Panellists discuss "Defending Critical Infrastructure in an Era of Hybrid Warfare"; Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu

The first part of the Luxembourg-Ukraine Tech Forum, organised by the Luxembourg-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce (LUCC), took place on Wednesday 29 October 2025 at Arendt House in Luxembourg-Kirchberg.

Centred on the theme “Securing Tomorrow: Defence, Cybersecurity and Space,” this international forum opened on Wednesday afternoon with welcome remarks from Robert Liebl, Business Community Relations Manager at LUCC, followed by keynote speeches from Luxembourg’s Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, and the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Poland to Luxembourg, Rafał Hykawy.

Minister Delles highlighted that "we are living in a time of deep transformation" and thus the importance of topics such as "the protection of critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, resilience and strategic cooperation in the fields of defence and space". He added that "in today's world, resilience is not just a concept; it is a necessity," also referring to Luxembourg's new National Resilience Strategy, presented earlier this month. "A resilient economy is essential for a resilient country" (also for Ukraine amid war), the minister said. He noted efforts to diversify Luxembourg's economy, highlighting key sectors, aimed at reducing economic dependencies and building strategic autonomy. "Resilience means being ready," he said, later calling this forum important because "it allows us to build bridges between governments, industries and innovators, to strengthen our collective security and technological sovereignty."

Minister Delles underlined Luxembourg's investments in innovation, particularly dual-use technologies (serving both civilian and military purposes) across sectors such as cybersecurity, space advanced materials and automation. He said Luxembourg "stands ready to deepen its collaboration" with Ukraine, not only in defence and cybersecurity but also in space. He stressed that public-private partnerships are "key to success", before concluding: "Together, let us secure tomorrow through innovation, cooperation and shared vision."

Joining remotely from Ukraine, LUCC President Evgenia Paliy thanked the Luxembourg government for its continued support and paid tribute to Ukrainian "heroes", with participants observing a minute of silence in their honour. She spoke about the realities of life in Ukraine today.

In his address, Rafał Hykawy outlined Poland’s extensive support for Ukraine - including the hosting of 1.7 million Ukrainian refugees. He stressed the importance of accurate information and media responsibility in combating misinformation surrounding cyber and hybrid threats. He noted that Poland is facing its own rising number of cyberattacks on public institutions and critical infrastructure - over 40,000 last year. "Ukrainians are not only defending their homeland," he stressed, "but they are also defending peace in Europe and thanks to them, we still live in a safe reality."

The forum continued with two panel discussions featuring experts from Luxembourg, Ukraine and international institutions:

  • "Defending Critical Infrastructure in an Era of Hybrid Warfare", moderated by Jenny Hallen Hedberg, Head of International Relations at Luxinnovation, and;
  • "Public-Private Partnerships - Joining the Dots Between Resilience, Defence and Dual Purpose", moderated by Tsvetelina Blagoeva, Director of Public Sector Advisory Services at PwC.

The first panel addressed topics such as evolving cyber threats to critical infrastructure, regulatory challenges and resilience-building in both Luxembourg and Ukraine.

The second panel focused on the role of public-private partnerships, funding, knowledge transfer and drones, cybersecurity and data sovereignty.

The day concluded with closing remarks and a networking cocktail.

The second part of the Luxembourg-Ukraine Tech Forum will take place at the same venue on Tuesday 18 November 2025.

For more information, visit www.lucc.lu/events/the-luxembourg-ukraine-business-forum-securing-tomorrow-defence-cybersecurity-and-space-part-1