Empowering a Pan-European Network to Counter Hybrid Threats

Project Information

EU-HYBNET

Grant agreement ID: 883054

DOI

10.3030/883054

Project closed

EC signature date 21 April 2020

Start date 1 May 2020

End date 30 April 2025

Funded under

• Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens

Total cost

€ 3 496 837,50

EU contribution

€ 3 496 837,50

Coordinated by

LAUREA-AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - EU-HYBNET (Empowering a Pan-European Network to Counter Hybrid Threats)

Reporting period: 2024-02-01 to 2025-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Empowering a Pan-European Network to Counter Hybrid Threats is a 5 year project (EU-HYBNET, No. 883054) funded by the EC (2020-2025), bringing together EU security practitioners and stakeholders to identify & analyse common challenges, requirements to counter hybrid threats (HTs). It conducts research, highlights innovation initiatives, arranges training events to test innovations and makes recommendations for uptake, industrialisation & standardisation of innovations. Results are shared with EU practitioners & policymakers positively influencing the public procurement process. It is the 1st EU initiative to build an extended network for practitioners, industry, academia & NGOs to collaborate & identify measures to counter HTs. The sustainability of the network is ensured after the life of the project managed by the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats.

EU-HYBNET has seven objectives that aim to deliver tangible results to European needs to counter HTs:
To enrich the existing European network against hybrid threats and ensure long term sustainability of the network
To define common requirements that can fill knowledge gaps, deal with performance needs & enhance capabilities of research, innovation & training endeavours concerning HTs
To monitor developments in research & innovation activities as applied to HTs
To indicate priorities for innovation uptake & industrialization & to determine priorities for standardization to empower the network to counter HTs
To establish conditions for enhanced interaction with practitioners, industry & academia for dialogue & for increasing network membership
To foster capacity building & knowledge exchange on countering HTs among EU practitioners, industry, academia, NGOs
To create a basis for establishing effective synergies with existing European, national, & sub-national networks of practitioners & other actors countering HTs

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the reporting period, EU-HYBNET worked according to the GA, deliverables (D) & milestones (MS) have been achieved.
WP1
Project execution (incl. finance) proceeds as planned (D1.9 1.11 1.21; MS7, 14), and all project platforms are used.
Network consists of 25 consortium partners and 136 Network Members from 27 countries, out of which 30 are practitioners, 49 research and/or education institutions, 24 NGOs, and 33 SMEs. At the end of April 2025, the final EU-HYBNET network includes a total of 161 members (consortium partners, stakeholder group members, and new network members).
Cooperation with DG HOME, DG CNECT, DG RTD, DG SAFE, DG MARE, EEAS/StratComm & SECDEFPOL, EUROPOL Innovation Lab, EMSA, FRONTEX, ECDS, EUISS, MSs to deliver project results to their initiatives.
Participation to 5 CERIS workshops, cooperation with 19 EC projects and 2 cluster.

WP2
4 Gaps & Needs (G&N) events arranged, Long & Short Lists of G&Ns delivered.
Training & exercise scenario& vignettes created, each addressing one of the 4 core themes. Training material compiled so as to test most promising innovations to G&Ns. Training event testing innovations arranged, surveyed available training programs EU MS wide to contribute (D2.24 2.27 2.19).

WP3
Technical & non-technical innovations scanned to find promising innovations to identified G&Ns. Review of relevant research & EC funded projects conducted.
Assessment methodology developed to assess innovations to identified G&Ns to counter HTs; most promising innovations identified & assessed to find most lucrative innovations for uptake analysis .
3rd Innovation & Knowledge Exchange Workshops arranged alike 5 Future Trends Workshops, all events gathering participants representing EC policy actors, industry, academia, NGOs.

WP4
Developed methodology & framework used to analyse possibilities & barriers for uptake/industrialization of innovations, incl. updated canvas for innovation uptake strategy creation and research on EU procurement landscape. Identified key areas for standardization esp. on FIMI and Critical Infrastructure protection. Policy brief and Report published.

WP5
DCE Plan & guidelines & Crises Comms Plan used & updated. Brochures updated and SOME campaigns created, all project platforms used & information actively shared
As of Jan 2024: LinkedIn connected with 986 (408 new) accounts, Twitter 691 followers (110 new), Newsletter recipients 295 (158 new), webpage views 18708.
5 Annual Workshops organized & project results presented to European stakeholders & variety of innovations presentations to counter HTs

WP6
Support given to the project to follow ethical guidelines & frames for task execution.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Network extension: min. 30 new members a year almost reached; in total136 members and 25 consortium members from 27 countries. Established itself as an important pan-European hybrid threats (HT) network for practitioners, industry, academia & NGOs.

EC Policy activities: Cooperation between EU-HYBNET & 5 EU DGs, 5 Agencies & Offices has taken place; 19 EU MSs asked results sharing. Cooperation with EEAS/Strat.Com. & SECDEFPOL continues. Contribution to 5 CERIS workshops and speaker in SRE2023.

Stays the only EC funded project to deliver research results & solutions to identified EU security practitoners gap& needs (G&N) to counter HTs, & to use the EC “CORE Model” as methodological approach. So far, EU-HYBNET has identified 72 G&Ns to counter HTs & created a unique methodology to assess &recommend promising innovations for uptake & industrialization. Due to the methodology & identified innovations, EU-HYBNET provides a seed for new business opportunities in the context of security innovations needed to counter HTs.

Innovation uptake recommendations: Most promising innovations uptake strategy established for EU security practitioners. A canvas updated to support innovation uptake in the context of hybrid threats. The project has promoted EEAS/Strat. Comm FIMI data space innovation uptake to enhance EU MSs (public private) response to HTs.

Innovation uptake canvas