Successful Hybrid International Industry Engagement Workshop on Cybersecurity, Organised by MERIT Project
On 21 November 2025, the MERIT Project successfully hosted its Hybrid International Industry Engagement Workshop on Cybersecurity, welcoming 81 participants joining both on-site in Romania, at TUIASI – Faculty of Industrial Design and Business Management, and online from multiple European countries (Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, and Spain). The event once again demonstrated strong engagement from SMEs, higher education institutions, cybersecurity specialists, and students eager to explore the evolving cybersecurity landscape and contribute to MERIT’s education and skills development activities.
The hybrid format enabled wide participation, fostering rich exchanges on real-world cybersecurity applications, industry perspectives, and the future skills needed in an increasingly digital and interconnected environment.
Event Highlights
The workshop began with a brief introduction and welcome remarks moderated by Prof. Kumar Adarsh (UPES), who outlined the objectives, structure, and relevance of industry–academia collaboration in strengthening cybersecurity skills across Europe. This set the tone for a dynamic sequence of presentations delivered by experts from universities, national centres, and European research institutes. Throughout the morning, speakers explored current trends, sector-specific challenges, policy developments, and hands-on approaches to cybersecurity capacity building.
Key Presentations
Cybrcor Moldova: Strengthening Cybersecurity Skills Through Hands-On Education
Speaker: Marius Dumitrascu, CYBERCOR Institute, Technical University of Moldova
This session explored Moldova’s rapid digitalisation and the establishment of CYBERCOR, an institute dedicated to practical cybersecurity training. The presentation described student involvement in real-life projects, collaborations with national agencies and international partners, and the creation of a developing cybersecurity community focused on applied learning and workforce development.
Cybersecurity for System-of-Systems: The CYSOS Project Framework
Speaker: Kenneth Lind, Ph.D., RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
The presentation examined cyber risks within complex global supply chains, where organisations interconnect their digital infrastructures. Lind introduced the CYSOS cybersecurity framework, designed to guide governance, resilience, information sharing, and technological safeguards. He also detailed its validation through the Virtual Watchtower community, demonstrating how system-of-systems cybersecurity must be built on trust and shared responsibility.
Cyber Resilience in Critical Water Infrastructure: The ATHENA Project
Speaker: Sebastiaan Schuemie MScBA CISSP GICSP, Rijkswaterstaat (Netherlands)
This session focused on cybersecurity challenges in operational technology environments within the water sector. The ATHENA project was presented as a European initiative that uses immersive training—combining e-learning, tabletop exercises, and virtual reality simulations—to prepare operators and leadership teams for cyber incidents. The project’s scientific foundations and EU-wide scalability were key points of discussion.
EU Funding Opportunities for SMEs and National Cybersecurity Support
Speaker: Ioana Călărașu, National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity (Romania)
The final presentation highlighted the funding and support instruments available to SMEs and public entities under the Digital Europe Programme and the NIS2/Cyber Resilience Act framework. Ioana outlined upcoming Romanian funding schemes, the €4 million national budget dedicated to SME digital security, and Romania’s participation in major EU projects. The session emphasised community-building and stakeholder engagement.
Following the presentations, participants engaged with speakers in an open Q&A session addressing implementation challenges, sector-specific needs, training adoption, and cross-border cooperation. The workshop closed with an invitation to continue collaboration through MERIT’s upcoming events, courses, and partnerships.
Takeaways and Outcomes
The workshop offered attendees:
- A deeper understanding of current cybersecurity trends, regulatory developments, and cross-sector challenges.
- Insights into system-of-systems security, critical infrastructure resilience, and emerging training methodologies.
- Guidance for companies, educators, and public authorities on developing skills aligned with real industry needs.
- Opportunities for networking and collaboration among industry stakeholders, researchers, and academia.
Participants valued the interactive nature of the sessions and the opportunity to exchange viewpoints with experts representing diverse areas of Europe’s cybersecurity ecosystem.
Future Opportunities
The MERIT Project extends its sincere thanks to all speakers, participants, and organisers for their vital contributions to the success of this year’s workshop. The level of engagement—both on-site in Romania and online—highlights the growing importance of collaborative efforts to strengthen Europe’s cybersecurity capacity.
The session was recorded and can be found HERE.
As MERIT prepares a new series of activities and industry workshops in 2026, we invite everyone to stay tuned for upcoming updates and opportunities to participate.
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