Guido Leestemaker is Cybersecurity quartermaster at the Brabant Development Agency (BOM). BOM's mission is to sustainably strengthen the Brabant economy by contributing to societal transitions and by making Brabant an international leader in relevant and specific themes. BOM develops innovative ecosystems, invests in promising start-ups and scale-ups and supports Brabant businesses in bringing innovations and technologies to the market more rapidly.
In addition, BOM helps businesses operate successfully internationally by networking and collaborating with key regions worldwide. BOM's approach is characterised by combining economic growth with social impact, focusing on cooperation between businesses, knowledge institutions, governments and other stakeholders.
Strengthening ecosystems
Guido Leestemaker is actively dedicated at BOM to developing and strengthening innovative ecosystems in the field of cybersecurity. He focuses on two key dimensions in this:
- Cybersecurity for Brabant: Resilience against cyber attacks;
- Cybersecurity by Brabant: Transition to Cybersecurity by Design.
Cyber resilience is an essential prerequisite for sustainable economic growth. Leestemaker works intensively with knowledge institutions, governments and the business community to make Brabant businesses more digitally resilient, with a specific focus on SMEs. "We are building a robust foundation of digital security to protect businesses from cybercrime, prevent economic loss and boost confidence in our region as a secure and innovative hub," says Leestemaker.
Leestemaker also focuses on supporting the transition to cybersecurity by design within products and systems from the Hightech Systems & Materials (HTSM) sector and other relevant ecosystems in the region. This ultimately contributes to future earning power. The basic principle is that cybersecurity should be integrated into the design and development of products and systems from the outset. “Making products and systems truly intrinsically secure requires more than just technical innovations. We need new development methods, technologies and standards, wider availability of qualified talent, collaboration throughout the chain, and new ways of sharing knowledge and developing competences," Leestemaker emphasises.
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Getting everyone on board
Ministry of Economic Affairs has given Topsector ICT the assignment to further develop the Cybersecurity Technologies Action Agenda. Naturally, this is taking place in close cooperation with coalitions and parties in the field, including Regional Development Agencies (ROMs). Leestemaker notes that national policies are not always well aligned with the day-to-day practice of businesses in the region - and this is certainly true for SMEs. "We are in daily contact with businesses and organisations in the region, know them better than anyone, and know what is going on," explains Leestemaker. "We contribute that input during the consultation rounds organised throughout the Netherlands. That way, we make sure everyone is on board. We actively approach businesspeople in the region about market consultations, and act regionally in policy implementation."
Regional reinforcement plan
The Ministry of Economy has mandated the Regional Development Businesses (ROMs) to work on a Regional Reinforcement Plan for the National Technology Strategy (NTS). This plan focuses on 14 innovative value chains in which SMEs and larger businesses jointly create value based on technology, with specific products and services in growth markets. "Through intensive coordination and cooperation with, among others, Topsector ICT, we avoid duplication of effort and ensure that our regional knowledge and experience are properly incorporated into the national approach and Cybersecurity Technologies Action Agenda," explains Leestemaker. "For this reason too, it is useful to act together more often, to be well informed about plans and developments and to avoid duplication of effort."
Brabant House of Cyber
He is one of the initiators of the Brabant House of Cyber, a public-private partnership being built in the province of North Brabant. In addition to BOM, the Province of North Brabant, TNO, ASML, Neways, NTS, TU/e, Avans, Brainport development and Cyber Resilience Centre Brainport are also involved. This initiative focuses on strengthening digital resilience and exploiting economic opportunities through innovation in cybersecurity. The focus is explicitly on the high-tech industry (including dual-use applications). The Brabant House of Cyber connects businesses, knowledge institutions and governments around three strategic pillars: cyber innovation, cyber talent and cyber resilience.
The cooperation is currently under construction: the first phase - in which a shared vision was formulated and broad involvement was created - has been completed. In the current second phase, work is under way to set up the initiative and launch concrete workflows and projects. "The Brabant House of Cyber is expected to play a central role within Cyber innovation in Brabant and the high-tech industry. I can well imagine that this initiative will also be of great value once the Action Agenda is ready and the step towards implementation has been taken within a nationwide system. For AI, regional hubs already exist - for cybersecurity, that role could be fulfilled by similar Houses of Cyber, in regions that I believe can already be identified."
Integrated Approach
According to Leestemaker, the challenges facing organisations in the field of Cybersecurity Technologies are too big to solve alone. "Cooperation between relevant parties is essential. There is simply too little manpower, expertise and budget to fight the battle alone. Moreover, we are facing a systemic challenge here: it is not just a technical problem, but a complex and interlinked issue that affects the business community, government and knowledge institutions together. An integrated, coordinated approach is therefore required."
It is therefore high time for a less solo approach, Leestemaker stresses, aware that this is a matter for the long haul. "Cooperation simply takes time and requires direction, trust and leadership. But there is a growing realisation that there is simply no other way. In cybersecurity, furthermore, you are only as strong as your weakest link. A company like ASML works here in the region with an extensive ecosystem of suppliers, which includes many startups/scale-ups and SMEs. If you want the entire chain to be digitally resilient, and for complex high-tech systems and products to be developed in an intrinsically secure way, you have to act together - and actively share relevant knowledge, insights and measures with all links in that chain."
Wish list for the Action Agenda
If it were up to Leestemaker, he would prefer to see the following elements reflected in the Cybersecurity Technologies Action Agenda:
- A strong line in terms of content
"What do we mean by cybersecurity-by-design? What do we as the Netherlands focus on, and what priorities do we set within technical development - for example, in the areas of secure software, hardware security or supply chain security?" - A strong organisational line
“How will this be organised, both nationally and regionally? Who will take which role, how will existing initiatives connect, and how do we ensure coherence and continuity?” - A practicable approach
“Direction is important, but the agenda must also include sufficient actionability, resources and mandate. Only then can we move from intention to impact - and that is essential given the urgency of the issue.” - Anchoring in business
“Ii is important that the agenda is not separated from practice. A structural connection must be made with the innovative capacity of businesses - from large technology developers to startups - so that solutions actually land in products and systems.” - Focus on pace and realism
“The threats are evolving rapidly, so implementation of the agenda must also keep moving at pace. This requires clear choices, concrete steps and a practical approach that is workable for all parties involved”, says Leestemaker.
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