The study and research visit to Rome by an institutional delegation from the Republic of Colombia has concluded, a high-level initiative dedicated toanalyzing the Italian and European cybersecurity model and defining future structured cooperation between the two countries.
The visit, promoted as part of the strengthening of Colombia’s national cybersecurity system-currently evolving including through parliamentary debate to establish a national agency-was a key moment of discussion on governance, regulation, industrial development and training.
The program, coordinated by theLuiss University through the Center for International and Strategic Studies (CISS) and developed in strong collaboration with Cyber 4.0, involved the main players in the Italian cybersecurity system: institutions, law enforcement, industry and academia.
Articulated in an alternation of institutional meetings, visits to large companies and classroom training sessions, the study and research visit allowed the Colombian delegates to delve deeper:
- Italy’s institutional cybersecurity architecture;
- The coordination mechanisms between the public and private sectors;
- The European regulatory framework, including the most recent directives;
- advanced industrial capabilities in the areas of digital security and artificial intelligence.
Cyber 4.0 in particular highlighted how a Competence Center can serve as an enabling platform between research, industry and institutions, facilitating the development of concrete solutions and the dissemination of expertise.
The initiative was funded by theItalian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), in the context of the D4D Hub program, a European initiative to promote and strengthen the digital capacities of developing countries.
The contribution of Cyber 4.0
The active participation of Cyber 4.0 offered the delegation a concrete view of the Italian model of supporting businesses-particularly SMEs and public administrations-in strengthening cyber resilience through advisory, training, test-before-invest, and innovation project activities.
The Center also highlighted its strategic role in building a national ecosystem capable of integrating public policy, industrial capacity, applied research and human capital development.
Not least, Cyber 4.0 facilitated important moments of direct discussion between the delegation and representatives of the national private sector, with a view also to promoting Italian excellence.
As activities continue, Cyber 4.0 can play a focused and enabling role, particularly on a few key areas:
- Facilitate connection with the Italian and European industrial ecosystem;
- Support the design of a Cyber Capacity Hub in Colombia;
- Contribute to the development of SME and supply chain safety programs;
- Provide access to laboratories and testing and validation capabilities;
- Promote training and skill development;
- Foster the launch of joint research and innovation initiatives.
EU-Colombia: Towards structured cooperation on cybersecurity and digital transformation
The initiative is part of European strategies for international digital cooperation, particularly through the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub and theDigital Alliance between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, which promote the development of secure, resilient and interoperable digital ecosystems. In this context, strengthening the dialogue with Colombia on cybersecurity issues is a natural and strategic step.
The study visit thus constitutes a first step toward a broader and more structured path of collaboration between Italy and Colombia, aimed at consolidating institutional confrontation, accompanying the development of the Colombian cyber system, and fostering, over time, joint initiatives and partnerships between public and private actors at the bilateral and European levels.