The Competence Center promoted by MIMIT will manage the largest sum in Italy, the fifth largest in the ranking of European contributions.
Rome, March 10, 2025 – In an increasingly complex international context, where cyber attacks pose a growing threat to businesses and public administrations, Cyber 4.0 is confirmed as a key player in the challenge of digital transformation and cybersecurity . Thanks to its role in the SECURE, the National Center of Competence on cybersecurity promoted by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT) will manage funding of more than 18.4 million euros over the next three years. The project is part of the Digital Europe Program., and this amount positions the Center as the first organization in Italy and fifth in Europe by total grants managed, as reported by the European Commission’s Digital Dashboard out of more than 6,000 participating institutions.
Digital Europe Program: a vision for the digital future
The DIGITAL EUROPE PROGRAMME is a strategic initiative of the European Commission aimed at promoting the introduction of digital technology among citizens, businesses and public administrations. With a total budget of more than €8.1 billion, the program is part of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and aligns with the EU’s objectives set out in the Communication – Digital Compass 2030 and the Policy Agenda – Pathway to the Digital Decade.
The role of Cyber 4.0 and the SECURE project
The result of this positioning is due to Cyber 4.0’s role in the SECURE project, as the organization responsible for providing financial support to EU SMEs for Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) compliance. The project, led by the National Cybersecurity Agency and in partnership with other National Cybersecurity Coordination Centers (NCCs) and the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs ), will provide technical capabilities and financial resources to small and medium-sized enterprises and help ensure greater cybersecurity of products with digital components in circulation in the European Union.
“The launch of the SECURE project is another important example of the ability to intercept European resources for the benefit of the country’s technological development and cybersecurity in order to secure, to our fullest potential, the national digital ecosystem,” said ACN Director General Bruno Frattasi.
For SECURE, the Rome Competence Center will be tasked with developing an integrated platform for managing calls, distributing funding, and publishing materials and tools to support CRA compliance, as well as administering funds being disbursed through open calls.
“This collaboration between Cyber 4.0 and ACN makes it possible to extend the Competence Center’s role in supporting the entrepreneurial fabric at the European level, with particular reference to the SME context, which is particularly impacted by CRA adaptation,” stressed Cyber 4.0 President Leonardo Querzoni.
Cybersecurity: a priority for SMEs
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are particularly exposed to cyber attacks, which pose a growing threat to their economic and financial stability. In 2024, cyber attacks increased significantly, with a 23 percent increase in the first six months of the year, and a large proportion of them were aimed precisely at small or medium-sized businesses, which are generally more exposed due in part to lower investment in tools and methods for protecting their information archives. A scenario that requires strong attention, not least because of the potential impacts on the supply chains to which the SMEs themselves belong. Interventions that are also required by a rapidly evolving regulatory framework, in which European regulations are often joined by sector regulations.
The Cyber Resilience Act
Sector regulations at the EU level include the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which was passed by the European Parliament on March 12, 2024 and came into force on November 12 of the same year. The act establishes mandatory cybersecurity requirements for products that contain digital components. The goal is to ensure that these hardware and software products are secure by default and throughout their lifecycle, thereby protecting consumers and businesses from growing cyber threats.
The CRA aims to achieve this by regulating the planning, design, development, and maintenance of such products. The impact of the law will be significant because it applies to a wide range of goods-from webcams to smartwatches, video games to software, and IoT components-which means that a large number of companies will have to comply with the new requirements by December 2027. This is a major challenge that can be overcome thanks to the support the EU provides through the SECURE project.