Every few months, Brussels hosts one of the most closely watched political events in Europe: a summit of EU leaders. While attention is fixed on negotiations and press briefings, a carefully coordinated operation is taking place behind the scenes, ensuring the Council’s digital infrastructure performs exactly as it should.
Among those on the ground is a Serco IT support team, responsible for keeping everything connected and functioning. Their work spans the entire event cycle, from configuring secure devices and setting up infrastructure to providing live technical support on the day and managing the post-summit reset.
From planning to set-up
Planning typically begins two weeks in advance. But not always. In 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine, an emergency summit was convened with just a few days’ notice. Serco’s team responded immediately, working in close collaboration with the IT and other services of the Council of the EU to deploy flexible solutions designed to perform under pressure. The work is both technical and operational. Laptops and specialist equipment are prepared for Council staff, national delegations, and security personnel. Timing is key: everything must be ready before the first delegate arrives.
Supporting the summit in real time
During the event, the team is on site from early morning to late evening, ready to resolve any issue that might affect the smooth running of the summit. Responsiveness is critical.
They also support the 500 or so journalists working from the press centre. Many arrive with unfamiliar devices and last-minute connectivity problems. Although the team cannot always access the equipment directly, they provide best-effort support to keep the media connected and working efficiently. Another crucial area is interpretation. With nearly 100 linguists translating simultaneously in 24 languages, uninterrupted service is vital. Any delay could impact how and when decisions are communicated. Serco ensures the underlying systems are stable and dependable.
Closing down and preparing.. again!
Thierry Piessens, Contract Manager for Serco at the Council of the EU, sums up the team’s approach with quiet confidence.
“We’re not here to be seen. We’re here to make sure everything works so others can focus on the decisions. That’s the job.” And when the summit ends without a single reported issue, there’s no applause — just the knowledge that the team has delivered.