Cyber Ireland hosted representatives from seven European CyberHubs for a two-day visit in Kilkenny on October 8–9, 2025. This visit aimed to promote knowledge sharing and teamwork among European cybersecurity hubs. The CyberHubs project is designed to improve cybersecurity skills across Europe. It will create hubs in Belgium, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Spain. During the visit, delegates learned how Ireland successfully developed its cybersecurity ecosystem by collaborating with industry, academia, and government.
A Two-Day Programme of Learning and Exchange
The first day of the visit, Wednesday, October 8th, was held at the Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny and focused on Cyber Ireland’s creation, growth, and future development.
Following the arrival of delegates, Dr Eoin Byrne, Cyber Ireland Cluster Manager, opened the programme with a session on the cluster’s evolution, strategic priorities, and its national role in strengthening Ireland’s cybersecurity landscape.
The morning continued with Deborah White, Industry Skills Coordinator, who presented Cyber Ireland’s initiatives in talent and skills development, followed by a case study from Accenture, delivered by Denise Cassidy, EMEA Cyber Security HR Lead.
After a coffee break, participants joined a panel discussion on “Cyber Skills for Europe: Lessons from Ireland’s Talent Landscape”, moderated by Denise Cassidy. Panellists included Carmel Somers (Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet), Killian O’Leary (The Berkley Group), and Dr George O’Mahony (Munster Technological University and WorldSkills Ireland).
The discussion was followed by a session on Cybersecurity Education for Students, featuring James Egan (South East Technological University) and Karen Maye (University College Dublin, Centre for Cyber Resilience Education – Cyberwise), who presented ongoing efforts to introduce cybersecurity learning in primary and secondary schools.In the afternoon, Dr Cliodhna Sargeant from CyberFutures led an interactive workshop. This engaging experience allowed participants to immerse themselves in real-world projects delivered in schools, where a cyber-attack had taken place. Together, they worked to crack the code and unite as a team to devise a solution to the challenge at hand.
Day Two: Participation in CINC25 Conference
On October 9th, delegates attended Cyber Ireland’s National Conference (CINC25)—the cluster’s flagship annual event bringing together senior leaders from industry, academia, and government.
By attending CINC25, the Hubs gained first-hand experience of a member-focused event that offered exceptional networking opportunities within the Irish cyber ecosystem. They were able to hear from international thought leaders and leading figures in Ireland’s cybersecurity industry, while also getting up to date on the latest developments in Ireland’s national cyber strategy, EU regulations, and global policy trends shaping organisational compliance, resilience, and future readiness.
There was also a dedicated breakout session featuring talent and skills titled: The Cyber Workforce of the Future.” The Hubs found attending the conference extremely beneficial, as it received a 9.10 ranking in the feedback.
Feedback and Key Outcomes
Feedback from participants highlighted the visit’s strong practical value and the depth of insights gained from Cyber Ireland’s experience.
- Belgium emphasised “Cyber Ireland’s way of working, their skills projects and the examples from education partners.”
- Slovenia praised “the multi-layered approach to addressing the cybersecurity skills gap,” noting the “creative and inclusive initiatives to engage children and adults alike” and Cyber Ireland’s “effective coordination between academia, government, and industry.”
- Lithuania described the visit as “a good combination of presentations, interactive engagement and insightful discussions,” with particular value in understanding Cyber Ireland’s organisational model.
- Greece highlighted “concrete academia–government–industry collaboration examples” and “practical, scalable pipeline ideas like the Cyber Schools Initiative.”
The visit strengthened cooperation among the participating CyberHubs, provided practical examples of sustainable hub governance, and inspired new approaches to workforce development and cross-sector collaboration.
The exchange reinforced the shared vision of the CyberHubs project — to build a sustainable, interconnected European network of cybersecurity skills hubs, supporting a resilient and skilled digital Europe.
