On 28 January , the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs of Estonia will host an event in Tallinn aiming to explore the role of cyber defence in fostering industrial development and European strategic autonomy. This initiative is part of the REGDUALOSA (Reg-ions, Dual Use, and Open Strategic Autonomy), an exploratory research activity of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in collaboration with the Andalusia Regional Governement.
Why a case study in Estonia?
Estonia, a small but innovative Northern European nation bordered by the Baltic Sea, Latvia, and Russia, has made a significant impact on the global tech scene. Despite being one of the smallest countries in the European Union, it ranks as a "strong innovator" in the European Innovation Scoreboard, which assesses the innovation performance of EU member states.
Estonia also boasts the highest number of unicorns per capita in Europe, likely due to its business-friendly environment.
In April 2007, Estonia was hit by a devastating cyberattack that lasted 22 days, crippling critical services across the public and private sectors. This attack highlighted the growing vulnerability of governments and entities to cyber threats.
In response, Estonia accelerated the development of the NATO-accredited Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence, which has since become a hub for cybersecurity innovation. Over the past decade, the ICT sector has driven Estonia's economy, with exports and job creation growing significantly.
Today, with over nine national entities supporting NATO cyber defence innovation, Estonia has established itself as a leader in cybersecurity and innovation.
Objectives of the session
The REGDUALOSA stakeholder consultation in Tallinn (Estonia) will bring together key players from the Estonian cyber defence and digital ecosystem to:
- Validate the analysis of the space regional ecosystem proposed by the REGDUALOSA experts.
- Identify practical challenges and opportunities for funding, collaboration, and innovation.
- Co-develop and provide evidence for policy recommendations to improve future policies and instruments at regional, national, and European levels to strengthen the cyber defence ecosystem and European strategic autonomy, focusing on synergies, coordination, and strategic investments.
- Align local efforts with broader national and European strategies to ensure the region's sustainable growth and integration into the EU's strategic autonomy framework.
- space research | defence industry | cooperation policy
- Tuesday 28 January 2025, 13:00 - 16:00 (EET)
- Tallinn, Estonia
Programme
- 28 Jan 2025, 13:00 - 13:10 (EET)Institutional Welcome
Ilmar Vessin, Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs
- 13:10 - 13:15 (EET)Opening speech
Carlos Torrecilla Salinas, Head of Unit Innovation Policies and Economic Impact, Joint Research Centre, European Commission Seville
- 13:15 - 13:30 (EET)Presentation of REGDUALOSA
Carmen Sillero Illanes – Senior Economic and Policy Analyst at the Joint Research Centre, European Commission
- 13:30 - 13:45 (EET)Presentation General Report for REGDUALOSA European Cyber Defence Sociotechnical Ecosystem
Liga Raita Rozentale - REGDUALOSA Expert
- 13:45 - 14:15 (EET)Presentation of Cyber Security Defence in Estonia
Sille Arikas and David Ramiro Troitiño, TalTech, REGDUALOSA experts
- 14:15 - 15:45 (EET)Stakeholder consultation on the preliminary results of the Estonia REGDUALOSA case study on Cyber Security Defence
Participation of stakeholders from Estonian Cyber Security
- 15:45 - 16:00 (EET)Final conclusions
Practical information
- When
- Tuesday 28 January 2025, 13:00 - 16:00 (EET)
- Where
- Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs of EstoniaSuur-Ameerika 1, 10122 Tallinn, Estonia
- Languages
- English
Description
What is REGDUALOSA?
REGDUALOSA examines how territorial innovation policies can leverage Defence and Dual-Use Industrial investments to enhance regional development. The project aligns with the EU's Open Strategic Autonomy goals and explores three socio-technical systems: space, cybersecurity, and aerial robotics.
Key objectives include:
- Understanding regional financial mechanisms for the dual-use and defence industries.
- Exploring policies for Industrial Dual-Use/Defence Regional Ecosystems.
- Developing evidence-based policy recommendations for future EU frameworks.
Three regions currently lead case studies:
- Podkarpackie (Poland) – Focused on aerial robotics and drones.
- Andalusia (Spain) – Highlighting space technology.
- Estonia – Examining cyber-defence.
Why focus on Cyber Defence?
As the world becomes increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, cyber defence has emerged as a critical component of security. Europe, faces significant challenges in this regard, exacerbated by current geopolitical tensions.
The rise of critical infrastructure failures and state-sponsored cyber-attacks has highlighted the need for comprehensive protection tactics.
Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics are transforming the cyber defence landscape. These technologies are not only enhancing the capabilities of cybersecurity solutions but also introducing new complexities that require innovative solutions.
The cybersecurity market in Europe is projected to experience robust growth, driven by increasing cyber threats and a strong emphasis on digital security across various sectors. According to recent market research, the market size is expected to reach approximately USD 70 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 12% leading up to 2030.