Looking Back on Successful Innovation Mission Cybersecurity Paris & Lille

A successful innovation mission to France took place from 31 March to 2 April. For this mission a large delegation including many HSD partners visited Paris & Lille as part of a the French-Netherlands Economic Year, organised by Topsector ICT, Netherlands Enterprise Agency , Ministry of Economic Affairs and Netherlands Innovation Network. The visit was built around a visit to the Incyber Forum in Lille, which included an NL Pavilion.

The mission kicked off with a warm welcome by the Dutch Embassy at Gare du Nord in Paris, after which the delegation visited the Campus Cyber Paris La Défence. Presentations were given on both French and Dutch cybersecurity ecosystems and strategies, giving both sides an opportunity to share valuable knowledge.

The following day a masterclass was provided on Post-Quantum Cryptography in the EU, after which a consortia building session took place organised by NCC NL. The opening summit of the Incyber Forum followed, in which Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel spoke about the value of collaboration, and the growing importance of cyber resilience during geopolitical tensions. His conclusion:

 

“It is time to prepare for something truly disruptive. We need to raise awareness, make plans, and take action. Let’s become stronger together.”

 

The NL Pavilion was officially opened afterwards by the Minister of Justice and

Security, as well as Jan Versteeg, (Ambassador of The Netherlands), Ernst Noorman (NL Ambassador at large for Cyber Affairs) and Frits Grotenhuis (Director Topsector ICT). 

The NL Pavilion offered participating organisations an opportunity to showcase their unique solutions and get in touch with the local network. Participating organisations included many HSD partners, and consisted of:
- Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM)
- CFLW Cyber Strategies
- Disem Institute
- DMARC Advisor
- otsecure BV
- TNO
- Vooruit - IT in beweging
- HackShield Future Cyber Heroes

The day’s programme ended in a Dutch-French Networking Event at the Regional Council Building, where a cybersecurity panel discussion moderated by Sarah Jane Mellor took place. Speakers included Frits Grootenhuis, Ernst Noorman, Michiel Van Der Veen (TNO), Lilian K. (Municipality of The Hague), Corina Van Broekhoven (Honorary Consul in Lille), Sam DAHMANI (DG French Tech), and Nizar Touleimat (European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO)).

The mission came to a close after a Young Talent Cyber Session which included capivating presentations, and a Learning Expedition to Campus Cyber Lille. During these days the participants were able to make many meaningful connections and share their knowledge on an international European stage.