Success of FIC 2016 Attests to Dynamism of Cybersecurity Industry

With nearly 5,500 participants, a turnout more than 20% greater than in 2015, the FIC indisputably remains a premier European event and a leading event in security and digital trust. « This year’s theme, data security and privacy protection, is a burning issue, » said FIC founder and General (2S) Marc Watin-Augouard. « Particularly at the European level, as pointed out by Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for the Digital Economy, who spoke at the event’s opening. »

Dedicated to academia and the professional world, both private and public, this edition was marked by a qualitative increase in participants and workshops. « The FIC relies on a balance between its Forum part (240 speakers, 30 round tables, 20 conferences, 12 FIC talks and 12 master classes) and its Trade-Show part (240 exhibitors, 10,000 sq m of exhibition space, 21 continuous technical demonstrations and two IT challenges bringing together 110 participants). It is all at once a forum for debates, improvement, networking and business. The whole ecosystem is there, » said CEIS Managing Director Guillaume Tissier.

With more than 800 visitors from outside of France and 30 official foreign delegations, the FIC’s international influence is also accelerating. The top countries represented (in order) are Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany and Luxembourg. Another unique feature of the event: the priority given to innovation, with 40% of partners being SMEs and start-ups, and with the Innovative SME Award, organised in partnership with Airbus DS Cybersecurity. « The French cybersecurity industry has many companies. It is essential to promote their services, not only through the FIC but also through the FoCuS, a permanent showroom that we are currently organising with many industry players, both providers and users, and the support of the ANSSI, » said CEIS Business Development Director Vincent Riou.