The CyberSecPro project continued its work on advancing cybersecurity education and training with this year’s General Project Meeting and public panel discussion, held on 23–24 June 2025 in Brussels.

As in previous years, the event began with the internal project meeting, followed by a public panel discussion at the Representation of the State of Hessen to the EU, which brought together cybersecurity professionals, policymakers, and academic experts.

The panel discussion, moderated once again by Kai Rannenberg, Professor at Goethe University Frankfurt, was preceded by an opening speech from René Schulz of the Hessian Ministry of the Interior, Security and Homeland. The panel then focused on the topic:
“Which skills do we need for European digital sovereignty and its critical infrastructures?”

This year’s speakers included:
– Jakub Dysarz, Cyber Attaché, Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU
– Koen Gorissen, Chair, Belgium Data Protection Authority
– Ivan Scannapiecoro, Team Leader – Senior Programme Officer, European Cybersecurity Competence Centre and Network (ECCC)
– Luigi Rebuffi, Secretary General, European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO) and Women4Cyber (W4C)
– Christos Douligeris, Professor, University of Piraeus and Technical Coordinator, CyberSecPro

The panel explored the types of skills needed to support European digital sovereignty, particularly in relation to critical infrastructure protection. Discussions highlighted the importance of combining technical, regulatory, and strategic competencies and emphasized the need for closer collaboration between education providers, industry, and policymakers.