After entering in the second and final phase of CYBER Interreg project and having presented the successful results of phase one, CYBER partners are now preparing for the implementation of their Action Plans (APs).
Aligned with Interreg Europe Priority 2 on SME competitiveness, CYBER’s main objective relies on making more resilient SMEs in the cybersecurity field and strengthen innovation ecosystems. The means to achieve this are, overall, interregional cooperation and the promotion of improved public policies.
As a result of the work carried out during Phase 1, which consisted in analysing the CYBER partners’ territorial needs and identifying their good practices, concrete Action Plans and their implementation strategy were designed.
Following onto the next phase, CYBER partners have already started putting into practice their APs. Although the purpose is the same, the policies and programmes composing each AP differ from one another due to the circumstances characterising every partner territorial situation. This is what gives the added value to CYBER project, as it generates different approaches that, thanks to their complementarity, are reciprocally beneficial.
As a brief presentation of CYBER partner’s Action Plans, we can find:
From the Regional Council of Brittany (France), it is progressing in implementing more stakeholder involvement in the design and implementation of the digital innovation hubs (DIHs) and in the regional cybersecurity roadmap.
The Košice IT Valley (Slovakia) is undertaking a survey for students as well as organising an event called Cyber Breakfast. This will help to create a culture of awareness of cybersecurity and promotion of SMEs, and to prepare policy recommendations for the Managing Authority.
The Tuscany Region (Italy) works to encourage Tuscan SMEs to contract professional services, which aims to increase their innovation levels with a focus on cybersecurity. It also works to improve the coordination mechanisms of its cyber ecosystem.
The AP of the Digital Wallonia Agency (Belgium) is composed of two actions: the implementation of the Cyber Breakfast and, the set-up of a call to projects.
As for Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia it is perfecting the cooperation of different actors in the cybersecurity ecosystem which will lead to the increase of the competitiveness of the cybersecurity sector in Slovenia.
The Estonian Information System Authority is implementing a new national Cyber Breakfast meeting format for cybersecurity experts and a development programme for water industry SMEs.
Finally, the Agency of Innovation, Business Financing and Internationalisation of Castilla y León (Spain) has modified its policy instrument by including new eligible actions related to cybersecurity in Castilla y Leon's call for grants "Promotion of innovation in the technological field of SMEs".
Among the expected results of all these APs, we can highlight the removal of barriers that generate market fragmentation, the improvement of regional actors’ cooperation and, specially, assuring a safer digital world.
You can learn more about these Action Plans by clicking this link: https://www.interregeurope.eu/cyber/library/#folder=3116
