The second cohort of COcyber Ambassadors joins forces across civilian and defence cybersecurity to strengthen European digital resilience through policy, training, and cross-sector collaboration. Representing seven experts from five countries, the programme empowers ambassadors to connect siloed communities, share knowledge, and promote dual-use innovation across Europe.

We spoke with the COcyber Batch #1 Ambassadors to reflect on their journey and gather their insights on Europe’s cybersecurity future. Nizar Touleimat highlights the need for dual-use innovation and strategic alignment, and values the COcyber experience for delivering concrete outcomes and advancing civil-defence collaboration.

COcyber took part in GITEX EUROPE to present the project, highlight the AI Cybersecurity Deephack as a tangible outcome, and engage with stakeholders working across civil and defence innovation. The event underlined growing interest in practical dual-use applications, with positive feedback from both institutional actors and startups already active in the defence space.