Thursday 10 April 2025

Protech Final Conference

The Protech Final Conference is a landmark event bringing together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss the latest findings in combating online child sexual abuse (CSA).

As part of our EU-funded Protech Project, we are committed to ensuring our research findings - including insights from the Salus intervention platform - are shared for the benefit of the EU community. This event is our opportunity to present key research outcomes, successes, challenges, and actionable recommendations for the future of evidence-based interventions and safety technologies.

📅 Date: Thursday, 10 April 2025
📍 In-person Venue: The Hotel, Brussels
🌍 Attend Online: Join online via Zoom

Advancing the Fight Against Online Child Sexual Abuse

This is a unique opportunity to engage with specialists in the field, understand the scale of child sexual abuse online and explore how technological and policy advancements can help address it. Our collaborative approach is at the heart of this conference, featuring guest speakers who will provide essential context on motivations, facilitators, and barriers related to illegal behaviour, alongside in-depth presentations on the outcomes of our work.

Why attend?

Gain first-hand insights from cutting-edge research, including focus groups, interviews and surveys conducted throughout the project.
Learn from leading experts in the field of online safety, policy and law enforcement.
Network with stakeholders from the EU Commission, law enforcement, tech companies and non-profits.
Contribute to the future of safety tech, exploring the next steps in protective technology and intervention strategies.
This hybrid event welcomes both in-person attendees in Brussels and virtual participants.

In person

The Hotel Brussels: Park Ballroom

Address: Boulevard de Waterloo 38, 1000 Brussels

Timings: 8.30 CET for breakfast and networking starting promptly at 9.30. Event ends 17.00.

Brussels Midi / Brussel-Zuid / Brussels South Station: 2.5 km - 40 minutes walk or 15 minutes by taxi.

Brussels Airport: 16.5 km - 30 minutes by taxi or 50 minutes by public transport.

Registration closing date: Monday 7 April 2025

Join us in person

Online

Via Zoom

Registration closing date: Wednesday 9 April 2025

Join us online

Further information

Please email info@protechproject.eu

Agenda

The full speaker lineup will be announced soon, featuring renowned researchers, policymakers and safety tech experts.

All times Central European Time (CET).

Speakers subject to change.

8.30 - 9.30
Welcome & coffee
9.30 - 09.20
Opening Remarks
Professor Klaus Beier MD PhD of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
10.00 - 10.40
Keynote Presentation 1
Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen Executive Director, Senior Specialist, Psychotherapist of Suojellaan Lapsia, Protect Children ry
10.40 - 11.00
Introduction to the Protech Project: Project Design & Methodology
11.00 - 11.30
Coffee & networking
11.30 - 11.50
The Intervention Podcast: The voices of the Protech project
Thomas Dyson - Head of Marketing for the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)
11.50 - 12.30
Keynote Presentation 2
Ethel Quayle - Personal Chair of Forensic Clinical Psychology at The University of Edinburgh: Disrupting Pathways: Strategies for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse Material Offences

12.30 - 13.30
Lunch & networking
13.30 - 14.30
Findings from the Pilot Evaluation
Professor Sam Lundrigan & Dr Deanna Davy of Anglia Ruskin University
14.30 - 15.30
Expert insights on improving blocking technologies
Manon Kleijn of Tilburg University
15.30 - 16.00
Coffee & networking
16.00 - 16.45
Q&A Panel
‍Guests and Protech Representatives
16.45 - 17.00
Closing Remarks
Professor Samantha Lundrigan of Anglia Ruskin University