COcyber: Community for Collaboration in Cybersecurity
COcyber represents a transformative initiative, fostering collaboration between the civilian and defense sectors within the cybersecurity ecosystem. This innovative project focuses on bridging gaps, enhancing cooperation, and driving shared progress by creating platforms for knowledge exchange, best practice sharing, and impactful policy recommendations. Let’s explore how COcyber builds a vibrant community for collaboration and maximizes its reach and impact.
Central to COcyber’s mission is the exchange of know-how, good practices, and information transfer between these two communities. We actively work to analyze and address political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental dimensions of cybersecurity, bringing stakeholders together to collaborate more effectively. Best practices from across the EU will be collected, validated, and compiled into case studies showcasing structured cooperation. These case studies will highlight approaches to technology transfer and innovation management, emphasizing non-sensitive dimensions of dual-use cybersecurity technologies to foster mutual development.
To ensure meaningful engagement, COcyber designs and organizes activities that encourage the exchange of know-how among all stakeholders, including academia, industry, and public authorities. As part of this effort, COcyber has launched a series of focus groups to identify the specific needs of cybersecurity collaboration, ensuring that its activities address the most pressing issues faced by stakeholders.
COcyber has also launched an online survey inviting cybersecurity professionals, policymakers, and industry experts to help address the gaps in coordination between Europe’s civilian and defense cybersecurity spheres. This initiative focuses on identifying challenges such as fragmented approaches, workforce shortages, and rising complexities of cyber threats. Insights from the survey will shape actionable solutions, guide stakeholder consultations with European institutions like ENISA and the European Commission, and support the development of unified strategies to strengthen Europe’s cybersecurity resilience. Share your expertise and contribute to shaping the future of cybersecurity collaboration here: COcyber Survey
Other events such as technical roundtables, policy workshops, and capacity-building sessions will focus on topics like digital cooperation, cybersecurity resilience, and governance of critical infrastructure. A practical toolkit is being developed to guide stakeholders in replicating these activities, promoting local and national impact while ensuring broad European reach.
Through a comprehensive analysis of the cybersecurity sector using the PESTEL framework, COcyber will identify key factors influencing governance and innovation. This analysis informs actionable policy recommendations to bridge gaps and overcome barriers to collaboration between civilian and defense stakeholders.
To amplify its impact, COcyber implements an extensive dissemination strategy, ensuring that the project’s activities and results reach diverse audiences effectively. A well-crafted communication plan focuses on clear messaging and targeted outreach, employing tools like digital campaigns and engaging content. The initiative’s strong branding underpins its efforts, creating a unified identity for COcyber’s promotional materials and communication channels.
Key events, such as an online European Hackathon and a final conference, provide occasions to showcase COcyber’s progress and engage stakeholders meaningfully. The hackathon, aimed at co-creating solutions to real-world cybersecurity challenges, will bring diverse participants together to innovate and address vulnerabilities.
The COcyber Ambassador Programme serves as a significant element of stakeholder engagement, recruiting high-level experts and decision-makers from across the EU. These ambassadors will advocate for the initiative, expand its influence, and ensure the project’s activities resonate at both local and international levels. By leveraging their expertise and networks, the programme extends COcyber’s impact and fosters greater integration within the cybersecurity ecosystem.
Through these coordinated efforts, COcyber works to enhance collaboration between civilian and defense cybersecurity stakeholders, while establishing a foundation for continued innovation and resilience in Europe’s digital landscape.