Draft Programme 

📅 30 November – 1 December 2026
📍 Science and Technology Park, Podgorica, Montenegro
🏛️ Conference Hall Unicorn, 2nd floor
 

Context: Building on WB3C’s May 2026 regional conference, these workshops examine how governments, media and other stakeholders can anticipate, prevent and respond to malign information operations. Sessions combine strategic perspectives with practical approaches to threat detection, crisis coordination, reporting and AI-enabled information manipulation. The programme is provisional and still subject to change. 
Audience: Government strategic communications officials, cybersecurity leadership, journalists, media regulators, fact-checkers and civil society organisations.
Working language: English (no simultaneous interpretation).
Chatham House Rule: The workshops will be held under the Chatham House Rule, providing a safe space for an open dialogue.                                               

Funding: The event is organised under the EU-funded project “Improving the resilience of critical entities and the protection of public spaces and cyberspace against security threats in the Western Balkans” (2026–2028). This event is also supported by Poland, Norway, United Kingdom and France, through their diplomatic missions in Podgorica and Belgrade.

DAY 1 – Monday, 30 November 2026

☕ 08:30–09:00  |  ARRIVAL
Registration and welcome coffee

🕘 09:00–09:30  |  OPENING REMARKS
• WB3C
• Ministry for European Affairs of Montenegro
• EU 

🎙️ 09:30–10:00  |  MODERATED POLICY DIALOGUE
Montenegro at the Crossroads: Safeguarding Its Democracy and European Future in an Era of Hybrid Threats
• Biljana Papović — State Secretary, Ministry of European Affairs of Montenegro
• Todor Goranović — Defence and Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Montenegro
 

🕘 10:00–10:45  |  EXPERT SESSION
The Agents of Chaos: The Shadow Campaign Against the West
• Maciej Bukowski — Casimir Pulaski Foundation, Poland

☕ 10:45–11:15  |  COFFEE BREAK

🕚 11:15–12:00  |  EXPERT SESSION
From Detection to Decision: How VIGINUM Feeds Government Crisis Management During Hybrid Campaigns
• VIGINUM — France’s service for vigilance and protection against foreign digital interference

🕐 12:00–12:45  |  EXPERT SESSION
AI-Enabled Disinformation, Coordinated AI Agents and Simulation of Influence Operations
• Daniel Schroeder — SINTEF Digital, Norway
• Henrik Vold — Norwegian Institute of Journalism, Norway
• Eirik Veum — Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), Norway

🍽️ 12:45–13:45  |  LUNCH

🕑 14:00–14:45  |  EXPERT SESSION
Coordination and decision making during an ongoing hybrid assault
• Matthew Booth — FCDO, United Kingdom

🕒 14:45–15:15  |  VOICES FROM THE AUDIENCE 

☕ 15:15–15:30  |  COFFEE BREAK
 

🕒 15:30–17:00  |  EXPERT SESSION
Modern Information Warfare: The Global Strategy to Destabilise the Western Balkans
• David Colon — Sciences Po, France

DAY 2 – Tuesday, 1 December 2026

🛠️ 08:00–10:00  |  CLOSED WORKSHOP
• David Colon — France
• Matthew Booth — United Kingdom
 

🕙 10:00–11:00  |  TECHNICAL SESSION
Technical Attribution, Classification and Cross-Border Interoperability
• VIGINUM — France

🕚 11:00–12:00  |  EXPERT SESSION
Reporting in the Age of Information Warfare: Challenges for Journalists and Newsrooms
• Jamie Tarabay — Managing Director, Intelligence & Strategic Engagement, Crumpton Global LLC, USA

☕ 12:00–12:30  |  COFFEE BREAK
 

🧩 12:30–14:00  |  TABLETOP EXERCISE
The First 24 Hours: Managing a Coordinated Hybrid Crisis
• Maciej Bukowski — Casimir Pulaski Foundation, Poland
Practical tabletop exercise.

🍽️ 14:00–15:00  |  LUNCH
 

🛠️ 15:00–17:00  |  PRACTICAL WORKSHOP
Fighting Disinformation with Agentic Intelligence
• Henrik Vold — Norwegian Institute of Journalism, Norway
• Daniel Schroeder — SINTEF Digital, Norway
• Eirik Veum — Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), Norway

DAY 3 – Wednesday, 2 December 2026 

🛠️ 10:00–12:00  |  UNIVERSITY GUEST LECTURES 
• Maciej Bukowski — Casimir Pulaski Foundation, Poland
• Jamie Tarabay — Crumpton Global LLC
University of Donja Gorica, Faculty of Humanities 

NB. To register for the conference please use this LINK or contact vanja.madzgalj@wb3c.org. The number of seats is limited. This event will be photographed. Please read our Privacy Policy on the Registration Form. 

This week, WB3C Cybercrime Trainer Jean-Pierre Bonnet is attending meetings in Sarajevo with representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europol SIRIUS and CEBS to discuss cooperation on countering terrorist propaganda and other terrorism-related content online. 

The discussions focus on developing a specialised training programme to strengthen the capacities of law enforcement and relevant institutions to identify, investigate and facilitate the removal of terrorist content from digital platforms.

The initiative forms part of WB3C’s ongoing efforts to enhance regional cybercrime capabilities, promote international cooperation and address emerging threats in the digital environment in partenrship with leading European partners.

WB3C welcomed a delegation of military and defence representatives participating in the 13th Coordination Board meeting of the NATO Framework Nation Concept, led by Italy (FNC-ITA), hosted by Montenegro's Ministry of Defence of Montenegro.
The visit provided an opportunity to present WB3C’s mandate, activities and strategic priorities in strengthening regional capacities in cybersecurity, cybercrime and cyber diplomacy, while exploring potential areas of cooperation with defence and security institutions.
The Italian-led Framework Nation Concept brings together NATO allies to strengthen multinational cooperation through education and training, joint exercises, operational engagement and capability development.
As cyber threats increasingly intersect with broader security and defence challenges, the visit highlighted the importance of strengthening cyber resilience, developing specialised skills and fostering closer cooperation between civilian and defence institutions.
WB3C remains committed to expanding partnerships that contribute to regional security, institutional resilience and the development of cyber capabilities across the Western Balkans.