On 9 December 2020 the European Council voted to locate the EU’s future cybersecurity research hub in Bucharest. The European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre, as it is formally known, makes up part of the planned European Cybersecurity Competence Network and Centre, which aims to help the EU continue to build the capacity necessary to secure the Digital Single Market. The Competence Centre will facilitate and coordinate the work of the Cybersecurity Competence Network which in turn will be supported by the European Cybersecurity Atlas, a digital knowledge management and collaborative platform that aims to map, categorise and stimulate collaboration between cybersecurity experts across Europe.
The EC’s initiative will contribute to enhanced networking, visibility of ongoing efforts and coordination of cybersecurity expertise across Europe, that will deliver on the EU’s cybersecurity policy agenda, support the EU’s digital strategy and ultimately ensure a more secure Europe for businesses and citizens.
The goals of the platform are to
- facilitate the establishment of a community of practice
- help identify with whom to collaborate on future projects
- map the competencies of Europe in various cybersecurity domains
- act as a knowledge management tool for the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre
- raise the visibility of participants within the cybersecurity community and beyond
- better coordinate European R&D efforts in cybersecurity
- contribute to shaping the strategic orientations of EU programmes funding cybersecurity research, technology and capabilities
- provide relevant input to cybersecurity policymaking in Europe
- provide awareness of the cybersecurity community
- support the European Commission on managing work programmes and allocation of funds
- support diversity and inclusion, aiming to improve gender balance and geographical balance in the cybersecurity sector
The main benefits for organisations and researchers in sharing information in the Atlas are:
- Networking: the platform provides an opportunity for participating organisations to enlarge their research network, get in contact with relevant peers across Europe and find potential partners for future project consortia.
- Visibility and influence: inclusion in the Atlas improves an organisation’s visibility, allowing it to be considered by the EC and the cybersecurity community in determining EU policies and programmes as well as for participation in events, and sectoral activities. Furthermore, students, job seekers, and market analysts are among those expected to make use the Cybersecurity Atlas as a reference point for cybersecurity expertise in Europe.
- Consolidated and targeted information: on forthcoming calls for tender and funding opportunities at EU and national level.
For more information please visit: https://cybersecurity-atlas.ec.europa.eu