Strengthening the Pan-Atlantic Digital Future at the Heart of Atlantic Convergence 2025

From 28 to 30 October 2025, Lisbon will host Atlantic Convergence 2025, a three-day event dedicated to strengthening the digital backbone of the pan-Atlantic region. The conference will bring together stakeholders from across Europe, the Americas and Africa to tackle the urgent challenges facing the transatlantic digital ecosystem.

"The guiding concept Navigating digital changes, empowering transformation reflects the dynamic nature of today's pan-Atlantic digital ecosystem," explains Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX Group AG. "As digital interconnection expands across continents, the complexity of safeguarding critical infrastructure such as undersea cables, Internet Exchanges, and data centres increases. Security is no longer just a protective measure. It is a fundamental part of the digital change we are navigating. It enables trust, drives innovation, and supports compliance across diverse regulatory landscapes in Europe, the Americas and Africa."

Lisbon as a strategic hub

Lisbon's rapid rise as an interconnection hub is central to the event's focus. "Lisbon's emergence as a key interconnection hub between the Americas, Africa and Europe presents opportunities and responsibilities," says Ivanov. "While Southern Europe plays a pivotal role, the Atlantic Convergence's vision extends across the entire Atlantic region - including North America, South America and Africa - ensuring a truly pan-Atlantic perspective. As traffic volumes and stakeholder diversity increase, these hubs become more attractive to cybercriminals."

This expansion, Ivanov stresses, requires interoperable, cross-border security frameworks and a clearer grasp of compliance across jurisdictions. "Lisbon is not merely a geographic hub; it is becoming a strategic link in the transatlantic digital ecosystem - one that demands collaboration, foresight and resilience."

Security day highlights

Among the programme's highlights is Security Day on 30 October, which includes the panel "Converging Forces: The Pan-Atlantic at the Crossroads of Strategy, Security, and Innovation", moderated by cybersecurity journalist and author Esther Paniagua.

"It's great to hear that the event's Security Day, taking place on Thursday, October 30, is already generating such excitement!" says Ivanov. "One of the key highlights is the panel 'Converging Forces: The Pan-Atlantic at the Crossroads of Strategy, Security, and Innovation.' This session brings together multi-regional and multi-sector perspectives on real-world threats and strategic responses. What truly sets this panel apart is its clear focus on translating theory into action."

The Security Day programme will also explore cybersecurity in the context of geopolitics, digital autonomy and sovereignty, and strategic foresight for the Atlantic region's security landscape.

Building trust across borders

"The Atlantic region spans diverse legal and regulatory environments," notes Ivanov. "Alignment does not require uniformity; it requires interoperability. At DE-CIX, our focus is on creating shared trust frameworks and a common vocabulary that can bridge the gap between different regulatory environments. Transparent governance is essential for reassuring customers and partners, particularly when operating across borders in a diverse Atlantic environment that spans multiple continents and regulatory cultures."

He adds: "We also promote ongoing collaboration between regulators and industry to develop realistic, forward-looking policies. Demonstrating compliance is not just about meeting requirements; it's about building credibility and fostering partnerships that drive innovation rather than hinder it."

Shaping the digital future

Looking ahead, Ivanov sees Atlantic Convergence becoming the leading forum for security and digital policy across the Atlantic: "Over the next decade, we envision driving the adoption of interoperable, industry-led security standards across the Atlantic region - including Africa, Europe and the Americas - as well as encouraging investment in secure, sustainable and resilient infrastructure. By aligning regulatory approaches and fostering a more harmonised digital policy environment, Atlantic Convergence is poised to shape a shared vision for trust and compliance - one that supports innovation, protects users, and strengthens transatlantic cooperation in the digital age."

Registration now open

Atlantic Convergence 2025 invites enterprises, network operators, policymakers and institutions to join the dialogue and explore opportunities in Lisbon. This conference theme reflects DE-CIX's editorial spotlight in eco Association's dotmagazine on "Security, Trust & Compliance", further underlining the company's commitment to advancing dialogue on these critical issues.

Register now for Atlantic Convergence 2025 (28-30 October, Lisbon): https://atlantic-convergence.net/