# CROSSROADS #10 | Resilience & Sovereignty in the AI Era

> This issue explores how Luxembourg navigates technological advancements through resilience and sovereignty in the age of artificial intelligence.

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- Last updated: 2026-11-12
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## Page 1

in the AI era

Bolt goes bold
in Luxembourg

Sovereignty They chose
by design Luxembourg

Luxembourg's tech, innovation & business magazine No. 10 Autumn 2026

Seeing the planet more clearly with AI
A quantum leap: From the lab to the sky

## Page 3

Dr Mark Bloomfield, Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School,
shared these words during a recent visit to Luxembourg. They capture
how fast artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving: what seemed impossible
yesterday happens today. Opportunities abound – and so do risks.
Businesses and research centres need resilient, sovereign AI environments
where they can innovate with confidence.
| Luxembourg has long been at the forefront of secure, trusted digital | SOVEREIGNTY BY DESIGN | 4 |
| infrastructure. Yet AI resilience and sovereignty go beyond infrastructure. | AI CHAMPIONS: CHRISTOPHE | 8 |
| They also depend on people: researchers who push boundaries, | FOLSCHETTE |
| businesses that turn visions into real-life solutions and authorities that ensure good governance in a stable, reliable environment. | AI CHAMPIONS: XAVIER BUCK | 9 |
| Above all, they depend on the relationships between them, built | AI ON EUROPEAN TERMS | 10 |
| on collaboration and mutual trust. |
| This edition of Crossroads Magazine shows | AI-ENHANCED SPACE | 12 |
| what this looks like in practice. You will meet | IMAGERY |
| experts and read about companies that work | SHORT READS | 14 |
| with researchers to go further than they | AI SANDBOX CONFIGURATOR | 16 |
| could alone. You will also discover initiatives such as the Luxembourg AI Factory, which | A QUANTUM LEAP | 18 |
| supports companies in adopting AI within | THE COMPASS | 20 |
| a secure and sovereign framework. |
| A community built on cooperation and | GULLIVER’S TRAVELS | 22 |
| trust is a key asset Luxembourg offers | BOLT GOES BOLD | 26 |
| your company. Please get in touch with the Luxembourg Trade & Invest team | WHY LUXEMBOURG | 29 |
| to discuss how we can help you | INSIDER INSIGHTS | 30 |
| find partners in Luxembourg who share your goals. | UPCOMING EVENTS | 31 |

Romain Martin
Senior Adviser
Ministry of Research
and Higher Education

autumn 2026 © Ricky Tonizzo

## Page 4

crossroads magazine

AI sovereignty is about
choices: in technology,
infrastructure and timing.
Luxembourg has
been consistently and
deliberately ensuring
it makes the right ones,
BY LENA MÅRTENSSON ahead of the curve.

crossroads magazine

© Lux Photo Pro/Nexus Luxembourg

## Page 5

autumn 2026

When a handful of companies control the digital in-
frastructure that runs a continent’s banks, hospitals
and transport networks, “sovereignty” stops being
an abstract political concept. It becomes a business
continuity question. For Europe, and Luxembourg
specifically, building digital autonomy and resilience
have become a top priority. The EU is determined to
become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)
and invests in ensuring both technological superior-
ity and sovereignty. But the path to excellence is not
a short one.

A strategic decision

Being sovereign in AI is not only a matter of tech-
nology. Eva-Maria Hempe, Executive Director, Pub-
lic Sector EMEA at AI computing provider NVIDIA,
describes it as a five-layer stack: AI applications,
AI models, infrastructure, hardware used to run AI
workloads and energy production. Each layer implies
a sovereignty decision.
“You don’t have to control every single layer – no
country in the world does that right now,” she said at the
Nexus Luxembourg 2026 tech event. “Instead, you need
to make strategic and informed choices about potential
dependencies and decide how you will manage them.”

Her co-panellist, Olivier Debeugny, CEO of the AI
company OVHai LLM, pointed out that this does not
concern only political leaders; businesses also need
to make these choices. “For a business, sovereignty
means strategic autonomy. You don’t want to be tied
up by one solution only,” he said.

Ahead of the curve

Luxembourg is not trying to compete at every level
of digital sovereignty. Instead, it has made deliberate
bets and built the infrastructure to back them up. The
country published one of Europe’s first national data
strategies in 2019, at a time when most governments
were still debating whether the data economy was
real. In 2025, that strategy was followed by the ini-
tiative “Accelerating digital sovereignty 2030”, which
focused on data, AI and quantum technologies.
This forward-oriented thinking reflects the coun-
try’s economic story of deliberate reinvention. From
steelmaking as its main economic activity, it pivoted
to financial services in the 1980s. It then invested in
the digital economy, followed by data, AI and super-
computing. Each transition was the result of political
decisions made ahead of the curve. The economic case
often came later.
“The key question was never ‘what is trending right
now?’ but ‘what will matter in ten years, and how do
we position the country now?’,” said the third panel-
list, Mario Grotz, CEO of Luxembourg’s national in-
novation agency Luxinnovation. “Investing in digital
sovereignty now is essential for enabling AI innova-
tion in the coming years.” For companies evaluating
where to develop their digital innovations, that track
record of following through matters as much as any
policy document.

Building a digital ecosystem for all
To fulfil its ambitions, Luxembourg has invested in
sovereign infrastructure, including ultra-secure and
highly resilient Tier IV data centres, sovereign cloud
solutions, supercomputing, data governance and an
ecosystem that facilitates AI adoption and develop-
ment. It serves all the actors using and innovating in
AI: businesses, academia and public bodies. “A mod-
el that only works for large research institutions or
corporates leaves most of the economy behind,” said

AI SOVEREIGNTY

## Page 6

crossroads magazine

Mr Grotz. “A model that works for everyone – from
a ten-person fintech startup to a ministry – scales dif-
ferently.”
Luxembourg’s national supercomputer, MeluXina,
is a good example of this. When it was launched in
2021, most European supercomputers were primar-
ily designed for research simulations. MeluXina was
designed for business use from day one. Its architec-
ture enables simulation, modelling, data analytics
and AI workloads on a single system. It was AI-ready
before AI became the dominant supercomputer
workload – and this didn’t happen by coincidence.
In addition, MeluXina’s hybrid architecture sup-
ports workloads of different sizes. This makes it ac-
cessible to companies that don’t need full capacity for
their projects.

AI Factories: The bridge to impact

But making infrastructure available doesn’t automat-
ically translate into use. Particularly smaller compa-
nies find it difficult to navigate the complex landscape
of digital infrastructure. “The demand is real,” said Mr
Grotz. “But for some businesses, the ramp-on is the
bottleneck.”
To bridge this gap, the EU has set up a network of
19 AI Factories that give access to computing power,
data and talent. Luxembourg’s own AI Factory targets
companies at all stages of their AI journey, whether
they are just starting or seeking the power and exper-
tise to scale their growth.

Replacing “think big” with “think smart”
NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang described the global AI
boom as the “largest infrastructure buildout in hu-
man history”. Most of the world’s AI computing power
is in the US, while Europe is investing heavily to catch
up. Luxembourg will never compete on raw scale, but
scale has never been the point.
“Small countries that think clearly and invest
consistently can lead in the computing continuum
– not despite their size, but because of it,” explained
Mr Grotz. “If you have access to the best data, the
right infrastructure and the domain expertise that

matches your use case, you don’t need to have the big-
gest model.”
OVHai LLM is the perfect example of this approach.
In 2025, it rolled out a new, highly efficient LLM (large
language model) architecture. Instead of consulting
all available data when responding to a prompt, it
consults only specific memory blocks. This allows it
to provide faster responses using smaller machines
that consume less energy. The algorithm was trained
on the European network of supercomputers, of which
MeluXina is a part. “We have proven that, with a team
of 15, computing power made available by the Euro-
pean Commission and European data, it is possible to
develop successful ‘made in the EU’ foundation mod-
els,” Mr Debeugny said.
Mr Grotz extends an invitation to companies world-
wide looking to innovate in the AI space for the Eu-
ropean market. “Luxembourg is not large enough to
pretend that what it builds will be enough to serve
Europe. But it is positioned – by size, openness and
the concentration of its ecosystem – to be a testbed,
a reference model and a proof of concept for inclu-
sive sovereignty at national scale.”
The infrastructure is built. The framework is in
place. The question now is who decides to use it.

AI SOVEREIGNTY

## Page 7

autumn 2026

## Page 8

crossroads magazine

Alongside his co-founders, Christophe Folschette built
Talkwalker over 16 years from a Luxembourg startup
into a global AI-powered software business, acquired
by Hootsuite in 2024. That journey taught him some-
thing now at the heart of nuwacom: powerful tech
alone cannot drive AI adoption.
“There needs to be a business problem,” he says. “It’s
about people, processes and governance.”
That, he explains, is why so many firms remain
stuck in pilots. Leadership buy-in is vital; so is the right
technology, internal “AI Champions” and enough ac-
cess for employees to see AI at work.
But for Mr Folschette, the larger shift is around
knowledge, and who controls it.
nuwacom connects AI to company context – meet-
ings, emails, documents, customer data, workflows –
with permissions and governance built in.
Mr Folschette believes this kind of context is the real
differentiator. “Modern AI models are interchangeable.
The value is understanding who you are, what you do,
who your customers are and how you work.”

That changes how people use AI, and how they think
about software. Instead of moving between email, doc-
uments, tools and business systems, Mr Folschette en-
visages one AI layer that understands the organisation
and helps people create, automate and coordinate work.
But the closer AI gets to company knowledge, the
more important sovereignty becomes. For Mr Folschette,
European sovereignty goes beyond where data is hosted.
It means control across company, infrastructure, soft-
ware and model, free from dependence on any single
provider. Luxembourg has been central to his jour-
ney. Talkwalker benefitted from research programmes,
Luxinnovation support, access to ministries and interna-
tional talent: conditions he says have only grown stronger.
Now, rather than chase generic AI leadership, Lux-
embourg should build on its strengths – such as fintech,
regtech and digital infrastructure – and aim to lead in
selected niches.
“We need to choose where we can lead. Being small
means being agile; at the same time, we need to keep
on innovating.”

After scaling Talkwalker from
a Luxembourg startup into a global
software business, Christophe Folschette
is building again. With nuwacom, his focus
has shifted from what AI can do, to what
companies need in order to deploy it
enterprise-wide: context, governance,
trust and control.

AI CHAMPIONS

BY RICHARD CANNON

© Luxinnovation/René Garcia

## Page 9

autumn 2026

When Xavier Buck began building internet businesses
more than 20 years ago, protecting a company online
was a contained challenge. Domain squatting (regis-
tering or using another organisation’s name to profit
from their trademark) and cloned websites existed,
but the digital perimeter was easier to define.
Since then, social media, marketplaces and search
platforms expanded the attack surface, and most re-
cently, AI is accelerating it further. “AI comes and does
things in seconds,” says Mr Buck. “Websites can be
scraped and cloned instantly, while bots create listings,
buy ads and launch thousands of attacks automatically.”.
Based in Luxembourg, EBRAND works with firms
globally facing everything from phishing and fraud to
counterfeit products. One automotive client recently
saw some 5,000 fake listings in a single day, including
safety-critical products such as airbags.
Mr Buck says modern threats are defined by their
scale and speed. “It’s really a cat-and-mouse game,”.
he says. “It’s Tom and Jerry. The cybercriminals move
first, and we have to catch up.”

For EBRAND, domain management has grown
into digital risk and brand protection, with AI-driven
monitoring deployed across marketplaces, social
platforms and other sources. Suspicious listings are
scored using signals such as price, location and ac-
count behaviour. Yet Mr Buck is adamant that in his
line of business, AI won’t render human expertise
obsolete. “The system doesn’t remove the need for
people,” he says. “What it does is enable them to do
more.”
Looking ahead, Mr Buck believes the next chal-
lenge is speed. AI has only begun its acceleration:
“these things move faster every quarter. We’re only at
the start of an exponential curve.”
While Luxembourg can’t solve that challenge
alone, he sees it as an example of what a small na-
tion can do: strong connectivity, data-centre infra-
structure, international talent and direct access to
decision-makers. “We’re able to sit down with the
ministries, talk to them and help shape what hap-
pens next, together.”

Xavier Buck has spent
over two decades watching
internet crime evolve.
Today – as AI accelerates
fraud, impersonation and
counterfeiting – the EBRAND
founder sees digital resilience
as a battle for trust, control
and technological
sovereignty.

© Luxinnovation/René Garcia

## Page 10

crossroads magazine

Companies building AI need more than customers. They
need infrastructure they can trust, regulatory clarity and
an environment that protects their intellectual property.
European AI Factories are designed to provide exactly
that – and Luxembourg offers a strategic starting point.

BY EMILIO NAUD

For Anne Calteux, Head of the Representation of the
European Commission in Luxembourg*, and Arnaud
Lambert, CEO of LuxProvide, sovereignty is funda-
mental to building AI in Europe. Companies need to
know where their data is processed, who can access
it and how they can protect the intellectual property
embedded in their models.
“It’s about knowing that not only your data, but also
your intellectual property and the data you train on,
are safe,” says Mr Lambert.
Ms Calteux frames this within a broader European
shift. “In recent years, we have seen how dependent
we are on international solutions in many critical sec-
tors. We can no longer afford that situation.”
The response is not to close Europe off, but to re-
duce disproportionate dependence on any single pro-
vider, technology or jurisdiction. She explains: “We
want to become autonomous, but in an open way, al-
ways looking for partnerships with trusted partners.”

AI Factories: The entry point

The European AI Factories initiative is building a ro-
bust, interconnected ecosystem for developing, test-
ing and deploying advanced AI models. Across the
EU, 19 AI Factories bring together computing power,
scientific expertise, testing capabilities and access
to partners. They allow companies to explore a pro-
ject before committing to major investment, then
scale as requirements grow. “It’s a single-entry point
towards AI expertise, infrastructure and skills,” Ms
Calteux says.

“When you come from outside, you don’t know
all the addresses,” Mr Lambert adds. “An AI Factory
gives you somewhere to start, discuss your needs and
be guided through the ecosystem, from information
and inspiration to engagement, funding and compute
capabilities.”

Trust starts with infrastructure

Luxembourg also hosts the EuroHPC Joint Under-
taking, which coordinates the European AI Factory
network, placing the country close to the institutions
shaping Europe’s AI infrastructure.
The Luxembourg AI Factory focuses on financial
services, space, cybersecurity and the green econo-
my: four areas combining local expertise, demand-
ing use cases and data sets. At the centre is MeluXina,
a high-performance computer operated by LuxProvide
in a Tier IV data centre with the highest security
standards.

## Page 11

autumn 2026

AI SOVEREIGNTY

“We train large language models for banks, insurance
companies and pharmaceutical groups,” Mr Lambert
says. “That gives you an idea of the trust that those
companies place in the sovereign infrastructure and
the expertise around it.”
For companies building AI services for European
customers, training location matters too. “My first
piece of advice would be to train your AI services on
European ground,” he stresses. “Doing the last mile
of your AI training according to European data protec-
tion standards creates a level of confidence for your
European prospects.”
Luxembourg’s compact structure also shortens the
distance between companies, research organisations
and decision-makers. “The lines are short and very
direct, even to government,” Ms Calteux emphasises.
“Ministers regularly show up at conferences.” For an in-
ternational company entering Europe, that proximity
can accelerate conversations that might take months
elsewhere.

Turning regulation into certainty

Companies developing and deploying AI in the EU
must align with the General Data Protection Regula-
tion (GDPR), the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and the
Data Act – common rules for governing personal data,
AI systems and access to data. These rules may initially
be seen as obligations, but Ms Calteux argues they pro-
vide commercial certainty. “Companies ask for legal
clarity and predictability. Yes, compliance has a cost,
but the return on investment is definitely positive.”

For companies serving European clients in reg-
ulated sectors, compliance can become part of the
commercial proposition. A single regulatory frame-
work also offers a common foundation for serving
multiple European markets from one location.

From AI Factories to Gigafactories
The EU AI Gigafactories programme will take this am-
bition further, supporting frontier AI models at a scale
Mr Lambert estimates could exceed today’s largest fac-
tory by more than 1,000 times. The European Commis-
sion and EuroHPC are expected to become customers
for part of that capacity, helping create market condi-
tions alongside the infrastructure itself.
“We need acceleration if we are to close the innova-
tion gap with the US,” Ms Calteux notes.
Luxembourg is already positioning itself for that next
stage. For companies deciding where to build today, the
direction of travel matters as much as existing capability.
Mr Lambert concludes: “Reach out, come with your
case and discuss it with us pragmatically. You will quick-
ly discover the richness of Luxembourg’s ecosystem and
what we can do for you.”

Anne Calteux has recently taken a new role as Head of the
Department of Media, Connectivity and Digital Policy at
the Ministry of State.

© Luxinnovation/René Garcia

*

## Page 12

crossroads magazine

Satellite imagery can monitor flood, wildfire and heat
risks. WEO, a Luxembourg-based startup, is using AI
to make images from space more precise with support
from the country’s innovation ecosystem.

BY LENA MÅRTENSSON

When disaster strikes, missing precise information
can have dire consequences. When a floodplain looks
safe from space or a wildfire’s edge blurs into the sur-
rounding forest, decision-makers may struggle to act
at the right time.
This gap is what Imeshi Weerasinghe and Charlotte
Wirion set out to close when they founded WEO. The
two entrepreneurs met while researching water re-
sources using satellite imagery at Vrije Universiteit
Brussel in Belgium. Together, they decided to make
satellite data more accessible and useful to organisa-
tions addressing climate risks and their consequenc-
es. “We started WEO to support environmental resil-
ience,” says Ms Wirion, the company’s CTO.

When the data exists but
the resolution is poor
WEO turns satellite images into detailed environmen-
tal information that organisations can use to monitor
risks and plan interventions. The two founders want-
ed their solution to be affordable and continuously
updated, which meant using openly available space
data. That, however, comes with a specific challenge:
image resolution.
“Typically, open-source satellite imagery resolu-
tion comes down to a precision of 10 metres. Such
an image does not ensure enough detail to provide
actionable insights for our clients,” explains Head of
Development Frankwin van Winsen.

To enhance image resolution, the company turned
to artificial intelligence. But existing technology didn’t
meet WEO’s needs. The company therefore decided to
develop its own AI algorithms to interpret satellite im-
ages. The team also needed to control hallucinations
– details generated by an AI system that are not reflect-
ed in the original data. WEO is addressing both chal-
lenges through a joint project with the Luxembourg
AI Factory and the Luxembourg Institute of Science
and Technology (LIST).

From startup to research partner –
in six years
WEO first connected with Luxinnovation, the nation-
al innovation agency coordinating the Luxembourg
AI Factory, and LIST during its participation in the
startup acceleration programme Fit 4 Start in 2019.
“It helped us get WEO off the ground,” says Ms Weer-
asinghe, now WEO’s CEO. The programme gave the
startup the early support and visibility it needed to
grow.
Since then, Luxinnovation has supported the team
in applying for R&D funding and then kept the com-
pany informed when the AI Factory was established
to support companies developing and adopting AI.
Meanwhile, WEO maintained links with LIST, as the
two organisations shared research interests and saw
a potential for collaboration. In 2025, they successful-
ly secured funding for a joint R&D project that com-

## Page 13

autumn 2026

bines super-resolution deep learning with explaina-
ble AI to understand what triggers hallucinations and
how to prevent them, thereby making the enhanced
images more reliable.
LIST supports the joint project by contributing its
research expertise. At the same time, the Luxembourg
AI Factory provides access to high-performance com-
puting and supports AI model development, helping
WEO move from research towards aproduction-grade
solution. “We were one of the first users of Luxem-
bourg’s supercomputer MeluXina when it started oper-
ating,” says Mr van Winsen. “Now we’re using it again
to develop our super-resolution algorithm with support
from the Luxembourg AI Factory.”

A whole ecosystem, at every stage
In the beginning, WEO worked mainly with clients
in Luxembourg. Still, over the years the company has
grown its international footprint to include public
bodies and humanitarian organisations in Africa, Aus-
tralia and the Americas. Fit 4 Start helped open doors
early on, and WEO has since participated in several
international competitions to get wider exposure.

Several other partners have also supported WEO’s
development. The Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA)
and the European Space Agency (ESA) provided pro-
ject funding, while the Luxembourg City Incubator
provided the team with a base for exchanging ideas
with other startups and experts.
“LSA and ESA have been central to obtaining both
funding and credibility,” says Ms Weerasinghe. “The
Luxembourg City Incubator has also been hugely
supportive, offering us not only office space but
a collaborative environment that opens up new op-
portunities.”
WEO is now expanding its international footprint
while developing new applications for private-sector
clients, including parametric insurers and organisa-
tions managing infrastructure risk. Asia is its next
target market.
“The thing we care most about is offering infor-
mation, research and technology that can be used
in real-world operations to build a more sustainable
planet,” says Ms Weerasinghe. “We are on a growth
journey, and the whole local ecosystem has been
there for us at every stage.”

© Luxinnovation/René Garcia

AI SOVEREIGNTY

## Page 14

crossroads magazine

© Luxinnovation/Audric Odrian

Outstanding AI work doesn’t go unnoticed in Luxem-
bourg. The AI Excellence Awards – presented by FEDIL,
Luxinnovation and the Chamber of Commerce – rec-
ognise groundbreaking AI projects and ensure they
receive the exposure they deserve.
The 2026 laureates included Cargolux, Europe’s
largest all-cargo carrier and one of Luxembourg’s
largest companies, awarded for an agent-based AI
solution turning unstructured customer emails into

commercial workflows, and the Luxembourg branch
of Techcyte that won the AI for Health category for its
AI-powered digital diagnostics platform.
CRAB Traceability Systems was awarded for its AI
waste scanner, Fundvis for a third-party oversight sys-
tem for regulated finance, and Younea for sovereign
multilingual AI for customer and admin communica-
tions. Innovation here gets seen. And that matters in
the long term.

Medical research should not stop at national borders.
However, sharing health data across countries raises
a difficult question: how can researchers collaborate
without compromising patient privacy?
To address the issue, the Luxembourg Institute
of Health and Korea’s National Cancer Centre, in
collaboration with partners in South Korea, Lux-
embourg and the US, are leading the International
Health Data Space Initiative. This joint effort is de-
signed to enable institutions in different countries
to work together on translational cancer research

and use AI to generate new insights without expos-
ing sensitive patient information. Data access remains
legally compliant across jurisdictions.
The first common data cohorts – used to track groups
of people and see how specific risk factors lead to health
outcomes over time – will include bladder cancer and
Parkinson’s disease data. The initiative aims to support
clinical research and share insights that are hard to
obtain for a single institution. The cross-border col-
laboration is expected to shorten the path from re-
search to patient care.

From cross-continental medical research to
AI-powered waste scanning, discover some
of the innovative ideas born in Luxembourg.

© Luxinnovation/Audric Odrian

## Page 15

autumn 2026

Given the abundance of AI use cases, the idea might
seem counterintuitive: we should be guided by frugality,
says Dr Francesco Ferrero, Head of the Flagship Initia-
tive on Artificial Intelligence and the Human-Centred
AI, Data and Software Research Unit at the Luxembourg
Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).
“The human brain is proof that sophisticated intel-
ligence need not be energy-hungry: roughly 86 billion
neurons running on approximately 20W. Engineers
and coders should increasingly measure success in
capability per watt and per euro, rather than the mod-
el size and data centre scale,” says Dr Ferrero.
The dominant approach of using powerful general-
purpose models, even though many business tasks
don’t require the most advanced models, can quickly
burn through AI budgets. The business case for fru-
gality is straightforward. “Because most of a model’s
lifetime energy is consumed at inference rather than
training, the savings compound daily once a system
is in production,” he says.

Why AI needs to think smaller
The ‘bigger is better’ approach is not only costly, but
also relies on increasingly energy-intensive in-
frastructure, putting pressure on power grids and
consuming vast amounts of water for cooling. The
societal backlash is already brewing, both over the
climate impact and the growing physical footprint of
data centres. At the same time, on the political level,
the concentration of compute, data, energy and tal-
ent among a small number of private players may not
align with European or broader human interests.
“The risk that’s building up is that public opinion
turns against AI and society forfeits its genuine ben-
efits,” Dr Ferrero argues. “Frugal AI is the sustaina-
ble way forward: focus on building smaller, special-
ised models for narrow domains with proprietary
data, like industry processes, finance, healthcare,

architecture, etc. Run locally, these models can be
safely fed confidential data, meaning that a small-
er but context-rich model can outperform a large
general-purpose one on a given task.”
Frugality is not only an engineering question. If
capability per watt is to become a real KPI, an inde-
pendent body must define benchmarks and verify
claims, which is what LIST’s AI Sandbox already does
for robustness, compliance and ethical risk.

Tough competition

Frugal AI is both a necessity and a strategic opportu-
nity, as Europe cannot realistically match the scale of
investment in computing infrastructure of the US and
Chinese AI giants.
“Europe could partner with other nations including
Canada, Japan or South Korea, and work on a more
frugal and sovereign alternative to counter the US–
China duopoly. Frugal AI also matters for sovereignty
by allowing companies and countries to retain control
thanks to running the models on infrastructure they
own and control,” explains Dr Ferrero.
The continent already has strong precedents for
collaborative tech projects, including Airbus, the Eu-
ropean Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN),
the European High Performance Computing Joint
Undertaking (EuroHPC) and the European network
of AI Factories, which show the model works well
in the digital era. “In Luxembourg, we’re perfectly
positioned to become a hub for responsible, human-
centred, sovereign and frugal AI.”
The country has recently partnered with Mistral AI
– a French company that helps organisations in high-
stakes industries co-create tailored AI systems to solve
their hardest, most high-value problems. In Luxem-
bourg, Mistral AI has implemented models on-prem-
ises for the public administration, making it one of the
first deployments of its kind at this scale in Europe.

The concept is simple: from the first line
of code, the development of any AI model
should make resource efficiency a design
objective, argues Dr Francesco Ferrero.

BY ZUZA REDA-JAKIMA

AI SOVEREIGNTY

© Luxembourg Institute
of Science and Technology (LIST)

## Page 16

crossroads magazine

Luxembourg’s open-source AI Assessment Sandbox Configurator helps
international companies set up a controlled assessment environment
to generate evidence of the AI systems’ trustworthiness.

BY EMILIO
NAUD

Companies looking to deploy an AI system in the Eu-
ropean market face a fundamental challenge: how
to test and document their solution without losing
control of their data, infrastructure or evidence.
Luxembourg helps address the issue with its latest
AI Assessment Sandbox Configurator.

Turning European requirements
into evidence
An AI system cannot be assessed through model perfor-
mance alone. Depending on its use cases, organisations
may need to assess its robustness, hidden bias, explaina-
bility, privacy and regulatory compliance, to name a few.
In addition, the EU AI Act requires demonstrating
the assessment in detail. This means translating
legal requirements into controls and metrics, se-
lecting relevant tests, documenting the assessment

and its results and preparing evidence for review or
audit. This is often a manual, lengthy process that re-
quires many multi-disciplinary profiles.
Luxembourg’s AI Assessment Sandbox Configura-
tor considerably simplifies this process. Released by
the Luxembourg AI Factory in June 2026, it is a free,
open-source tool for building customised AI testing
environments. Instead of starting from scratch, us-
ers first qualify their AI system, then select the tests,
controls and data sets relevant to their use case from
a curated catalogue and adapt them to their needs.
This matters because the risk of an AI system is spe-
cific to its use case. For instance, a financial service,
a public-sector application and an industrial system
will likely require different tests and controls.
The tool then generates a controlled testing en-
vironment with a collaborative dashboard, a report

© BoliviaInteligente

## Page 17

autumn 2026

generator and tamper-proof evidence. It is intend-
ed to be useful across the board: from public insti-
tutions and large enterprises to startups and small
and medium-sized companies that want to deploy
AI responsibly.

Why environment control matters
Businesses handling sensitive information may not
want to transfer assessment data to an external en-
vironment they cannot fully control. They may also
need to demonstrate where the data was processed,
who accessed it and how results were recorded.
As an open-source application, the AI Assess-
ment Sandbox Configurator lets users keep more
control over where assessment takes place and
how evidence is managed. Organisations can as-
sess AI on their own premises or in a private or
sovereign cloud, with no vendor lock-in – a key
distinction from conventional external testing ser-
vices. It does not force every organisation into one
hosting model.
For international companies, this flexibility
addresses a practical concern: meeting European
expectations for trustworthy AI while retaining
control over the testing environment.

Built on experience
The Configurator builds on research and testing
experience developed by two of Luxembourg’s
leading research organisations: the Luxembourg
Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) and the
University of Luxembourg’s Interdisciplinary Cen-
tre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT).

Both have extensive experience in the field. LIST
has operated its own AI Sandbox – a hands-on envi-
ronment in which organisations evaluate AI models
for robustness, fairness, bias and regulatory compli-
ance – for several years. Its users have included Ban-
que Internationale à Luxembourg, the City of Luxem-
bourg and Mistral AI. The SnT has worked in the field
for a decade with industry and public-sector partners,
including several local banks, the Luxembourg Minis-
try of Digitalisation and European institutions. Their
real-world experience has fed into an application that
meets real user needs.

Key features
Although the AI Assessment Sandbox Configurator
does not guarantee compliance or replace specialist
advice or regulatory due diligence, it adds concrete
value to a company developing new solutions for the
European market. In particular, it offers:

a technical environment to assess an existing

AI system against requirements relevant to

its use case;

a structured method for assessing AI systems

and generating evidence;

a platform that facilitates multi-disciplinary

collaboration;

more control over where testing takes place;

a connection to Luxembourg’s research

and AI ecosystem.

The Luxembourg AI Factory expects the tool to
serve more broadly across Europe and to be further
co-developed by researchers, regulators, certifica-
tion bodies and companies in other countries. Sever-
al pilots are already underway across the continent,
and the underlying research has been published in
peer-reviewed scientific papers. With applications in
sectors such as healthcare, finance and manufactur-
ing, it offers a practical model of AI sovereignty: par-
ticipating in Europe’s AI market while retaining con-
trol over data, infrastructure, testing and evidence.
For companies looking to set up in Europe, the in-
sight is clear: market access increasingly depends not
only on what an AI system can do, but on whether its
developer can demonstrate how it was tested and gov-
erned.
The AI Assessment Sandbox Configurator is de-
signed to help make that demonstration possible.

AI SOVEREIGNTY

## Page 18

crossroads magazine

Quantum technologies are advancing across three
fields: computing, communication and sensing.
Luxembourg is determined to harness the potential
of quantum technologies to drive scientific, techno-
logical and economic progress.
The objectives of the national quantum strategy
are to develop expertise and services in quantum
computing, establish secure quantum communica-
tions and generate economic value from quantum
technologies.
The strategy builds on Luxembourg’s strengths in
finance, space, cybersecurity and high-performance
computing. It connects these capabilities with public
research, industrial projects and international part-
nerships to develop practical applications and services.
In quantum computing, potential applications
include financial modelling, portfolio optimisation,
risk analysis, drug discovery and logistics optimisa-
tion. In quantum communication, banks, insurance
companies and government institutions are likely
early adopters, driven by security requirements and
growing regulatory pressure. For quantum sensing,
POST Luxembourg has already deployed a commer-
cial optical atomic clock in its network core, protect-
ing timing systems against jamming and spoofing.

A platform for hybrid computing

Luxembourg’s most concrete quantum infrastructure
project is MeluXina-Q, a EuroHPC-hosted quantum
computer that will be integrated into the nation-
al high-performance computing facility at a Tier
IV-certified data centre. This results in an environ-
ment where classical, AI and quantum computing re-
sources can be combined.

This hybrid model gives researchers and companies
a practical way to explore quantum applications while
continuing to use established computing systems.
“MeluXina-Q will be a real game-changer for this
type of research. It will also help companies assess
potential applications and develop the capabilities
needed to use the technology,” said Marko Rančić, As-
sociate Professor in High Performance and Quantum
Computing at the University of Luxembourg. He stud-
ies applied quantum computing alongside high-per-
formance computing. One of his most prominent
collaborations, EMQUANT-PT, examined quantum
phase transitions with the Korea Advanced Institute of
Science and Technology.

From fibre to orbit
Luxembourg was among the first seven EU Member
States to sign the European Quantum Communica-
tion Infrastructure declaration in 2019. Since then, the
country has developed an experimental testbed for
quantum key distribution (QKD) – a secure method for
sharing secret encryption keys between two parties us-
ing the rules of quantum physics – at the University of
Luxembourg and completed a terrestrial cross-border
connection with Belgium. Further projects are explor-
ing integrated networks that combine fibre-optic and
satellite links.
One of them, EAGLE-1, adds a space-based dimen-
sion. Led by satellite operator SES and developed
with 20 European partners, the project is an in-orbit
demonstrator for QKD between satellites and ground
networks. It aims to enable secure data transmission
across Europe and beyond, supporting sectors that
handle critical and sensitive data.

© Google DeepMind

## Page 19

autumn 2026

Luxembourg is building an emerging
quantum ecosystem that combines
frontier research, industrial innovation
and cross-border partnerships – all this
to develop secure digital infrastructure.

BY EMILIO NAUD

At the same time, the INT-UQKD project extends
this work through a consortium including Starion
Luxembourg, POST, the University of Luxembourg
and HITEC Luxembourg, alongside international
partners. Its terrestrial QKD link targets regulated
sectors with high security needs, particularly fi-
nancial institutions. HITEC Luxembourg is contrib-
uting to this project through BELUCA 080, an optical
ground station designed to receive photons carrying
quantum keys from satellites while preserving their
quantum properties. Satellite links could extend QKD
networks beyond the distance and infrastructure lim-
its of terrestrial connections.
Mathieu Esteve, Manager of the Ground Segment
Division at HITEC Luxembourg, describes the engi-
neering challenge as combining precision satellite
tracking with the fragility of quantum states. The pro-
ject’s ambition goes beyond a single demonstration.

.“We did not design it as a demonstrator,” Mr Esteve
says. “It was designed from the beginning to be in-
dustrialised as a product.”

A hub that works

Both experts point to the same structural advantage
Luxembourg holds: the density of actors operating in
proximity, connected to each other and to the govern-
ment. This can help move projects from the research
phase towards application.
“In Luxembourg it is very easy to engage policy-
makers in dialogue compared to other countries,”.
says Mr Rančić. Mr Esteve agrees: “It is easier to
involve governmental actors to support the solu-
tion, and they are willing to back up the quantum
environment.”
Luxembourg’s national quantum strategy also en-
visions a Quantum Factory: a collaborative network
of research and service hubs inspired by the Luxem-
bourg AI Factory model. It would bring academia,
companies and government together under a shared
architecture.
Professor Rančić, who chose Luxembourg over
larger university systems in Germany precisely be-
cause of its ecosystem and entrepreneurial openness,
puts it simply: “If I was to open a company anywhere,
I would open it here.”
The question for companies considering Luxem-
bourg is no longer whether quantum technologies
will have an impact, but when and how to prepare
for it. According to a 2024 McKinsey study, the global
quantum market may reach $90 billion by 2030. The
market potential is here and Luxembourg is very well
positioned to play an important role in it.

AI SOVEREIGNTY

## Page 20

Are you developing AI-powered solutions for the European market? Luxembourg
offers a comprehensive ecosystem supporting innovation and business growth.

Luxembourg Trade & Invest is your entry point to explore
partnership opportunities with Luxembourg’s data
and AI ecosystems and help you find the right expertise,
R&D partners and funding opportunities.

Click to learn more about doing
business in and from Luxembourg:

The government launched a major policy
initiative in 2025 to solidify Luxembourg’s
position as a trusted, connected European
hub for digital innovation.

8.7% of the country’s
total employment
(Statista, 2026)

3.18 AI professionals
per 1,000 inhabitants
(Interface, April 2026)

Data Artificial intelligence Quantum Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine
Interdisciplinary Centre for Security,
Reliability and Trust (SnT)

Governance & regulations · Talents & skills ·
Services ecosystem · Research & innovation ·
Infrastructures · International collaboration

## Page 21

autumn 2026

Ultra-secure, green and highly
resilient physical bedrock for
hosting critical and sensitive
digital workloads

#1 for Tier IV data centre
density in Europe

Centrally coordinated
data services, cataloguing
and compliance

Luxembourg National
Data Service: value creation
from secondary data use

Hybrid CPU-GPU
supercomputing engine
designed for AI workloads

MeluXina-AI (from end-2026)

20+ ExaFlops of computing power

ISO/IEC 27001 certified for
information security

GPU-AI accelerators to support
large-scale AI model training

MeluXina (operational since 2021)

18 PetaFlops of computing power

ISO/IEC 27001 certified for
information security

65% of capacity reserved
for business use

Technical expertise,
compliance support, data
services and networks

Luxembourg AI Factory

Operational catalyst
translating raw compute
into economic impact

LHoFT AI Experience Centre

AI tools and use cases
for financial services

Regulation Meets Innovation

Regulatory-industry
dialogue on EU AI Act
compliance

Air-gapped, disconnected
cloud environments built on
European technology

1st disconnected sovereign
cloud in Europe

Sovereign and local cloud
infrastructure available

## Page 22

crossroads magazine

© Gulliver Robotics

The story of the
software, AI and robotics
company Gulliver started
in the Italian city of Brescia
26 years ago. Fast forward
to 2020, and the business
was looking for an inter-
national office location.
Luxembourg emerged
as a natural choice.
Here’s why.

BY ZUZA REDA-JAKIMA

## Page 23

autumn 2026

When you’re an EU-based company servicing clients in
markets across the bloc, you don’t necessarily need
to open offices elsewhere in Europe. Still, Gulliver’s
management felt it needed to grow its international
presence and be closer to its core clients.
“After 15 years working with Vodafone in Italy, we
decided it was time to open an international office.
We chose Luxembourg as our international base to be
closer to clients and partners across Europe, while de-
veloping our research and innovation activities,” says
Danilo D’Aversa, CEO of Gulliver Luxembourg.
Luxembourg was perfect for that role: it offered
a combination of international business connections
and support for research and development; and it’s
where Vodafone’s scaleup hub – Tomorrow Street – is lo-
cated and can connect Gulliver to Vodafone units across
Europe. This 50–50 joint venture between Vodafone and
Technoport is Luxembourg’s national technology incu-
bator and acts as an acceleration hub for scaleups.
“Our move to Luxembourg was very pragmatic: we
chose a country where we could grow alongside one
of our key partners. Here, the distance between us and
the right decision-makers is much shorter,” explains
Mr D’Aversa.
What Luxembourg offered Gulliver was not only
access to Vodafone’s network, but also a direct bridge
to Luxembourg’s public actors such as Technoport
and the Ministry of the Economy. “For a foreign sca-
leup, that combination is extremely powerful,” Mr
D’Aversa points out. “Luxembourg’s innovation eco­
system makes it the ideal place for a company like
Gulliver to scale internationally.”

A single point of contact

The short connections – both physical, thanks to the
country’s size, and institutional, thanks to its busi-
ness-friendly environment – were pivotal in Gulliver’s
successful foreign launch.
“As a tech company entering a new country and
market, we needed a single point of contact to help
us understand Luxembourg’s strategy and how the

country supports businesses,” says Mr D’Aversa.
Luxinnovation, the country’s innovation agency,
played an important role when the company first
came to the Grand Duchy (see next page).
Mr D’Aversa admits that having a trusted source
of information, supported by approachable people
who can guide you through what the country offers,
including R&D support schemes and administrative
processes, was particularly helpful. “The can-do ap-
proach of everyone around resonates strongly with
our company’s mindset,” he says.

From software solutions to AI and robotics
While finding its footing in the new market, the com-
pany kept growing not only in size but also in the ser-
vices it offers. “Today we have three business pillars:
standard software products, AI solutions and robot-
ics,” says Mr D’Aversa.
Soon after launching in Luxembourg, Gulliver in-
itiated an R&D project in collaboration with the Uni-
versity of Luxembourg to further develop its product
offering, a collaboration that has recently expanded to
include a second project (see next page).
“These projects helped our company establish our
R&D centre in Luxembourg, attracting and develop-
ing talent that is creating significant value for us.”
Today, Gulliver no longer presents itself as a “soft-
ware house” but more as a “brain house”: it uses AI
inside its existing HR, logistics and sales software
but also connects software intelligence with robots
designed for security and digital sovereignty. “The
growth and collaboration opportunities we have had
in Luxembourg have greatly supported this transi-
tion,” Mr D’Aversa concludes.

CEO

Gulliver

Luxembourg

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

© Luxinnovation/René Garcia

INSIDE
FROM THE

## Page 24

crossroads magazine

The University of Luxembourg’s Interdisciplinary
Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) focuses
on applied research. It collaborates with companies
like Gulliver that bring real-world problems that don’t
yet have a good solution on the market.
“We have a dedicated Technology Transfer Office
whose mission is to turn our research into practical
impact. They look at partnerships, they talk to com-
panies and they help us frame research questions
that are grounded in real industrial needs,” explains
Dr Antonio Ken Iannillo, Research Scientist at SnT.
Working with SnT gives companies access to re-
search expertise and human resources they don’t have
in‑house. “They have the industrial problem and the
data, and we bring the research skills and methods.”

In Gulliver’s case, the collaboration with SnT is
long-standing. “We started with an initial collabo-
ration on a logistics problem.” There were tools for
long-distance planning, but not for last‑mile logistics.
“Together, we designed AI models that could automat-
ically plan deliveries and pickups, and we integrated
those into their software.” After the success of the first
collaboration, the partners are now working on a new
project focused on ensuring AI systems are reliable,
don’t silently fail, and can be explained and trusted.
“Logistics is again one of the verticals in the new
project, but not the only one. We also look at robot-
ics, human resource management and other use cas-
es. The common thread is that we always start from
a real problem a company wants to solve.”

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

PARTNERS’
PERSPECTIVE

When Gulliver was deciding where to set up its company
for international markets, they had a clear idea of what
they were going to do, the resources and developers
they needed, and the investment they had to make. The
undecided element was where to do it – in terms of reg-
ulation and trust. For companies like Gulliver, Luxem-
bourg Trade & Invest helps ensure they have the right
information and contacts to make the right decisions.
“In practical terms, that means introducing them
to potential proof-of-concept clients, making sure
they’re invited to the right networking events and
connecting them to the people who matter in their
market,” says David Foy, Head of International Busi-
ness Relationships – Digital Economy at Luxinnova-
tion, Luxembourg’s national innovation agency.
Gulliver has become part of Luxembourg because
they’re integrated into the ecosystem. A big part of the
company’s success is its products and leadership, but
it’s also about visibility. “Luxinnovation helps with that

– through our newsletters, through trade missions and
through making sure that when there’s a relevant event,
like a startup or HR conference, Gulliver knows about
it and can be on stage or at the table,” says Mr Foy.
Once a company is interested in Luxembourg, Lux-
innovation’s behind-the-scenes work begins. “We work
closely with big corporations here who share their
open innovation calls with us. If a company, for exam-
ple, is looking for a specific technology, we can match
that with startups like Gulliver and arrange those first
meetings. It’s never about instant scaling; it’s about
making Luxembourg the place where they can validate,
certify and adapt their product for Europe.”
Companies come to Luxembourg because of the mar-
ket, a solid legal structure and the trust factor around the
country’s brand. “Our job is to make sure they really have
the perfect conditions: access to companies, access to
funding where relevant and a support system that helps
them make informed decisions about their next steps.”

PARTNERS’
PERSPECTIVE

Head of International

Business Relationships -

Digital Economy

Luxinnovation

Research Scientist

SnT

© Luxinnovation
© SnT

## Page 25

Get your
tickets

visit www.nexusluxembourg.com

Premier Institutional
Partners

March 09—10 Luxembourg
2027 City

Fintech Sphere
Finance, Technology & Digital Transformation

Startups & Scaleups Awards
240+ startups & scaleups. 360° Pitch arena. €125,000+ Grand Prize

Luxembourg Makes It Happen
National Innovation, International Guests

Intelligence Forum
AI, Automation & Productivity

## Page 26

crossroads magazine

© Bolt

Bolt and Pony.ai bring
the technology and vehicles.
Luxembourg’s public authorities
and innovation organisations
provide the setting and support.
Together, they demonstrate
how the country turns
autonomous mobility from
a technical concept into
a real-world European pilot.

BY LENA MÅRTENSSON

## Page 27

autumn 2026

Pan-European mobility platform Bolt has a bold ambi-
tion: to be among the first to scale driverless technol-
ogy in Europe. In June 2026, the company launched
its autonomous mobility pilot programme in Luxem-
bourg, with autonomous driving technology compa-
ny Pony.ai contributing the technology (see next page).

A living lab for autonomous driving

The objective is simple: test the technologies and
operational processes required to support safe driv-
erless mobility in cities. And the test location? Luxem-
bourg – a country set to be the first in Europe to allow
automated driving nationwide by 2028.
The programme’s scope is broad: vehicle deployment,
platform integration, fleet operations and regulatory coor-
dination. To succeed, partners needed a “living lab” where
they could conduct their tests in real-world conditions.
When considering the test location, Marc Naether,
Head of Public Policy BeNeLux at Bolt, did not have
Luxembourg on his map. This changed at an interna-
tional mobility event in 2025, thanks to a chance conver-
sation with Anthony Auert from Luxinnovation, Luxem-
bourg’s national innovation agency (see next page).
“I discovered that Luxembourg is one of the few coun-
tries that have a favourable regulatory regime for our type
of autonomous vehicle pilot projects and a clear polit-
ical ambition to support them,” MrNaether explains. The
country also offers good testing conditions. With a com-
bination of urban and rural roads, flat and hilly land-
scapes and a mild climate, it covers every driving sce-
nario a vehicle must face before commercial rollout.

Scaling for Europe
To launch the pilot, Bolt established a subsidiary in
Luxembourg and rented space at the Technoport in-
cubator, located at Luxembourg’s AutoMobility Cam-
pus north of the capital. Pony.ai and several other
mobility companies are also based there.
The Ministries of Mobility and Economy and
Luxinnovation remain active partners for the initi-
ative. “The Luxembourg government shows real moti-
vation to attract companies that invest in autonomous
driving,” says Mr Naether. “Luxinnovation keeps sug-
gesting new potential partners that we can interact
with to develop our activity further.”
Together with its partners, Bolt is developing prod-
ucts to scale elsewhere in Europe. “Luxembourg’s
international population will give us access to very
diverse potential users,” Mr Naether adds. “Luxem-
bourg’s role as a hub for European institutions means
policymakers are constantly passing through, so we
will be able to showcase our work to those travelling
in and out of the country. This gives us the base we
need for rolling out our solution internationally.”

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Head of Public Policy

BeNeLux

Bolt

INSIDE
FROM THE

© Luxinnovation/René Garcia

## Page 28

crossroads magazine

Pony.ai’s objective is to develop the world’s safest
autonomous driving technology. In 2024, the Silicon
Valley-based company chose Luxembourg as its Europe-
an headquarters and R&D hub. A year later, it became
the first company to receive ministerial authorisation to
test autonomous vehicles on Luxembourg’s public roads.
“Our collaboration with Bolt allows us to validate
our technology in real-world traffic conditions,” ex-
plains Lucie Hoffmann, General Manager of Pony.ai
Europe.
Since launching in Luxembourg, Pony.ai has built
close partnerships with the Ministries of Economy
and Mobility. It is also working with local mobility

Supportive regulations, authorities willing to talk,
and a growing community working on connected and
automated driving – it’s what Anthony Auert, Manag-
er Mobility – Business Relationship Management at
Luxinnovation, highlighted when he met Bolt’s Marc
Naether. They quickly saw an unparalleled fit to work
together.
“Within a few weeks, I was able to set up a meeting
between Bolt and key decision-makers at the Minis-
tries of Mobility and Economy,” Mr Auert recalls. They
explained Luxembourg’s testing regime for autono-
mous vehicles and forthcoming legislation allowing
the commercial deployment of self-driving vehicles,
including autonomous taxis.
He then organised a visit to the AutoMobility Cam-
pus in Bissen. Technoport, the campus incubator, of-
fers affordable office space and direct access to roads

provider Emile Weber to explore how autonomous
vehicles could integrate into Luxembourg’s transport
system. “Together, these partnerships allow us to ap-
proach autonomous mobility as an ecosystem rather
than as a technological challenge alone.”
Luxembourg offers Pony.ai more than a supportive
regulatory environment. The country combines a will-
ingness to support real-world testing with a strong
technology and mobility community, and close coop-
eration between companies and public authorities.
“For us, Luxembourg is more than a test location,”.
Ms Hoffmann says. “It is a European living lab and an im-
portant base for our long-term development in the region.”

suited to autonomous driving tests. The campus is also
home to mobility companies including autonomous
vehicle specialist Ohmio and Pony.ai, Bolt’s project
partner.
Technoport is now helping Bolt connect with the
local ecosystem. “We have already introduced sev-
eral deeptech companies that we host to Bolt,” says
Martine Streng, Senior Business Developer and Start-
up Adviser at Technoport. The incubator’s close con-
tacts with local authorities also help the company get
quick feedback on testing requests.
Mr Auert sees further potential. “Our three neigh-
bouring countries are all easily reachable, and we have
excellent 5G coverage, making Luxembourg a good
place to test autonomous driving in a cross-border
setting. We hope to welcome more collaborative pro-
jects of this kind in the future.”

General Manager

Pony.ai Europe

Senior Business

Developer &

Startup Adviser

Technoport

Manager Mobility

Business Relationship

Management

Luxinnovation

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

PARTNERS’
PERSPECTIVE
PARTNERS’
PERSPECTIVE

© Pony.ai

© Luxinnovation, Technoport

## Page 29

autumn 2026

Learn about some of the international
companies that have recently incorporated
in the Grand Duchy and their reasons for
choosing Luxembourg.

We enable banks and other financial institutions to detect fraud
and money-laundering patterns collaboratively, without them
ever exposing their customers’ data. The EU’s regulatory logic
demands that we build our solutions here. We chose Luxem-
bourg as it’s one of the few places where the entire financial
chain sits within reach. For a company like ours, where tech-
nology is all about cross-institutional collaboration, this density
matters enormously.
Setting up a European entity would typically be a maze for
aforeign company. But with Luxinnovation and the Luxembourg
Trade and Investment Office (LTIO) in Seoul as our guides, we got
answers to every question within days, even during the summer
vacation period. This changed our timeline.

Myoungbee Sung
Business Development Head of Desilo

SpaceMap solves space-related problems with AI, and I have
created a new foundational model for predicting satellite col-
lisions. While visiting Luxembourg, I met with government
representatives and other key players. Soyeh Kim from the
Luxembourg-based business accelerator SkyinQ and Rebecca
Koo from the Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office (LTIO)
in Seoul introduced me to these important people. I’m amazed
by their attitude and willingness to help me.
With SpaceMap now established in Luxembourg, I hope to
collaborate with the Luxembourg government and business
ecosystem. Together, we can make a good contribution to the
world.

Deok-Soo (Douglas) Kim
CEO and founder of SpaceMap

Desilo
Cybersecurity
South Korea

SpaceMap
Spacetech
South Korea

We didn’t want to simply register Poseidon somewhere – we
wanted to build the company in an environment where tech-
nology, finance and cross-border business genuinely come
together. When comparing locations, we realised that being
Luxembourg-based signalled confidence to large investors. The
country is safe and provides legal and financial stability.
The ecosystem here is highly connected – one good conver-
sation often naturally leads to the next. For a young company
like ours, this makes a real difference. The more time we spend
here, the more we feel that this can become a real home for our
company.

Bjorn Van Haver
CEO of Poseidon Energy

Poseidon Energy
Energy
Belgium/Latvia

Olga Miglane
COO of Poseidon Energy

## Page 30

© Luxinnovation

Choosing a company’s location is just the start of a journey. Many challenges don’t
come with an instruction manual – but knowing who to turn to for guidance can help.
We spoke to the Luxembourg Trade & Invest team about the key insights they’ve
gained while supporting founders setting up shop in the Grand Duchy.

Jenny Hällen Hedberg has been helping
innovative international companies find
their footing in Luxembourg for more
than six years. Her number one piece of
advice is: don’t isolate yourself. She rec-
ommends renting a desk or an office in an
incubator as it’s a good starting point for
meeting fellow entrepreneurs.
She notes that people in the business
community are willing to help each other
and introduce newcomers further. “Luxem-
bourg is open, international and accessible.
There is a strong culture of collaboration.”
She advises founders to think further
than just their own business. “Show your
contacts that you are not just out for your
own good, but that you have a win-win men-
tality in your dealings with them. Your per-
sonality is central to success.”

After 20 years helping innovative Korean
companies expand into Europe as head of
the Luxembourg Trade and Investment Of-
fice (LTIO) in Seoul, Younhee Kim did what
the companies she advises do: she packed
her family and moved to Luxembourg.
“For Asian investors, education is the
top consideration,” she says. Luxembourg’s
education system includes trilingual na-
tional education as well as internationally
recognised programmes taught in English,
German or French. International students
don’t feel isolated. “With so many foreign-
ers living in the country, everybody is in
the same boat. Children make friends
quickly.” A happy family boosts any entre-
preneur’s confidence.

Finding an R&D partner in Europe isn’t the
hard part. Finding the right one is.
For almost a decade, David Foy has
been helping international companies in
Luxembourg succeed in exactly that. “The
first step is to figure out what you actually
need. That’s harder than it sounds,” he says.
His job is to meet with innovative compa-
nies from different countries and cultures.
“This teaches us to quickly understand what
they are doing. We don’t necessarily under-
stand all the aspects of their technologies –
they are often very complex. But after some
discussion, we usually have a picture of
their objectives and use case. We then ben-
efit from our personal relationships with
the research community to match them
with the right partner.”

Head of International

Business Relationships

Head of International

Business Relationships -

Digital Economy

Senior Adviser -

International Business

Relationships

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