“Practical Applications of Advanced Technologies for Enhancing Security and Defence Capabilities: Perspectives and Challenges for Western Balkans”

The Euro-Atlantic Council of North Macedonia in cooperation with the Atlantic Council of Bosnia & Herzegovina will host Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) supported by NATO SPS program entitled: “Practical Applications of Advanced Technologies for Enhancing Security and Defense Capabilities: Perspectives and Challenges for Western Balkans”.

The ARW will take place in hybrid format (limited to presence of the core team only) and the lectures will be conducted fully online from 14th to 17th October 2021.

The primary objective of the ARW is to explore the primary applications of advanced technology (including AI and autonomous technology) for security and defence purposes, to raise the level of awareness and understanding among the key stakeholders regarding the practical potentials and main challenges of implementing advanced technology for purposes of strengthening the defence systems in Western Balkans, and to pitch the premises for the development of strategies for regional cooperation between public institutions, academia and private actors.

The ARW will be composed of presentations by experts in a form of lectures and discussion sessions conceptualized as workshop groups/round tables with a moderator. In this vein, the event will bring together renowned experts and pundits in technical and social sciences from NATO and NATO partner countries that will take participation as speakers and participants and will address the latest trends, as well as the technical, strategic and legal aspects of the new and innovative technology.

Among the experts that will deliver lectures are Dr. Alan Brill, Cyber Risk Practice of Kroll; Mr. Donald D. Dudenhoeffer , Austrian Institute for Technology; Ms. Ann Valjataga, NATO CCD COE; Brigadier General Dr. Metodi Hadji Janev, Military Academy “General Mihailo Apostolski” Skopje; Mr. Jason Wiseman, European Parliament; Ms. Anett Numa, E-Estonia; and Dr. Velizar Shalamanov, NATO Communications and Information Agency.

The Co-Directors of the event are Mr. Ilija Djugumanov, Secretary General of ATA North Macedonia and Dr. Dijana Gupta, President Atlantic Council of Bosnia & Herzegovina.