InCyber Forum – The European Metropolis of Lille : a win win partnership

Bernard Haesebroeck, Vice-President of the European Metropolis of Lille (MEL), discusses the partnership with the InCyber Forum. He also details the assets available to the metropolis for developing excellence in the “cybersecurity” sector.

When did your partnership with the InCyber Forum begin?

We have been partners with the InCyber Forum since 2020. The European Metropolis of Lille has worked with partners to ensure that the InCyber Forum remains in Lille until 2029. It is a great source of pride for us to be associated with this international event that attracts 20,000 visitors.

As you know, the European Metropolis of Lille has a true center of excellence in cybersecurity. The InCyber Forum represents much more than a professional trade show; for us, it is a strategic lever to promote the diversity and richness of our business ecosystem in this sector. It also helps to structure and densify the cybersecurity ecosystem in our territory in order to foster the emergence of high-value-added companies. The InCyber Forum is therefore a tool that serves local entrepreneurship and strengthens the resilience of businesses and public actors in the territory against cyber threats.

What are the main aspects of the partnership with the InCyber Forum?

First, we have heavily invested in organizing the European Cyber Cup (EC2), an ethical hacking competition that follows the codes of eSports. During this event, 25 teams of 10 people compete for two days to showcase their expertise and skills. The winning team receives a prize of 5,000 euros.

In addition to this competition, we have various events with the InCyber Forum throughout the year. On January 28, we welcome all of our ecosystems at the Lille Opera for the presentation of the program for the 2025 edition of the InCyber Forum. On March 31, we welcome international participants at our launch party for the InCyber Forum at the MEL headquarters. They will be received by Damien Castelain, President of the European Metropolis of Lille, and by members of the InCyber Forum organization: Guillaume Tissier and General Watin-Augouard. During the InCyber Forum, Learning Expeditions are organized by the Campus Cyber and the CITC Cluster (Center for Innovation in Contactless Technologies) to discover companies specializing in cybersecurity in the metropolis.

You mentioned the resilience of businesses and public actors in the territory against cyber threats. What is the situation today?

In September 2024, the Armentières hospital was the victim of a ransomware attack. The pharmacy had to switch to “paper” mode, and the entire computer system had to be inspected, which demonstrates the severity of this malicious act. Eight months later, we are gradually recovering from this cyberattack. We still have about a third of our full IT and digital capacity to recover.

This example demonstrates the importance of creating and strengthening a dense and dynamic cybersecurity ecosystem in the territory. Today, we have more than a hundred expert companies and a network of 6,500 jobs in the sector. We host global leaders (Orange, Atos, Thales, Capgemini, IBM Cyber), as well as 70 emblematic companies in the territory: OVHcloud, Advens, Scalair, Dhymiotis, MC2 Technologies, Vade / Hornetsecurity, Whispeak, etc.). The European Metropolis of Lille is also an incubation territory that has allowed the two largest cybersecurity solution publishers in France to be born: Stormshield (Villeneuve-d’Ascq) and Vadesecure (Hem).

What are your strengths in the field of training?

We have a rich academic center with more than thirty training programs offered, among others, by the CNRS and its joint research unit CRIStAL (Research Center in Computer Science, Signal, and Automation of Lille), as well as by INRIA (National Institute for Research in Digital Sciences and Technologies), the University of Lille, and the Catholic Institute of Lille. We also have infrastructures such as the Campus Cyber, inaugurated a year ago now, and the CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team) Hauts-de-France, which proves very useful when attacks occur. On the training front, let’s not forget to mention the National Gendarmerie School, located in Lille, which also contributes to the excellence of the sector.

The keywords for the 2025 edition of the InCyber Forum are “trust” and “mastery.” What do they mean to you?

The theme of trust applies to many aspects of our activities. We need trust in digital technologies themselves, which allow us to exchange information, conduct transactions, collaborate… We also need trust in the artificial intelligence that we increasingly use daily in our businesses. As for mastery, which is a key component of a high level of trust, it is essential to enhance and strengthen it whenever possible