Project description
Europe’s urgent mission to diversify cybersecurity
Europe faces a critical shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, with women comprising only 22 % of the workforce. This persistent underrepresentation not only reflects structural inequality but also constrains Europe’s capacity to fully develop this strategically vital sector. The EU-funded WEM Cyber project addresses this gap through a structured academia–industry collaboration spanning seven countries. Central to the project are secondments, personalised mentorship and targeted skills training; through these, participants receive tailored career development plans and acquire advanced technical, entrepreneurial, and leadership competences, thereby strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of Europe’s digital ecosystem.
Objective
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, Europe faces a critical shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, with women representing just 22% of the workforce. This underrepresentation not only underscores inequality but also limits Europe's potential in this crucial sector.WEM Cyber's mission is to boost women's participation and expertise in cybersecurity through targeted secondments, mentorship, and skills development programmes. By fostering collaboration between academia and industry, the project aims to build research capacity and facilitate knowledge exchange, equipping participants with the entrepreneurial and leadership skills necessary to excel, and thereby contribute to the mitigation of brain drain in widening countries.
Key objectives include funding 38 secondments across 5 organisations, enhancing participants' technical and soft skills through tailored training, and strengthening academia-industry collaboration. Each secondee will follow a personalised development plan, ensuring they gain relevant skills for career advancement and cybersecurity expertise.
Some measurable outcomes include 29 research publications, contribution to 10 new cybersecurity solutions and at least 50% of secondees reporting improved career prospects. Additionally, the dissemination of the project's methodology and knowledge will help establish a sustainable, long-term network within the consortium partners and beyond.
The WEM Cyber consortium comprises 8 partners from 7 European countries (Türkiye, Greece, Slovenia, Lithuania, Spain, France and Belgium) all with extensive experience in cybersecurity. Bisilim Vadisi will act as coordinator, joined by the University of Maribor, University Pompeu Fabra, University Paul Sabatier, Women4Cyber, Ubitech, Vilnius Tech and Bogazici University. Together, the aim is to create a more inclusive, resilient and innovative cybersecurity ecosystem across Europe, addressing both the gender gap and the cybersecurity skills shortage.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.4.1 - Widening participation and spreading excellence
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-TALENTS-03
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
41480 KOCAELI
Türkiye
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.