Speakers

Christian Kromme is a futurist, disruptive technology expert, and author of the bestseller "Humanification: Go Digital, Stay Human." He explores the parallels between biology and technology, helping leaders navigate rapid change.

In 2002, he founded Artificial Industry, working with companies like Philips, Toyota, and Adidas. After selling his company in 2015, Christian now writes, speaks, and develops AI solutions through the SymbioSys platform.

Alexander Ståhle is an urban researcher and urban planner with a focus on sustainability. He is one of the Scandinavia's most used lecturers in urban development, construction and traffic. Alexander has lectured in most Swedish and Norwegian urban municipalities, for the large construction companies and property owners, as well as at several large conferences on sustainable cities and property development. He is appreciated for his fun, easy-going and educational way of talking about how we can develop the cities of the future.
Alexander Ståhle is a PhD in urban planning at KTH and CEO of the architectural firm Spacescape. He is a trained landscape architect and received his doctorate with a thesis on densification and public green spaces. At KTH, he has researched how cities and urban plans create attractiveness, sustainability and justice. Alexander's heart issue is precisely sustainable urban development.

Sustainable Development, Urban Mobility, and Project Management
- He was secretary-general of the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD (2012-2017)
- He was Professor at the school of Engineering of the University of Lisboa (1992-2012), creating and leading its Transport Infrastructure, Policy and Systems research group
- He was referenced as one of the top 2% of worldwide scientists across all domains, based on the impact of publications (Stanford University, 2022)
- He was project coordinator of some 12 EC (DG7, DGMove) research projects
- He has worked as advisor to several Ministers of Public works and Mayors of large cities in Portugal, and been a consultant to the Presidents of RATP and SNCF in France
- He is Permanent Ambassador of the UITP
- Currently he is Chairman of the Board of TIS.pt, a Portuguese consultancy on Transport system, which he founded in 1992

Kjell gives an overview of the economic landscape and how to develop and optimize your business. With Ghandi-like charisma and a unique ability to predict the future, Kjell A. Nordström is one of the world’s most loved and sought-after lecturers. Dr. Nordström bases his observations and predictions on reliable research, the latest movements on the global market and his unparalleled experience and insight.

Emanuela Stocchi is President of the PIARC (World Road Association) since 2025.
Emanuela is an expert in EU legislation and policies and she is Director of International Affairs for AISCAT (Associazione Italiana Società Concessionarie Autostrade e Trafori), the Italian Association of Toll Highways Concessionaires Companies. In this role she ensures the Association’s contacts with the EU Institutions and other European and International organizations active in the transportation field.
Emanuela is Vice Chair of the ASECAP (European Association of Toll Highways Concessionaires Companies) Permanent Committee of Road Safety, Environment and Sustainability.
Emanuela is currently serving as Past President of IBTTA (International Bridge, Tunnel and Tunrpike Association), being member of the IBTTA Past Presidents Advisory Council, as well as of the International Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Toll Immersion Program Task Force, the Sustainability and Resilience Task Force and the Women in Tolling Council of IBTTA. She served IBTTA and its members through work on several committees before being appointed to the board of directors in 2011. She also served a two-year term as international vice president, a one-year term as second-vice president, a one-year term as first vice president, a one year term IBTTA president in 2017, under the theme she had chosen for her year "International Mobility Connections".

Currently acting as the CEO of AB “Via Lietuva”. Martynas is an infrastructure strategy and management expert with more than 15 years of experience in the transport and infrastructure sector. He graduated Vilnius Gedimino Technical University with a Bachelor’s degree in Road and Railway Engineering and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. He has been working as the Head of Infrastructure Support and Development at AB “Via Lietuva” for a long time, where he is responsible for the development of road network strategies, implementation of innovation and digitalization solutions. Previously, he headed the Strategic Infrastructure Department at AB “Litgrid”, where he formed the company’s strategy and managed the infrastructure investment portfolio. He was also a member of the Board of UAB “Voestalpine Railway Systems”, President and Chairman of the Board of the Association “GELPA”, where he represented the interests of the sector in the process of legislative and standards development. As the Head of the Technical Development Department at AB “Lietuvos geležinkeliai”, he developed and implemented technical, technological and digitalization strategies, and represented the group of companies internationally. While working as the Executive Director of UAB "Railway Construction Center", he strengthened the efficiency and competitiveness of the company's operations.

Prior to joining ICDS at the end of 2008, he served at the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL), as the deputy director of the College’s Institute for Defence Studies (2001-04) and then the dean of academics (2005-08). In 1998-2001 and 2005, he was with the Defence Policy and Planning Department of the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, including as the department’s deputy director and head of the defence transformation task-force. Since 2017, he has been a visiting professor at the Natolin Campus of the College of Europe in Warsaw, teaching a course on terrorism and hybrid warfare, and, since 2024, has been involved with the EU Diplomatic Academy at the College of Europe main campus in Bruges. He is also an associated fellow of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA). At the ICDS, he deals with various aspects of defence policy and strategy, regional security and defence cooperation in the Baltic area, impact of emerging disruptive technologies on security and defence, energy security and societal resilience. Articles written or co-authored by him appeared in Defence Studies, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and RUSI Whitehall Papers as well as in the publications of Johns Hopkins University, US Joint Special Operations University, American Academy in Berlin, Latvian Institute of International Affairs, ARES-Armament Industry European Research Group, and NATO Science and Technology Organisation (STO). He has been quoted in such media outlets as The Economist, The Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, La Monde, La Figaro, El Pais, La Stampa, and others. He holds a BA in political science from Vilnius University, an MA in war studies from King’s College London, and an MBA from the University of Liverpool.

Poland Acting General Director for National Roads and Motorways. A graduate of the Warsaw Military University of Technology in the field of general construction and a graduate of the Częstochowa University of Technology in the field of construction technology, organisation and management. Prior to his appointment as General Director for National Roads and Motorways, he worked at the Mazovian Provincial Roads Authority as Director of the Road District in Grodzisk Mazowiecki. Prior to that, he had worked as a construction manager and engineer, as well as an investment execution specialist.

Marius Narmontas brings extensive expertise in urban planning, spatial development, and construction to the Rail Baltica Global project, which has already entered large-scale construction phase. His administrative background further strengthens his ability to drive improvements in project delivery and foster key relationships with strategic stakeholders across Lithuania and the Baltic region.
Previously, Marius served as the Head of the Lithuanian Branch at RB Rail AS, Rail Baltica’s central coordinator. Before that, he held the role of Vice Minister at the Ministry of Environment, where he oversaw construction, housing, spatial planning, urban development, climate change policy, protected areas, and landscape management. Marius also led the Construction and Territorial Department within the Ministry of Environment.
As Chief Operating Officer, Marius is responsible for ensuring the efficient daily operations of RB Rail AS and its branches, optimizing resource management, and supporting the successful delivery of the Rail Baltica project.

Chief Economist at Šiaulių Bankas with almost twenty years of experience in the central and commercial banking. She is also an independent board member of Invest Lithuania. Genytė-Pikčienė's areas of expertise include macroeconomic research on global, eurozone and Baltic economies and financial market processes, risk monitoring of Lithuanian economic sectors, analysis of fiscal and monetary policy, competitiveness and regional economic policy, and financial literacy.

Jokūbas Markevičius, Director of the Economics Department of the Bank of Lithuania, has been working at the Bank of Lithuania since 2014 and is currently responsible for the monetary and economic policy formulated by the Bank of Lithuania, as well as macroeconomic forecasts and applied economics research. Jacob 2019-2024 held the position of head of the Financial Stability Department of the Bank of Lithuania, where he took care of the prevention of financial crises, ensuring the implementation of the macroprudential policy and bank restructuring policy. Previously, he worked at the European Central Bank.

Rasmus Kattai is an Estonian economist affiliated with Eesti Pank, the central bank of Estonia. He has actively participated in discussions and forums related to economic performance and related policies. As Head of the Economic Policy and Forecasting Division, he drives analysis and forecasting that shape national economic strategies.

Kārlis Purgailis has 20 years of work experience in the finance sector by providing asset management and finance markets related services for several banks of Latvia. He began his finance career in 2000 as a finance analyst at the AS "Parex banka". In 2007 he managed brokerage and asset management units, as well as performed the management of investment portfolios and pension plans in VAS "Latvijas Hipotēku un zemes banka". During 2009-2012 and 2012-2014 K. Purgailis managed asset management units in AS "Latvijas pasta banka" un AS "GE Money Bank". From 2014 to 2015 K. Purgailis worked in AS "SEB banka", being in charge of development of investment and savings products. In 2015 he joined Citadele Group and until September 2017 has been head of the Treasury unit at AS “Citadele banka”, later became chairman of the board of CBL Asset Management. K. Purgailis holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in management from University of Latvia.

An experienced leader with extensive expertise in Marketing, Pricing, Customer Value Management, and Data Analytics. Throughout my career, I have successfully managed the commercial aspects of the largest mobile telecom companies in Lithuania (Tele2) and Qatar (Ooredoo), as well as the electric vehicle sharing platform "Spark," aiming to ensure continuous profitable growth and exceptional results in Revenue, Loyalty, and Customer Satisfaction.

Artūras Michejenko is the Managing Director for the Baltic States at DKV Mobility, one of Europe’s leading mobility service providers.
With over 20 years of experience in the mobility services sector, he has gained extensive expertise in analyzing the needs of transport companies and developing comprehensive solutions to meet those needs.
Together with his team, he works to provide tailored solutions for market players of all sizes – from small companies with just a few vehicles to leading transport sector businesses across Europe.

Umberto Pinori is a Senior Pavement Engineer at Dynatest, specializing in infrastructure design with a strong focus on sustainability and innovation. He has over 15 years of experience in smart data management and supports the research and development of pavement testing technologies.
Previously he had a research fellowship at the University of Pisa, for many years, concentrating on road and airport pavement management systems.
Umberto has lectured at several Italian Universities and delivered technical training for international agencies and private firms. He is also a frequent speaker at international conferences focused on transport infrastructure and pavement management.
Umberto Pinori is recognized for his commitment to enhancing infrastructure monitoring and management using smart technologies and sustainable construction methods.

Marius Vaščega is a diplomat with a background in law, economics, and political science. He is a long-standing European Union official who has worked in the EU institutions since Lithuania became its member in 2004. Since March 1, 2022, Vaščega has been serving as the Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Lithuania and acting as the official representative of the EC in Lithuania, politically subordinate to the President of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen.

Germany Chairman of the Management Board of the Autobahn GmbH des Bundes. He studied business administration and law at the universities of Passau and Bonn, where he completed his legal studies with a doctorate in law.
Before taking on his current role, he held various positions in the public sector. From 2019 to 2022, he served as State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, where he was responsible for personnel, budget, federal holdings, and the transport modes road, rail and inland waterways. He played a key role in establishing the Autobahn GmbH and served as Chairman of its Supervisory Board. Since September 2023, he has been Chairman of the Management Board of Autobahn GmbH des Bundes.

Main areas of activity: strategic planning and management, setting and management of indicators and goals, process management and efficiency (LEAN practices), standardized competence management. This year, Lina is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the company's activities!

Vilius Girkontas is the Country Lead for Lithuania at Nordic Investment Bank, where he oversees financing operations in both the public and private sectors.
Vilius represents the Connectivity & Consumer unit and is responsible for lending activities in the Baltic countries’ infrastructure, transportation, and consumer sectors.
Vilius has 23 years of banking experience and has worked with a diverse range of customers, including large private and public corporations, mid-caps, states, and municipalities. Prior to joining Nordic Investment Bank in 2008, Vilius held various positions in Lithuanian commercial banks.
He holds an Executive MBA in Finance from Hanken School of Economics in Finland.

Tõnis regards sustainable development goals important in urban design matters both at the local and national levels, emphasizing that decisions beneficial to the climate are also good for the local living environment and, ultimately, for individual well-being.
He holds a master's degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from the Estonian Academy of Arts and in Management of Social Change from the University of Tartu. Considering that urban space issues always involve various stakeholders with different interests, Tõnis has consistently emphasized thoughtful and clear dialogue and the ability to listen while bringing different interest groups closer together. In this regard, he has made his contribution to general urban planning and the continuous communication of quality urban space.
He is the author of an Estonian urban podcast “Ruumilood”.

Dr. Lina Šneideraitienė is the Head of the Laboratory at AB Dolomitas and has served as the President of the Association of Construction Product Testing Laboratories since 2017. In 2021, she was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science in Technology Sciences, specializing in Civil Engineering, by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH).

Justas Kažys, PhD (25/08/1977) was born and still resides in Vilnius. For working he combines teaching and researching in Institute of Geosciences, Vilnius University as associate professor. J. Kažys studded in Vilnius university and made PhD thesis on Road Meteorology (in 2006). From early career years he evolved high interest in applied climatology sciences and climate change adaptation and modelling. During recent years he focused on social climatology and analysis of climate change processes with respect to public communication, awareness rising and internet information in Baltic Sea Region. Also, he continues to explore and analyze the interdisciplinary social and natural aspects of climate change's impact on society and nature. From 2024 he is a chairman of “Climate System Studies” master program, among teaching subjects “Climate Change Management” and “Climate Change” course for bachelors.

Priit Sauk is the Director General of the Estonian Transport Administration which plans and ensures safe, smart and environmentally friendly mobility in Estonia. Sauk has been managing private and public sector organizations for over 30 years. After the merger of three administrations into the Estonian Transport Administration, the main challenges in recent years have been reform management, service design and digitalization.

Mārtiņš Lazdovskis has acquired both his Bachelor‘s degree and his Master’ s degree in economics at the Faculty of Economics and Management of the University of Latvia.

Mārtiņš Lazdovskis is the Chairman of the Board of State limited Liability Company “Latvian State Roads” since September, 2021, and before that he has served as the Member of the Board of “Latvian State Roads” since 2015.

Before joining “Latvian State Roads” Mr. Lazdovskis has held the positions of State Secretary of the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia and State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Latvia. He has also served as the Director General of the State Land Service of the Republic of Latvia and Deputy Director of the Rural Support Service of the Republic of Latvia.

He started working at the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways in 2019, where he currently serves as a spokesperson and deputy director of the General Director's Office. Graduate of law at the University of Gdańsk and the National School of Public Administration in Warsaw. He gained professional experience at the Ministry of Development and Investment, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development, where he was responsible, among other things, for international cooperation and projects co-financed with EU funds.

He holds a degree in Measurement Engineering (Geodesy), and during his master’s studies, he specialized in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Deividas has extensive experience working as a land surveyor and geodetic engineer on various infrastructure projects. He is currently employed at Hnit-Baltic in the Technology and Innovation Department. He also provides technical support to clients on topics related to ArcGIS solutions, the integration of BIM and CAD data into GIS environments, and the implementation of drone-based photogrammetric solutions.

Matas Martinkėnas works with the search and recruitment of engineering positions and helps clients find the best technical sales professionals.
Matas is also responsible for talent sourcing strategies and the application of the latest recruitment methods across the entire People Link company.

Currently serves as the Head of Research and Development at Fliegl, with a focus on asphalt paving processes. For around 15 years, he has been regularly visiting road construction sites—mainly in the field of asphalt road construction—where he applies theoretical knowledge to real-life situations, aiming to solve practical problems and develope reliable processes. He actively participates in research projects across Europe, Japan, and other countries, and frequently attends conferences and meetings throughout Europe. He is a member of several professional associations in the field of road construction and transport engineering: VSVI, FGSV, DAV, FSV, EAPA, AIPCR, and VDBUM.

The association, represented by Šarūnas, brings together road construction, bridge construction, specialized road works construction companies, construction materials and equipment companies, and scientific institutions. The association's members also carry out reconstruction work on airports, sea and river ports, and railway infrastructure, as well as scientific research into transport infrastructure, road network development, road construction materials, and road and transport structures.

With a background in mechanical engineering, Gilbert Leb has been helping the industry digitize its internal processes for more than 30 years. Digitalization in road construction has enormous potential to simplify day-to-day work on the site and throughout the production process. With more than 4 million tons per year in the digital ordering and delivery workflow, Q Point is proving its reliability in the day-to-day work of road construction. Optimized processes reduce the workload and, in the long term, cut costs and emissions.

Kristjan Järvan is the Deputy Mayor for Transport in Tallinn, Estonia, where he leads the city's efforts to modernize its public transportation system and promote sustainable mobility. Appointed in April 2024, Järvan has prioritized investments in eco-friendly vehicles, including electric buses and trolleybuses, and the expansion of multimodal transport options to reduce reliance on private cars.
Before his current role, Järvan served as Estonia's Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology from July 2022 to April 2023. He holds degrees in economics and law from the University of Tartu and has a background in the tech industry, having held leadership positions in several startups.

Sven is a dedicated researcher with extensive experience in sustainable road construction, specializing in road construction materials, pavements, and geotechnics. Having contributed to cutting-edge research at Tallinn University of Applied Sciences and Tallinn University of Technology, he now applies his expertise at Verston, which has ambitious plans to become a leader in innovative and sustainable infrastructure solutions. At Verston, Sven is a part of the company’s ambitious commitment to constructing sustainable, low-impact infrastructure, advancing the industry towards a greener future.

Expert in areas related to testing the properties of bituminous mixtures as well as shaping the properties of individual bitumen courses for the design and construction of durable and safe pavements. Staff member of Research and Development Department at ORLEN Asfalt.

Povilas Drižas, the head of TTLA, is an experienced expert in the transport and logistics sector, actively involved in shaping sectoral policy at both national and international levels. He is also the chairman of the Transport Working Group of BusinessEurope, the European business confederation based in Brussels, and Vice President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists.

Stefan Dräger is Managing Director and Head of Sales at infraTest Prüftechnik GmbH, a leading company in materials testing technology. With a background in geology and over 15 years of international sales experience, he has helped expand infraTest's presence across Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Passionate about innovation and quality, he is also an associated member of the German Institute for Standardization (DIN).