Over the past 1.5 years, the CS4NL (Cybersecurity for the Netherlands) programme, an initiative from dcypher and Topsector ICT, has made substantial progress boosting cybersecurity innovation across the country. With 18 partners, including top sectors, industry and cyber organisations, government departments and knowledge institutions, we have worked on critical cybersecurity challenges. These challenges focus on seven key themes: (1) security by design, (2) secure data-driven work, (3) secure connectivity, (4) OT/IT security, (5) cyber risk management, (6) system and supply chain security, and (7) awareness, knowledge and skills.
Through public-private collaboration leading to actual innovation, CS4NL has delivered results that strengthen the nation's cybersecurity landscape. With a new National Technology Strategy agenda on Cybersecurity Technologies in place we move to the next phase.
Key achievements of CS4NL
In the CS4NL programme the 18 partners worked together to achieve results in a short time frame. By supporting companies and research institutions, encouraging collaboration and providing critical funding, CS4NL has laid the foundation for major advancements in cybersecurity innovation focused on topics like threat intel sharing, autonomous IT/OT and supply chain security. Some numbers include:
- €25+ million in total funding through various calls and grants.
- Support for 35+ companies and research institutions to develop innovative cybersecurity ideas, products and research.
- Formation of large consortia across different sectors to stimulate collaboration and knowledge development.
- More consortia (of research organizations and companies) will be announced end of the 2024 when the results of the ‘NWO cybersecurity’ call and the TKI call on ‘system and chain resilience’ go public.
Participant feedback
The value of CS4NL’s approach is evident in the feedback from its participants:
"The CS4NL programme supports the project by providing a broad ecosystem for collaboration among top sectors such as Logistics, Life Sciences & Health, and ICT. This programme plays a critical role in advancing cybersecurity research and innovation in the Netherlands by fostering partnerships and facilitating access to resources and expertise."
— Dr. Abhishta, University of Twente & JAD
"The CS4NL programme has facilitated parties to connect with a concrete goal in mind, enabling steps that were previously discussed at theme tables. It offers the chance to answer questions that are widely prevalent. The support in networking and choosing a good starting point for the research proposal from CS4NL has been invaluable. Cyber resilience has become more urgent, and the CS4NL programme provides an opportunity for corporate Netherlands to take steps in this direction."
— Albert Veenstra, Professor of Trade and Logistics, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
Transition to the Action Agenda on Cybersecurity Technologies
The NTS Cybersecurity Technologies (NTS CST) was published at the beginning of 2024 and contains seven ambitions through which the Ministry of Economic Affairs aims to stimulate cybersecurity innovation towards 2035. The Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) Digitalisation has been asked by the Ministry of Economic Affairs to set up an Action Agenda for the NST CST. The Action Agenda will set forth how the NTS CST ambitions will be achieved, building on existing networks and instruments such as CS4NL. Topsector ICT and dcypher will set up the Action Agenda in collaboration with relevant parties from the public and private fields. This implies that CS4NL as a program will discontinue as the new Action Agenda will take over the ambitions and activities of CS4NL.
Jos de Groot, Director Digital Economy, Ministry of Economic Affairs: “The start of CS4NL was a bold move in our Mission driven Topsector and Innovation policy. At the time, cybersecurity innovation was not well positioned as an innovation area and very complex to organize among all ten Topsectors. After a year of preparation, we started the CS4NL program in March 2023, as a joint effort of dcypher and Topsector ICT, sponsored by my Digital Economy Directorate. Since then, CS4NL has contributed significantly by bringing players together, building a joint innovation agenda, setting up subsidy calls and establishing effective consortia, fully in line with the ambitions of the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2023-2028. Therefore, CS4NL has been an important program to us, particularly as it is supported by all key public and private parties in the cyber innovation field. CS4NL created a head start for the next step: a strong national public-private innovation program under the National Technology Strategy on Cybersecurity Technologies.