IIEA Talks

'America’s World: Views of a Former National Security Advisor'

In this edition of IIEA Insights, the successor to Henry Kissinger, Condoleezza Rice and others, 27th U.S. National Security Advisor, Robert C. O’Brien, will discuss the past, present, and future of America’s global role

Robert C. O’Brien is the co-founder and chairman of American Global Strategies LLC among many other roles. He was the 27th United States National Security Advisor from 2019-2021, acting at President Donald Trump’s principal advisor on all aspects of American foreign policy and national security affairs. He currently serves on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) in President Donald Trump’s second term.

This symposium includes a keynote address by, and fireside chat with, Feargal Ó Coigligh, Secretary General of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. This symposium also includes the launch and presentation of a new paper on the same topic entitled Secure Connections: Ireland’s Digital Infrastructure and the Security of European Connectivity by its authors Cian FitzGerald, Senior Researcher at the IIEA; and Barry Colfer PhD, Director of Research at the IIEA.

Following the presentation, the symposium includes a discussion amongst a panel of experts.

Panellists include:

Garrett Blaney, Chairperson of Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg);

Rebecca Nottingham, Director of Bright Subsea Consulting and Trustee at the SubOptic Foundation;

Ben Wreschner, Head of Network and Economic Regulation at Vodafone.

'Mid-Year Economic Outlook'

In this edition of IIEA insights, Dan O’Brien will be joined by economist and public servant Robert Watt to discuss the economic outlook for the second half of 2026 and beyond. They will discuss global inflationary pressures in the light of recent energy price volatility, economic headwinds and tailwinds, economic aspects of AI, and geopolitical risks. On the Irish economy, they will examine strengths, weaknesses, and the state of public finances.

Robert Watt is the CEO Dublin Regeneration Authority. He previously served as Secretary General of the Department of Health and as Secretary General in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, during which time he was one of the principal advisers to the Government on economic, budgetary and financial policy issues. He has a professional background as an economist and has worked in the private, as well as the public sector

Europe's agricultural transition is stalling. While the destination is clear, many farmers feel excluded from decision-making, uncertain about the expectations placed upon them in the context of Europe's transition to net zero, and disproportionately burdened by the cost of change. Yet, this new research from Project Tempo, which will be launched at this IIEA event, tells a more hopeful story and points to a constructive path forward. Drawing on extensive work across France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Poland, it finds strong latent support among farmers for reform, provided it is fair and clearly defined. This event will present these findings and explore how policymakers, stakeholders, and farmers can work together to deliver a more inclusive and effective transition.
 
This research will be presented by Dagmar Droogsma, who leads Project Tempo's first thematic workstream on the transition to sustainable agriculture. She brings over 30 years' experience across government, industry, and civil society, more than two decades of which have been spent at the intersection of climate, environmental, and agricultural policy in the UK, across the EU, and at the UN. The event will be moderated by Tom Arnold, Chair of the Ireland Africa Rural Development Committee.
 
The presentation will be followed by an expert panel discussion featuring:

Dr Pippa Hackett, former Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; organic farmer and Manager, Project BASELINE
Ian Marshall OBE, former Senator, Seanad Éireann; Head of Business Development and Policy, CASE, Queen's University Belfast
Dr Jeanne Moore, Policy Analyst, National Economic and Social Council (NESC)

As quantum technologies continue to rapidly develop, in this event, Oscar Diez, Deputy Head of Unit for Quantum Technologies at the European Commission, will outline the role of the forthcoming European Quantum Act. Mr Diez will particularly discuss how the EU can support the transition from scientific excellence to industrial capacity, including access to infrastructures, scale-up, skills, supply chains and market uptake. Mr Diez will also reflect on how the Quantum Act and wider Quantum Europe Strategy can play a role in helping to promote Europe’s competitiveness agenda and drive innovation in Europe.

About the Speaker:

Oscar Diez is the Deputy Head of Unit for Quantum Technologies at the European Commission, where he leads strategic initiatives to position Europe as a global leader in the quantum domain. Mr Diez is also an adjunct professor at IE University in Madrid. With a background in both academia and public sector innovation, he previously served as Head of the Datacentre at the European Medicines Agency in London. Dr. Diez holds a PhD in Computer Science from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and a Master’s in Open eGovernment from Stockholm University.