Virtual Routes welcomes Apolline Rolland to the team as a Policy Researcher in Cyber and Emerging Technologies.

Prior to joining Virtual Routes, Apolline worked as a cyber and strategic intelligence consultant at Forward Global, where she conducted studies and projects for public and private sector clients in the security and defence fields. She also coordinated the participation of European institutions, NATO and Member States in the InCyber Forum and oversaw the development of the InCyber Agora platform in Brussels.

Apolline has contributed to a range of initiatives at the intersection of technology and policy, including being a member of the AI Policy Research Group at the Centre for AI and Digital Policy and the Aspiration Tech Policy Leadership Initiative, and initiating a partnership between student organisation Security Distillery and the CPDP conference.

Apolline previously worked at ETH Zurich’s Centre for Security Studies, Europol, the Clingendael Institute and GIZ. She holds a master’s degree in Intelligence, Security and Strategic Studies, a joint degree between the universities of Glasgow, Trento and Prague, and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Leiden University.

“We are excited to welcome Apolline as we continue to build our footprint in Brussels. Her work on digital transformation in the security and defence sectors will be central to our growing focus on emerging technologies,” Max Smeets, Co-Director of Virtual Routes shares.