As digital threats continue to proliferate, cybersecurity has become a strategic priority for Europe. Sabotage, cyberattacks, and foreign interference campaigns: critical infrastructure, information networks, and digital spaces have become invisible but decisive battlegrounds. Attacks against submarine cables, data centers, and public communication networks highlight the fact that digital security still relies on insufficiently protected physical and human infrastructure.

To address these challenges, the European Union promotes an open, collaborative and sovereign approach to cybersecurity, in line with its democratic values. Through its cybersecurity strategy and Global Gateway initiative, the EU is working to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure, public administrations and businesses, while developing its digital cooperation capabilities with international partners.

In this context, public technical cooperation plays a key role. Development cooperation agencies, brought together within the network of practitioners and the Digital for Development Hub, have an essential role to play both in strengthening the security of critical infrastructure and in developing digital skills within partner administrations.

Co-organised by HAUS (Finnish Institute of Public Management, Finland) and Expertise France, this Expertise Meeting will bring together the views of the Nordic, Baltic and Western European regions on how to build a safe and democratic cyberspace.

Through testimonials from field operators, technical experts and institutional actors, the event will explore how cybersecurity is becoming a strategic lever for sovereignty and international cooperation, whether it be securing digital infrastructure, strengthening governments’ cyber capabilities or raising public awareness of cyber hygiene.

Ahead of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, join us on 4 February from 3.30 p.m. (Helsinki time) live from Helsinki for some fascinating discussions!