ASIS Europe 2026 took place in Antwerp from 23–25 March, for the second consecutive year bringing together more than 1,000 security leaders and risk professionals from over 50 countries. The event explored how organisations can move “From Risk to Resilience” in an increasingly complex global landscape. Against a backdrop of rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty, and evolving threat environments, the conference underscored the growing role of security as a strategic business function—one that not only protects assets but enables organisations to anticipate disruption, adapt with confidence, and build long-term resilience.

Conference co-chair Inge Huijbrechts, leading her fourth and final ASIS Europe programme, welcomed participants to her hometown – a hub for business, innovation and resilience. This theme was powerfully illustrated by opening keynote speaker Erwin Verstraelen, Vice President Innovation at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges with his presentation which Huijbrecht’s highlighted “was about more than just imagined potential – it is the proven experience of how Europe’s second largest port has been transforming into an innovation hub where the most promising smart technology has been field tested over the past 5 years.”

Verstraelen captivated the audience by outlining the massive port’s strategy and achievements incorporating drones, smart cameras and sensors, and AI-driven analytics into their complex operational environment. At the same time, whilst much focus was on technology, he emphasised how critical the human factor and creative thinking was in creating a truly resilient organisation.  

Lee Pokorski, in his first event as co-chair outlined how the event was designed, “to help participants build resilience in three main ways: first – having a clear understanding of the rapidly evolving risks we face; second – by sharing practical frameworks that turn those insights into action and third – providing guidance on how to find and assess the right tools and capabilities.”

This was evidenced throughout the 50+ learning sessions spread across multiple tracks and a variety of formats including challenging interactive workshops with simulated crisis response exercises.  A rich programme allowed the geopolitical risk outlook to be analysed and dissected from a wide variety of angles. Alongside this, deep-dive case studies and frameworks were shared, hybrid and emerging technology risks examined, together with effective strategies for engaging leaders and teams to enhance security awareness.   

Another key theme was understanding risk appetite and risk culture – the latter being the focus of the second plenary session which featured a stellar panel of security and risk leaders:  Vishal Arora, Vice President, Chief Audit Executive, Head of Global Assurance at  ArcelorMittal; Joao Moita, Group Chief Information Security Officer at Airbus; Hannah Poppy, Global Head of Risk Intelligence at Emergent Risk International; and Jonas Rasmussen, Global Head of Security and Business Resilience at Trafigura.

The panel debated how risk culture is linked to strategic decision making, the capabilities security leaders must build to remain credible partners to the C–suite, how to create accountability for risk ownership without creating a culture of fear and advice for security and intelligence leaders who feel their function is seen as tactical rather than strategic.

Networking and partnership development remained central to the ASIS Europe experience. A vibrant exhibition featured 55 sponsors and exhibitors, including headline sponsors Nedap and Rightcrowd, showcasing innovative solutions across security technology, risk intelligence, and crisis management. From AI-driven tools to next-generation geopolitical risk platforms, the exhibition reflected the evolving needs of organisations operating in a complex threat landscape.

ASIS also reinforced its commitment to the future of the profession through its NextGen community, which led the closing session with an interactive debate on security career pathways. In addition, 12 students were hosted at the event, supporting the development of the next generation of security professionals.

In addition to extensive onsite networking was an unforgettable dinner at the historic Handelsbeurs, the world’s first purposely built commodities exchange, which opened in 1531, located in the heart of Antwerp

The next ASIS Europe will take place in Liverpool, UK on 3-5 March 2027.

For more information visit https://asiseurope.org/

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