Welcoming thousands of technology fans, the festival featured an exciting lineup of 30+ interactive side events, 250+ inspiring speakers, 250+ investors, 1,000 startups, as well as insightful workshops and in-depth panel discussions. A highlight of the event was a panel on navigating the legal challenges of AI, featuring members of the Elias Neocleous & Co LLC (ENC) Tech Law department and Dr. Nicholas P. Mastrogiannopoulos, CEO of W11 Ventures.

Moderated by Managing Partner Elias Neocleous, ENC panel members Andrea Kallis Parparinou (Partner), Emilios Charalambous(Associate), and Fabian Cabeza (Legal Consultant), explored the latest legal regulations affecting the tech sector, including the AI Act, Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), Cyber Resilience Act, and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Regulation. They provided invaluable insights into regulatory compliance and investment strategies for stakeholders in the tech industry.

The active discussion touched on the future outlook of tech regulation and its potential challenges and opportunities from a European perspective. Nicolas underscored the imperative for the tech sector to stay competitive while safeguarding and promoting innovation, emphasizing that effective regulation should not stifle creativity but rather foster a conducive environment for growth. Andrea echoed these sentiments, highlighting the necessity of regulatory frameworks that ensure technology is deployed safely and ethically, in alignment with EU values and rights. She also noted through various practical examples that by being the first to regulate new technologies such as AI comprehensively, the EU can become the global regulatory leader providing a blueprint for the rest of the world.

Fabian addressed the AI Act, clarifying that AI regulation extends beyond this act, the AI Act being principally focused on product safety. He touched upon other relevant laws, including GDPR considerations, the new Product Liability Directive as well as the planned AI Liability Directive. Fabian also discussed the ongoing debates regarding open-source issues relating to AI focusing on the AI Act’s treatment of the matter. Emilios complemented the discussion by going through the latest cybersecurity developments and implications for businesses, especially the Cyber Resilience Act while also exploring the critical role of DORA in ensuring operational resilience.

Andrea provided her in-depth feedback on the current state and potential future of tech laws and regulations, and then further elaborated on FDI Regulation, explaining its integration into the broader regulatory landscape and its relevance for the tech sector. The panel discussion then ended with Nicolas who shared practical insights from his advisory work illustrating the impact of these regulations on startups and how they can go about navigating them.

The dynamic panel interaction highlighted the importance of understanding and navigating complex and ever-increasing regulatory issues to leverage opportunities in the tech industry as technological advancements continue to grow in importance.

Additionally, a broader team from Elias Neocleous & Co LLC was present at the firm’s booth, demonstrating Neolaw.ai and discussing the transformative impact of technology on the legal industry.

Reflect Festival 2024 was an overwhelming success, dedicated to offering innovators worldwide an unparalleled technology experience. We eagerly anticipate continued support and collaboration with the festival in the years ahead, united by our vision for the future of this dynamic field.