The Hague University of Applied Sciences Secures €1 Million Grant for National Cybersecurity Programme CYRCLE

The Hague University of Applied Sciences, together with four other Dutch universities of applied sciences, has secured approximately €1 million in funding for the national Cyber Security Learning Communities programme (CYRCLE). The initiative focuses on strengthening the cyber resilience of SMEs through structural collaboration between education, research, industry and public sector partners.

CYRCLE brings together education, research, industry and public organisations in so-called learning communities, collaborative environments in which stakeholders work structurally on real-world cybersecurity challenges. Across the Netherlands, four regional clusters (east, south, north and west) and five leading universities of applied sciences (Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, Avans University of Applied Sciences, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences and The Hague University of Applied Sciences) each focus on a specific area of expertise, ranging from behavioural change to security by design in the manufacturing industry.

The Cyber Security Living Lab

A central role within the programme is played by the Cyber Security Living Lab (CSyLL) of The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Under the leadership of Peter Roelofsma, Professor of Management & Cybersecurity, the lab leads the western regional cluster. The Cyber Security Living Lab has already built strong partnerships with industry to develop interactive simulations and games that help organisations gain insight into their cyber risks and improve their decision-making capabilities.

Peter Roelofsma - Director of CSyLL: “Together with companies such as Lumen, Siemens and Infinity IT, we are already working on concrete challenges. This funding allows us to further expand and deepen these collaborations"

Student involvement and multidisciplinary collaboration

Students from a wide range of IT & Design programmes contribute to the development and implementation of the projects, including Simulation & Gaming, Information Security Management, and Applied Data Science & Artificial Intelligence. The initiative also involves collaboration with other knowledge institutions such as Leiden University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Delft University of Technology.

Together, these partnerships create a multidisciplinary ecosystem in which technical, organisational and human aspects of cybersecurity are addressed in an integrated and practical way, helping to build a more resilient digital future for Dutch SMEs.