Yann Bonnet: “Reflections and Perspectives for Campus Cyber”

Yann, you played a key role in the conception of Campus Cyber, starting in 2020 at ANSSI with Guillaume Poupard, and later, in 2021, by assisting Michel Van Den Berghe in the prefiguration phase. Four years later, what memories and lessons do you draw from this project?

Indeed, it’s already been four years since this somewhat audacious project came to life. And what a project it is! Campus Cyber is unparalleled in its scope and operation. Such an entity exists nowhere else.

In 2020, Guillaume Poupard and I had a hunch that we needed to leverage the ecosystem to better manage cyber risks. With Michel Van Den Berghe, we started from an almost blank slate with one goal: to be stronger together. At the behest of the President of the Republic, we turned this bold idea into reality—what could have easily remained a pie-in-the-sky dream became tangible. By convincing skeptics and pessimists one by one, we made the impossible possible through audacity, conviction, and hard work.

Not everything is perfect—far from it—three years after opening, but we have achieved significant milestones. The very existence and sustainability of Campus Cyber is a success in itself. It is the result of an ecosystem that understands it must unite to address major collective challenges. Campus Cyber exists by and for its members! Without organizations like Capgemini, Orange Cyberdefense, Thales, Sopra, Eviden, Wavestone, Headmind, ANSSI, Cesin, Clusif, Hexatrust, or INRIA, among others, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Three years after opening, we’ve brought together over 300 organizations and more than 1,000 experts working daily at Campus Cyber.

We are only at the beginning of this journey. We have immense untapped potential, solid governance, and strong support from our members—chiefly ANSSI—and spaces in Paris and regions where the best of cybersecurity converges.

With Michel Van Den Berghe, we laid the foundations of Campus Cyber. It is now time to accelerate and expand our work to serve our members and our Nation.

Campus Cyber brings together a diverse range of actors: companies, institutions, and associations. What accomplishments or collaborative projects stand out to you so far?

Since our opening in 2022, our primary accomplishment has been developing shared resources provided by our members and made available to the entire ecosystem at no cost. This approach may seem counterintuitive in our competitive and siloed world, but at Campus Cyber, rivalries fade as we collaborate for the common good. Today, nearly 750 contributors, organized into working groups, have volunteered their time to produce over 30 shared resources on topics like AI, CTI, and eco-design in digital technology, including the launch of the Cyber4Tomorrow platform.

In addition to producing shared resources, our working groups allow actors from diverse backgrounds—associations, companies, and public research institutions—to connect, better understand each other, and learn to collaborate. Under the Campus banner, everyone embraces the collective dynamic and emerges stronger.

Another success of Campus Cyber is connecting producers and users of cybersecurity, bridging supply and demand. This connection has two key benefits. The first, obviously, is business-related. We are an Eldorado for solution providers since 60% of CAC40 companies, all of which use cybersecurity solutions, are among our members. The second is enabling users of cybersecurity solutions to meet startups, researchers, and industrial players to adapt cybersecurity to their needs. The banking and insurance sectors have particularly understood the value of Campus Cyber. Groups like AXA, BNP Paribas, BPCE, and Société Générale meet every two weeks to work on initiatives such as promoting diversity, regionalizing cybersecurity, and supporting startups.

Internationally, Campus Cyber is working hard to promote French excellence. Each year, we host around 50 foreign delegations to showcase our ecosystem. Additionally, we inspire other countries. Lithuania launched its Campus Cyber last September, and Germany and the Netherlands are showing strong interest in following suit. These are the early steps toward a European network of Campus Cyber initiatives, enhancing both French and European leadership globally.

Another noteworthy achievement is CYBIAH (Cyber IA Hub), a consortium led by Campus Cyber, supported by the European Commission and the Île-de-France region. Its goal is to make cybersecurity more accessible to less mature actors, especially SMEs and local governments. Campus Cyber acts as an interface and trusted third party—on one side, simplifying cybersecurity solutions for SME leaders and supporting them with tailored offerings; on the other, helping solution providers adapt their products to SMEs’ diverse needs.

What major challenges do you foresee for the cybersecurity community in the coming years?

To ensure France’s standing as a significant global power, safeguard sovereignty, and bolster protection, we must prioritize developing homegrown technologies and reducing dependence on foreign solutions. Innovation and R&D are therefore critical.

Campus Cyber can add value by strengthening its role as a catalyst, fostering interactions between public research, industry, software vendors, and educational institutions. For instance, we host a research transfer program led by INRIA and the Cyberbooster initiative, which supports startups aiming to become Europe’s future cybersecurity champions.

The two key technologies I identify are artificial intelligence and quantum computing. AI has disrupted paradigms for better and worse in recent years. In cybersecurity, it enables better automation and integration of solutions. However, one of my main priorities, particularly during my work with the European Commission, is securing AI, a challenge often overlooked. This is why I’ve advocated from Campus Cyber’s inception for the ecosystem to tackle this issue and collaborate more closely with data scientists.

Quantum computing is another game-changing technology expected to emerge in the coming years. It’s essential to anticipate its impact by advancing research and developing post-quantum cryptography use cases. One specific challenge is consolidating quantum players, articulating their efforts, and sustaining startups. A model example is the OpenXDR platform, hosted at Campus Cyber, which harmonizes and integrates technological components from rising stars like Sekoia, HarfangLab, Glimps, Wallix, or Gatewatcher.

Our ecosystem must also address two immediate challenges. First is scalability—making cybersecurity accessible to a broader audience. Today, the most vulnerable entities, such as SMEs, hospitals, and local governments, struggle to protect themselves. It jeopardizes our collective security when these socio-economic cornerstones are left defenseless against cyber risks.

Second is the talent shortage. According to the OECD, 60,000 cybersecurity positions remain unfilled in France. Classrooms are under-enrolled, and employer needs sometimes diverge from available training. Campus Cyber’s role is to unite the best French actors to address these technological, operational, and economic challenges.

You mentioned the talent challenge. Training is a central pillar of Campus Cyber. What actions are you taking in this regard?
We highlight and promote the excellence of Campus member training organizations like EPITA, ESILV, HS2, and Galileo Education. Our dual objective is to connect students with companies and make training programs more appealing.

Campus Cyber leads the Talents Cyber consortium, funded by France2030, with public partners such as Radio France, ONISEP, Pix, CNED, and various universities. The goal is to address the cybersecurity talent shortage by focusing on attractiveness, guidance, and training for students and educators.

After a year of hard work, we are unveiling our first initiatives, such as the Evolution platform, which connects employers, trainers, and students. Additionally, we organized a job dating event in late November 2024 with CEFCYS (Women in Cybersecurity), attracting over 700 participants—35% of whom were women and 27% were career changers—highlighting our progress in promoting diversity. We also host classes of middle and high school students at Campus every month in collaboration with Women4Cyber. To date, more than 2,000 people have been trained and 8,000 sensitized through these efforts.

In 2025 and 2026, we plan to roll out key projects: fictionalized podcasts featuring influencers on social media, CTFs, job profiles and videos, training paths, competency frameworks, and serious games. There’s still much to be done to showcase the importance of our field, break stereotypes, and attract new talent.

What is your long-term vision for Campus Cyber? What ambitions do you aim to pursue to strengthen its role as a cybersecurity hub?

First, as you know, our president Michel Van Den Berghe has resigned from the Board of Directors. We are in a transition period, with a process underway to appoint a new president.

Before closing the first chapter of our young history, it’s essential to acknowledge that Campus Cyber wouldn’t exist without Michel. His legacy includes not only this cybersecurity hub, widely praised as a success, but also the robust foundations of a fertile ecosystem poised to deliver increasing value.

On a personal level, I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside and learn from Michel during these four years of collaboration. A unique chemistry developed between him, coming from a private sector leader, and me, from ANSSI. Thanks to him, I’ve transformed into an entrepreneur who understands how to manage a company, represent shareholder interests, and lead a team that brings intuition to life.

To reassure your readers, the Campus adventure doesn’t end with Michel’s departure. We continue to pursue medium- and long-term initiatives despite this transitional phase. The machine keeps running and will remain robust under new leadership.

My vision for Campus Cyber remains unchanged. We are a catalyst for our members, both private and public, aligning everyone’s interests to strengthen them individually and collectively. We are a facilitator, a trusted third party, a unifier. One of our many strengths is a dense territorial network with five regional campuses, including in Brittany and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which operate directly on the ground.

Under Vincent Strubel’s leadership at ANSSI, we conducted a six-month consultation with all our members to define priority actions for the coming months. The results of this consultation and the strategic directions presented to the Board of Directors demonstrate that Campus Cyber and its members are ready to take the next step. The state can’t do everything; the ecosystem is prepared to positively engage with the significant challenges ahead.

With the new president and Board of Directors, we will focus on a few priority actions: promoting the expertise and excellence of our members, particularly internationally; contributing to France’s strategic autonomy by supporting the development of sovereign solutions; and making cybersecurity a public priority.

Our goal remains: to make France a great cyber nation!