CIBER-SHUBE began its activity with a major launch event, which took place in Madrid on 13 March 2024 at the headquarters of AJE Madrid. At the event, the national and international actions and activities that will be carried out over the two years of this initiative, which is the result of collaboration between the National Institute of Cybersecurity (INCIBE) and the University of Salamanca, were presented. In addition, for this first edition, the Community of Madrid and AJE Madrid collaborated.

During the meeting, activities such as presentations, round tables, pitch competitions, business rounds and networking at the highest level with investors, corporates, media, universities and other agents of the entrepreneurial and technological ecosystem were carried out. The main scientific and technological challenges of our society and economy, to which CIBER-SHUBE will seek to provide solutions, were presented.

The event began at 10:00 a.m. and featured speeches by Miguel Garrido, President of the Madrid-CEOE Business Confederation (CEIM); Marina Villegas, Director General of Research and Innovation of the Community of Madrid; Sandra Cerrada, President of AJE Madrid and Emilio Corchado, Director of CIBER-SHUBE and CEO of Startup OLÉ. The latter also acted as master of ceremonies during the event.

After this, a total of 12 round tables were held, dedicated to analysing the world of cybersecurity from different areas, such as, for example, investment, international connectivity, communication or current legal aspects, among others. These presentations were given by Sandra Cerrada, President of AJE Madrid; Miguel Garrido, President of CEIM; Marina Villegas, Director General of Research and Innovation of the Community of Madrid; Gabriel Guggisberg, Director of Prochile Spain; Flávio Bettarello, Counsellor and Head of the Commercial and Tourism Office of the Brazilian Embassy; Óscar Cantalejo, Director of Entrepreneurship and Open Innovation at Iberdrola; Alfredo González, Director of Corporate Venturing at Talgo Inspire; Estela Vilches, Director of Open Innovation at CEPSA; Emilio Martínez, Director of Entrepreneurship and Open Innovation at Enagás; Youssouf Traore, investor in Deep Tech; business angel René de Jong; Ana López, Investment Director at Secways; Nacho Alonso, President of Pinama Capital; Juan Carlos Sanchís, Chapter President of Keiretsu Forum; Gabriel Guggisberg, Director of Prochile España; Enrique Ávila, Director of the Analysis and Prospective Centre of the Guardia Civil; Fernando Mairata, President of the Professional Association of Experts in New Technologies (PETEC); Anabel Rodríguez, Head of the Innovative Public Procurement Office of CDTI; Vicente Parras, Deputy Director General of Technological Innovation of the Community of Madrid; Carolina Rodríguez, Head of Promotion of ENISA; and Maysoun Douas, Director of StartUp Commission. among others. Also in attendance were renowned journalists and communicators such as Andrés Dulanto, editor-in-chief of Agencia EFE; Esther Molina, CEO of WILDCom; Alina Santamaría, director of Embassy Today; Mario Caira, director of Mario Caira Comunicación and Eva Lorente, director of Eva Lorente Comunicación.

In addition, a large number of startups, such as Depencare; Moradai; BotsLovers; M2SENSORS SL; Therminer or AGRODATO S.L, participated in the pitch competition and in the business rounds with investors. In this sense, BotsLovers was the winner of the competition. Agrodato and Therminer came second and third, respectively. The 6 startups participating in the pitch won a stand at Startup OLÉ Salamanca, and the first 2 also won a stand at Startup OLÉ Marbella and access to the Europass programme. Juan Manuel López, Director General of Economy of the Community of Madrid, presided over the closing ceremony and the awards ceremony.

CIBER-SHUBE Project

This project is framed within the activities of CID 245 of the PRTR, an indicator set by the European Commission ("Implementation of the National Cybersecurity Industry Support Programme, the Global Security Innovation Programme and related actions"). Specifically, through the development of high added value solutions and services in the field of cybersecurity; and training and development of specialised talent in the field of cybersecurity.

To this end, CIBERSECURITY SPAIN HUB SPAIN (CIBER-SHUBE) defines, through a transnational project, a set of activities from the fields of Cybersecurity, Innovation and Technological Entrepreneurship to promote reforms that help and accelerate the economic and social recovery of Spain, with support from the funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and the Digital Spain 2026 agenda, focusing on five transversal axes, such as job creation, ecological transition, social and territorial cohesion, digitalisation and gender equality. Based on this, one of the objectives of CIBER-SHUBE is to promote the development of the cybersecurity culture, as well as to support the creation of new companies, the internationalisation of consolidated start-ups with high potential, the promotion of innovation and the attraction of investment, all in the field of cybersecurity.

INCIBE, within the Global Security Innovation Programme, has the particular mission of boosting the cybersecurity capabilities of society and the economy in general through a programme that seeks to promote and generate knowledge and its transfer to the productive sector, especially by establishing synergies between the social and economic spheres of cybersecurity. To develop this purpose, the programme of grants for the excellence of advanced research teams in cybersecurity was launched in 2018. In 2022, specifically on 5 December, in order to give continuity to this strategy, the public invitation for collaboration in the promotion of Strategic Cybersecurity Projects in Spain was published. Strategic projects are a way of providing concrete solutions to some of the greatest scientific and technological challenges facing our society and economy. They are aimed at promoting the application of the results of research and innovation, combining new forms of governance and collaboration, as well as involving citizens and the productive and social fabric.

INCIBE's initiatives to promote cybersecurity entrepreneurship are aimed at entrepreneurs and start-ups with innovative cybersecurity ideas and projects in the phase of capturing business ideas, incubation, acceleration and express acceleration. All of them are included in the Programme to Boost the National Cybersecurity Industry, especially contributing to the key aspect of the industry: Boosting the national cybersecurity industry for the emergence, growth and development of companies in this sector. This programme, which will be implemented under the umbrella of INCIBE Emprende, is included in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) through Component 15. Investment 7 Cybersecurity: Strengthening the capacities of citizens, SMEs and professionals and boosting the sector.