This call for Cybersecurity Technologies, falling within the remit of the KIA Digitalisation, builds on related past calls and programmes such as the recent Cybersecurity for Digital Resilience programme. Over 10 million euros of research funding is available.
Cybersecurity Technologies is one of the ten digital and information technologies in the Dutch government’s National Technology Strategy (NTS) . The KIA Digitalisation is currently overseeing the development of two separate Action Agendas for Cybersecurity Technologies and AI/Data, the other key enabling technology under its auspices, in collaboration with various stakeholders.
Partnership with various top sectors
The KIA Digitalisation is developing the call for secure sensors in close collaboration with various top sectors, including the Topsector Life Science & Health (LS&H), Topsector Energy, Topsector Horticulture & Starting Materials and Topsector ICT. ‘Collaboration is key to accelerating and strengthening innovation,’ says Jasper Renema, programme coordinator at Topsector ICT. ‘Innovation often happens at the intersection of disciplines. As collaboration with other top sectors allows us to access knowledge and technologies from various expertise areas, it has the potential to yield groundbreaking, holistic solutions.’
Interdisciplinary collaboration has a host of other benefits, too: it optimises resource utilisation, expertise and research capacity; it provides access to broader networks, and it promotes co-creation. ‘Reinventing the wheel is a waste of time, especially if we all do it. All being well, this approach should shift the focus away from isolated problem-solving, improve the quality of problem analyses and enable us to learn from each other, resulting in smarter solutions,’ explains Renema.
Evaluation of past calls
The start of this week saw an evaluation of the past cybersecurity Technology calls, including NWO calls and two Top Consortium for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI) cross-over calls.
The feedback from this evaluation will be used to investigate how to develop even more good ideas and proposals for Cybersecurity Technologies.
Matchmaking events
Prior to the launch of the call for secure sensors this spring, matchmaking events will be organised in collaboration with participating top sectors and the businesses and organisations they serve. This will allow all stakeholders from the business community, knowledge institutes and government to find out more about one another and explore how they can provide mutual support in proposal submissions for the call.
SMEs also welcome
The KIA Digitalisation expressly invites SMEs to join the matchmaking events. ‘We know that smaller businesses are often less aware of funding opportunities for innovative projects. They also struggle to find the resources to write a solid proposal or aren’t yet networking with the right contacts. We can reduce those obstacles by putting these businesses in contact with other organisations at an early stage and providing them with as much prior information as possible about the funding application procedure,’ says Renema. Renema emphasises that the nature of this call – application-based research, often in short-term projects – offers benefits that most participants are quick to realise.
Stay tuned
KIA Digitalisation will be overseeing the development of more calls for Cybersecurity Technologies in the future. Calls are also being developed, or have already been launched, for AI and Data. Specific calls for SMEs may be released at a later stage.
If you would like to know more about the secure sensors call or other digitalisation-related calls, check the KIA Digitalisation’s webpage and Topsector ICT’s LinkedIn profile for updates.