Looking Back on a Successful Innovation Mission Cybersecurity to Paris and Lille
A successful innovation mission to France took place from 30 March to 2 April 2026. A Dutch cyber delegation participated in several high-level meetings, roundtables, and networking events during InCyber Forum Europe in Lille. The programme brought together Dutch and French stakeholders from government, industry, and academia to strengthen collaboration on cybersecurity, innovation, and European digital resilience.
The mission kicked off on Monday with a visit to the Cyber Campus in Paris. PQC experts, CISOs, and maritime cybersecurity specialists met with their French counterparts to exchange insights and explore collaboration. The delegation included Leah Postma from the Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat and Joffrey Célestin-Urbain, President of Campus Cyber. Later that day, Anne Visser, Programme Manager Cyber Resilience at Security Delta (HSD), provided an introduction on the Dutch cyber ecosystem, including the House of Cyber initiatives in Brabant and the national campus in The Hague.
NL Pavilion
In the presence of Jan Versteeg, Ambassador of the Netherlands to France, Ernst Noorman, Ambassador at Large for Cyber Affairs, Leah Postma from the Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat, Eddy Boot from Digital Holland, and many partners from both ecosystems, the NL Pavilion officially came to life on Tuesday, 31 March.
The NL Pavilion offered participating organisations an opportunity to showcase their unique solutions and get in touch with the local network. Participating organisations at this NL Pavilion consisted of:
- Dcodx B.V. / SecDim
- Disem Institute & Twente University
- DMARC Advisor B.V.
- Eoncore (Quantum Gateway Solutions BV)
- FEHA (FEHA International Consulting B.V.)*
- GRCPerfect (PrivacyPerfect)
- Hadrian
- HMS Technology Center BV
- OT Secure
- Passguard
- S2GRUPO
- SandGrain
- TNO
- Turing Space Europe
This opening was followed by a networking reception organised by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Paris and the Netherlands Business Support Office Lille, providing an opportunity for Dutch participants to connect with French and international business contacts. French and Dutch young cyber talents also joined the gathering, highlighting the importance of nurturing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Another highlight of the week was a workshop organised by NCC-NL titled “Is EU Funding the Next Step for Your Cybersecurity Innovation?” During this session, participants explored opportunities within European funding programmes and discussed how start-ups, scale-ups, and innovative SMEs can effectively position themselves for EU funding and international collaboration.
The mission concluded on Thursday with a French-Dutch round table organised by the Hauts-de-France Region in collaboration with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Paris. The discussion focused on the theme “How to meet the challenge of European sovereignty (AI and cyber) while retaining local companies.” The session was moderated by Laura Monnier, Director of the Innovation Centre for Contactless Technologies (CITC), and featured contributions from Amine Kamoun (CITC), Nathalie Mitton (INRIA Lille – Nord Europe), Georges Lotigier (LTGR Holding / Hornetsecurity / Vade), Yann Pitollet (CEO of Nord France Invest), Ersnt Noorman (Ambassador-at-Large for Cyber Affairs - Blokker, Son excellence / His excellency Sam), Rolf van Gent (SANDGRAIN), Anne Visser (Security Delta HSD), and Eduard Hoekx (TNO)
Together, they provided valuable insights into strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty while fostering innovation and supporting regional economic growth.
Succesful mission
Together, these activities highlighted the growing cooperation between the Dutch and French cybersecurity ecosystems and underscored the importance of cross-border collaboration in strengthening Europe’s cyber resilience and digital sovereignty.
