The COcyber Fireside Chat “Civilian–Defence Cyber Coordination: Fueling Digital and Defence Innovation through Startups, Scaleups and Corporates” took place on 15 October 2025 in Brussels, tackling how cybersecurity collaboration between the civilian and defence sectors can drive dual-use innovation and strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy.

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.