Over the next four years, businesses, academic institutions and the provincial government in Groningen will invest more than six million euros in cyber security. The initiative is meant to create 500 new jobs and attract 4,000 students to relevant academic programmes.
Translation by Traci White
Dagblad van het Noorden reports that the partnership programme, called Cyber Security Northern Netherlands, will focus on defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks and data from damaging cyberattacks.
In addition to the initial six-million-euro investment, the province is counting on businesses and academic institutions to spend another 10 million euros on research and development for digital security. The programme should ultimately create more than 500 new jobs.
From an academic standpoint, a new chair will be created with the law faculty of the University of Groningen, and around 4,000 students are expected to enrol in cyber security-related programmes at the vocational, applied and research institutions in the region in the coming years. New academic programmes will be developed in conjunction with the initiative and relevant research will be carried out by the universities.
As consumers fill their homes with more and more smart devices, their vulnerability to cyberattacks is also increasing. The programme is intended to strengthen the region’s position within the digital economy, better protect businesses from cyberattacks, make society safer, stimulate innovation and increase job opportunities.
