaming exercises. His leadership experience includes significant involvement in the European Battle Group (EUBG), reflecting his long-standing commitment to national and regional security.
Michael Malm is a Senior Defence Adviser in the Defence Staff of the Swedish Armed Forces, within the Directorate of Strategic Plans and Policy. He has extensive experience across the armed forces, the defence research community, and the private sector.
Dr. Niklas Swanström, Director and co-founder of the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), is a security expert and Fellow at the Johns Hopkins SAIS Foreign Policy Institute, as well as Senior Associate Research Fellow at Italian Institute for International Political Studies. His expertise includes supply chain security, cyber warfare, disinformation, Chinese foreign policy, Northeast Asian security, and the Belt and Road Initiative. He studies traditional and non-traditional threats, their impact on stability, and conflict management. He has authored numerous publications on Eurasian geopolitics, China–Japan relations, and international security. He holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Research from Uppsala University.
Ulrich Schneckener is a Professor of International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Osnabrück in Germany. He also serves as Chair of the Board of the German Foundation for Peace Research. He is an expert in EU security, enlargement policy, and neighbourhood policy. His current research focuses on the broader international and security implications of Russia’s war of aggression, with a particular regional interest in Ukraine, Moldova, Poland, and Romania.
Dr Wojciech Lieder – Founder, initiator, and President of the Nordic Institute Foundation. For the past 20 years, he has been conducting research on the Nordic region, combining academic expertise with practical experience. He studied at the University of Łódź, Malmö University, Stockholm University, and the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, and gained professional experience at institutions such as State Street Bank, PwC, and Amazon. Doctor of Social Sciences.
Dr. Julian Pawlak is a researcher at the International Security Division of German Institute for International and Security Affairs and a NextGen Associate Fellow at the NATO Defence College. His expertise covers security and defense policy, maritime strategy, and strategic studies, with a focus on NATO’s northern flank, the Baltic Sea region, and Northern and Eastern Europe. Previously affiliated with Helmut Schmidt University, GIDS, and Kiel University, he has authored numerous publications and frequently contributes analysis to leading international media, including The New York Times, Foreign Policy, El País, SPIEGEL, and WIRED.