Industry-Academia Network, Partnership highlight between ISC2 and Compendium Centrum Edukacyjne

 

During the Digital Summit in Gdansk (Poland), the European Commission Executive Vice-President (EVP) for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen and Minister of Digital Affairs of Poland, Krzysztof Gawkowski, kicked off the Industry-Academia Network. 

The network is an initiative under the umbrella of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy. During the ceremony, the first partnerships between academia and industry partners in the field of cybersecurity, were announced. This is part of the Commission’s effort to support, enhance synergies between sectors and boost cybersecurity skills and talents across EU.

What is the Industry-Academia Network? 

The announcement is part of strengthened efforts to boost EU competitiveness,growth and resilience in the face of an evolving threat landscape and a rapidly evolving technological environment. 

As the gap in cybersecurity specialists continues growing, the Commission is actively implementing its dedicated EU policy, the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, pooling efforts to tackle the talent and skills gap. According to the Cybersecurity Skills Academy pledger ISC2, while the overall workforce need in the EU remained steady between 2022 and 2024, ranging between 1.14M and 1.25M, the gap in the cybersecurity workforce grew from an estimated 274,000 in 2023 to 299,000 in 2024 – a 9% increase. Most SMEs in Europe still struggle to find skilled talent in specialised areas like cybersecurity, leading to vacancies going unfilled (ENISA, NIS INVESTMENTS 2024) and the absorption of cybersecurity-specific roles into existing non-cybersecurity related roles (Commission, Eurobarometer on Cyberskills). 

Objectives of the Industry-Academia Network

Against this backdrop, the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy aims to build concrete collaborations and set up partnerships amongst its members – all key actors from industry and academia, interdisciplinary to respond to all skillsets cybersecurity roles call for; and ultimately growing the continent’s cyber workforce. 

This includes possible actions such as giving access to students to state-of-the-art trainings and certifications, the design and update of cybersecurity curricula and training offers, the provision of on-the-job cybersecurity courses, opening up apprenticeships, internships and traineeship opportunities, elaborating mentorship programmes, developing cybersecurity learning micro-credentials, and targeted career fairs. 

The announcement reflects key priorities of the Commission for building a cyber-ready workforce, with the capacity to drive innovation throughout Europe and to protect its citizens, businesses and public administrations. 

Cybersecurity is a top priority for the European Union, and bridging the skills gap is crucial to ensuring our digital economy remains secure and competitive. The launch of the Industry-Academia Network under the European Cyber Skills Academy is a significant step forward in achieving this goal. I encourage all stakeholders to join forces and together build a robust ecosystem that addresses the needs of the cybersecurity job market and supports the growth of a highly skilled EU workforce.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy 

 

 

 

Sealing a partnership under the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, ISC2 and Compendium Centrum Edukacyjne will enable ISC2 to provide free access to its self-paced course and ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity certification exam for 2,000 learners from the Vocational Education and Training (VET) provider Compendium Centrum Edukacyjne. This is also part of ISC2’s One Million Certified in Cybersecurity programme. 

This partnership will further support the implementation of the pledge made by ISC2 to boost Europe’s cybersecurity workforce by offering free training, certification exams, and scholarships—especially for women—to expand access to cybersecurity education and support career growth in the field.

On 18 June 2025, ISC2 and Compendium Centrum Edukacyjne have signed a partnership under the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, joining efforts to narrow the cybersecurity skills and talent gap in Europe.

Cybersecurity skills are the backbone of Europe’s digital economy. By building our connections with academic partners, we’re committed to strengthening the region’s cyber resilience by growing the pool of certified talent. Recent ISC2 research shows that 89% of cybersecurity hiring managers value entry-level cybersecurity certifications when recruiting for entry-level roles. By expanding access to cybersecurity education, we’re removing barriers for individuals from all backgrounds to showcase their skills and contribute to a safer digital future for Europe. 

ISC2 Acting CEO and CFO Debra Taylor

On behalf of Compendium Centrum Edukacyjne, I would like to emphasize that knowledge and skills in the field of cybersecurity have become an indispensable element of education in today’s society. This expertise is essential not only from the perspective of professional duties, but also in the private lives of all EU citizens. Only by continuously improving our knowledge can we effectively counteract the threats and risks we face every day while being online. We are very pleased that our partnership with ISC2 provides even greater opportunities for our students to access high-quality learning resources and validate their knowledge through examinations. The CC (Certified in Cybersecurity) is undoubtedly an excellent entry point for anyone wishing to begin their education in cybersecurity and a remarkable first step towards building a secure digital future for the European community together. 

 Bartosz Niepsuj, CEO, Compendium Centrum Edukacyjne