Mayor of The Hague and 20 (Deputy) Ambassadors and Representatives Visit HSD

On 9 March, the Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, the Dutch cyber ambassador and (deputy) ambassadors, embassy secretaries and representives from Austria, Belgium, Czech Repulic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and UK visited Security Delta (HSD) for a comprehensive working visit focused on strengthening reciprocal international collaboration in digital security — because the internet does not stop at national borders.

The Mayor and Joris den Bruinen (General director HSD) welcomed the delegation and introduced them to Security Delta, with special attention to operating successful public-private collaborations and ‘secure by design’. Moreover, we spoke about the intended growth path towards a National Cyber Campus/House of Cyber and international collaboration. A special thank you was giving to His Excellency the ambassador of the United Kingdom, Chris Rampling who initiated this visit.

Mayor Jan van Zanen (The Hague): “The Hague is known worldwide as the city of peace, justice and, increasingly, security. This visit at HSD underscores the importance of international cooperation. Current events show how urgent this is. Digital security is not an abstract theme, but a direct threat to our economy, personal wellbeing and trust in our institutions. That is why – for the past years – at city hall we have put great effort in our programme to build a Cyber Secure The Hague. This is also why we are building a strong ecosystem for security innovation in The Hague. HSD is at the heart of that network.”

Demonstrating innovation, impact and collaboration

The introduction was followed by a round table session with two HSD partners who are innovating and collaborating internationally to contribute to a more secure world. Representatives shared insights into their work and impact.

Mark van Staalduinen, Managing Director & Founder of CFLW Cyber Strategies, underscored the organisation’s commitment to tackling online threats through decisive strategy and cutting-edge technology. Reflecting on CFLW’s contribution to the dismantling of Kidflix and other illicit Dark Web platforms, he stressed that only through strong international collaboration cybercrime can be effectively addressed — embodying CFLW’s mission: Together for a Safer Cyberspace.

Marielle Reints, VP EMEA Legal leader of Elastic highlighted the evolution from a Dutch start-up into a global leader in Search AI, and positioned itself as an AI data platform that unifies Search, Observability, and Security—helping organisations find critical information across all data sources in real time at scale, keep systems reliable, and detect and respond to threats faster. The company emphasised its strong European roots, being founded and headquartered in Amsterdam, and underscored the importance of innovation ecosystems such as The Hague Security Delta (HSD). Elastic noted how partnerships like HSD help bridge innovation and execution by enabling collaboration on cybersecurity, data analytics, and resilience—translating research and joint initiatives into concrete operational capabilities and adoption in critical sectors.

Digital Forensics Lab 

In addition, the delegation visited the Digital Forensics Lab of the Leiden University of Applied Sciences. Lecturer and researcher Jos Griffioen explained how the lab helps to cultivate the next generation of digital forensics talent. He demonstrated the use of the international tool 'Hansken', NFI's cutting-edge forensic technology for analysing vast amounts of digital information. Also, he pointed out the possibilities for international students.

In addition, Martijn van Hoogenhuyze (InnovationQuarter) invited the participants to join Cybersecurity Week 2026 on behalf of the Municipality of The Hague. 

Photo credits: Frank de Roo