“Strong alliances create resilience”
“In the early days, there was hesitation on the political side about whether a dedicated cyber security organisation was really necessary, and the funding just wasn’t there,” Miguel De Bruycker recalled. “But that all changed in 2013, after a turbulent summer with a large-scale hack of Belgacom, following a series of similar incidents in the preceding months.”
Geopolitical tensions
That incident proved to be a turning point. “In response, then-Prime Minister Charles Michel gave us an office right next to his official residence on Wetstraat, allowing us to officially launch the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB). It wasn’t until recently that I learned we had taken over the office space of the then Secretary of State Theo Francken”, stated De Bruycker, Managing Director General of the CCB. “The Coalition itself had already started slightly earlier, driven by the same sense of urgency and threat”,
The urgency hasn’t faded. If anything, it has intensified in the face of today’s geopolitical tensions. “Right now, the cyber landscape is dominated by geopolitical discussions,” Koenraad Debackere, Executive Director of KU Leuven Research & Development, remarked in his speech. “But we need to go beyond that, widening the lens and including geo-economic and geo-intellectual resilience as well.”
“To do that, we must first understand how our society is structured: as a complex web of interconnected ecosystems. We need to see how the scientific, economic and societal developments feed into one another. At its core, Europe is and has always been a continent built on collaboration,” he continued.
The power of collaboration
“Collaboration and knowledge-sharing, which form the foundation of the Coalition, are critical yet never straightforward. There’s a reason we have to teach children to share,” De Bruycker added. “However, the more responsibility you carry, the harder it becomes to do everything alone. That’s why if you want to think big, you can’t go it alone.”
Successful partnerships, he explained, rely on strong human relationships, but they must also be structurally embedded to ensure continuity beyond individual leadership. “This is more relevant now than ever, and underscores the value of the Coalition. The key is mutual respect and trust. We need to recognise that information flows in all directions: everyone contributes and everyone benefits. At the end of the day, it’s about believing that together, we can achieve more. In short, strong alliances create resilience.”
Innovation as the driving force
The core enabler of this process is innovation, as Koenraad Debackere explained: “At its essence, innovation is about translating academic research into real-world applications that then fuel economic growth and prosperity. To enhance geo-economic growth, resilience and security, we must actively support this process within the EU.”
This naturally links into the discussion around regulation and entrepreneurship. “The debate over Europe’s regulatory tsunami and its impact on business innovation is nothing new. But what matters most is that steps are being taken to address this situation. There’s a clear commitment from the EU to streamline regulations and make the process as transparent as possible.”
A prime example of this shift is the renewed Flanders Cybersecurity policy plan, updated in 2024. The initiative focuses on raising awareness, fostering cyber security solutions in businesses, and strengthening top-tier cyber security research in Flanders. “If we are committed to creating a secure digital future, we need to build an interconnected and resilient ecosystem that benefits everyone. Ultimately, the aim is to build a safer, stronger cyber world,” Debackere concluded.
