ICSS Community Event: From Technological Innovation to Collective Impact

On 27 August, more than 30 professionals from government, business, knowledge institutions and the safety & security ecosystem came together during the ICSS Community Event at the future House of Cyber in The Hague.

From innovation to application

The afternoon brought together new insights, practical experiences and, above all, valuable conversations about how technological innovations can be made safe, responsible and applicable for society. Through themes such as drones, digital autonomy, OT/IoT and AI & Security, participants explored not only the technology itself, but also what is needed to move from innovation to actual application.

The afternoon was opened by Rob Schrouff, community manager at ICSS, who discussed developments in innovation, digital dependency and societal resilience.

Digital autonomy and secure AI

Earth Grob from Merlon Security then discussed digital sovereignty by design and cyber resilience. Central to the discussion was the question of how, in a society that is becoming increasingly dependent on digital technology, sufficient control and freedom to act can be retained.

Siebren van der Werf from UbiOps subsequently explored, from an AI perspective, the challenges surrounding data, infrastructure and secure application. The use of AI in the public domain was also discussed. Together, the speakers explored the conditions needed to ensure that new technology is not only innovative, but can also be applied safely, responsibly and effectively.

From practical case to digital autonomy

After the break, Joshua Serrão gave an insight behind the scenes into the IGV Fieldlab practical case during SAIL 2025. The case demonstrated how innovation and digital autonomy can come together in practice: by connecting partners, data sources and solutions around a shared societal challenge, while retaining control over data and information.

The key lesson was that digital autonomy does not mean developing or owning everything independently. It means making conscious choices and retaining control over data, information and technology.

The power of the ecosystem

A special dimension of the afternoon was the presence of a delegation from the Ministry of Defence. In addition to the substantive discussions, there was considerable interest in the way Security Delta (HSD) develops ecosystems and connects communities around complex societal challenges.

And that is precisely where the strength of ICSS lies.

Societal impact rarely comes from a single organisation or a single solution. It requires an ecosystem in which different perspectives come together, organisations are able to find one another, and knowledge and ideas are translated into concrete collaboration. The community is therefore not the end product, but the infrastructure through which collective impact can be created.

Thank you to all speakers, participants and partners for the open conversations, sharp insights and new connections.

Impact Coalitie Safety & Security is a collaboration between municipalities, the police, knowledge institutions, businesses, VNG, and Security Delta. It acts as a catalyst and agenda-setting platform for cities, accelerating the adoption of smart city innovations that enhance urban safety and security. More info: https://veiligesmartcities.nl/