Europe’s postal operators are undergoing a profound transformation—moving far beyond traditional mail to become strategic enablers of Europe’s digital, green and territorial cohesion goals.

With one of the largest physical and trusted networks in Europe, the postal sector is uniquely positioned to support the European Commission and the European Parliament in achieving the EU’s key priorities: the EU Green Deal, Digital Europe, Cohesion and Fit for 55 Competitiveness.

When policymakers think of innovation, they often look to technology giants or unicorn start-ups. Yet, postal operators are quietly building one of the most powerful open innovation ecosystems in Europe—combining public trust, physical infrastructure, and technological adoption at scale.

This Forum will showcase how innovation in the postal sector translates into concrete, scalable solutions: from AI-driven logistics and carbon-neutral mobility to digital identity services and inclusive access to the digital economy.

Why the Postal Sector Matters for EU Policy

A Europe-wide innovation infrastructure

160,000+ access points and 1.5 million employees across the EU, deeply embedded in all territories—including underserved regions—forming a strategic backbone for cross-border delivery, digital services, and innovation deployment.

Accelerating the Green & Digital Transitions

From zero-emission fleets to predictive AI and digital twins, postal operators are scaling practical solutions aligned with the EU Green Deal and Fit for 55 objectives.

Driving Cohesion and Inclusion

As the only network reaching every citizen and SME daily, postal operators are critical partners in ensuring digital literacy, financial inclusion, and accessible public services.

A Trusted Partner in a Fragmented World

Pan-European, stable, and secure networks make postal operators reliable partners in data infrastructure, e-identity, circular logistics, and AI-driven public service innovation.

Ready for Strategic Co-Investment

The sector has laid strong innovation foundations. With EU support, we can scale up impact, accelerating competitiveness and resilience across Europe.

Join us at the event for an inspiring, forward-looking exchange on how postal innovation can help shape Europe’s strategic ambitions. Explore cutting-edge ideas, gain first-hand experience, and connect directly with our speakers through their LinkedIn profiles to learn more about their expertise and professional journeys.

Agenda

10:00 – Welcome & Opening Remarks

Framing postal innovation as a lever for EU strategic priorities

• PostEurop Secretary General Botond Szebeny [1] & Innovation Forum Team

10:15 – Keynote Speech

How the European Commission is supporting innovation actions and initiatives: funding opportunities Tatiana Lopez Garrido [2], European Commission

10:45 – Roundtable 1: Smarter Postal Operations — AI & Automation

AI, digital twins, and predictive systems driving operational resilience.

• Christian Oestergard [3] (PostNord)
• Sébastien Bousseau [4] (La Poste Groupe)
• Carlos Bhatt [5] (CTT – Correios de Portugal)

11:30 – Roundtable 2: Greener, Leaner, Closer — Sustainable Mobility & Circular Logistics

Scaling low-emission, high-efficiency delivery and circular models.

• Marco Lommatzsch [6] (Österreichische Post)
• Suzanne Debrichy [7] (PostNL)
• Martina Schana [8] (Deutsche Post DHL Group)

12:15 – Networking Lunch & experience first-hand the demo featuring German Bionic [9]

14:00 – Roundtable 3: From Counters to Platforms — Digital Transformation & Customer Experience

Reimagining postal networks as digital-first citizen platforms.

• Nathalie Quintin [10] (La Poste)
• Martti Kuldma [11] (Omniva)
• Matej Raspet [12] (Pošta Slovenije)

14:45 – Closing Keynote

Postal Agentic AI for Resilient Societies

• Jose Anson [13], Universal Postal Union

15:10 – Closing Remarks

• Carlos Bhatt [5]
• Sophie Désier [14]
• Thierry Golliard [15]

15:30 – End of Event

To participate in the event, please register here [16].