CyberHubs Greece National Conference Brings Together National Leaders to Advance Greece's Cybersecurity Skills Ecosystem
The Greek National Conference of the CyberHubs project successfully brought together representatives from government, academia and industry to discuss one of Europe's most pressing challenges: developing the cybersecurity skills, partnerships and innovation ecosystem needed to strengthen national resilience in an increasingly digital world.
Organised by SEPE (Federation of Hellenic ICT Enterprises), coordinator of the Greek Cybersecurity Skills Hub, the conference took place on June 18, 2026 during the international exhibition Beyond 2026 at the Metropolitan Exhibition Centre in Athens. Under the title "Greece in the New Digital Era: AI, Cybersecurity and the New Innovation Ecosystem," the event provided a national platform for dialogue on the future of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, critical infrastructure and defense technologies.
Most importantly, the conference demonstrated the central ambition of the CyberHubs project: bringing together public authorities, academia and industry to strengthen cybersecurity skills, foster innovation and build a sustainable cybersecurity ecosystem capable of responding to Europe's evolving digital challenges.
Building a national cybersecurity ecosystem
At the heart of the conference was the high-level panel discussion "Defense Tech & Cybersecurity: Building a New Ecosystem," which brought together Greece's leading institutional representatives in cybersecurity and defense innovation.
The discussion highlighted that cybersecurity is no longer seen solely as a technical discipline but as a strategic pillar of economic competitiveness, technological sovereignty and national resilience. Throughout the panel, speakers consistently emphasised that developing human capital, accelerating innovation and strengthening cooperation between sectors are necessary prerequisites for protecting critical infrastructure and supporting Europe's digital transformation.
These priorities closely reflect the objectives of the CyberHubs project, which seeks to reduce the skills gap in cybersecurity by promoting collaboration between educational institutions, public authorities and industry while supporting the development of a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce across Europe.
Cybersecurity at the centre of Greece's digital strategy
Opening the discussion, Dr Konstantinos Karantzalos, Secretary General of Telecommunications and Posts, underlined the strategic importance of cybersecurity within the context of Greece's digital transformation agenda.
He stressed that the Ministry of Digital Governance is investing in resilient, secure and interoperable critical infrastructure, while promoting innovation in key strategic technologies, including artificial intelligence, connectivity, autonomous systems and space technologies. These initiatives, he noted, are designed not only to strengthen national resilience but also to create new opportunities for Greek companies operating in advanced digital technologies.
His intervention illustrated the growing recognition that investments in infrastructure must be accompanied by investments in people, skills and innovation ecosystems capable of supporting long-term technological development.
From regulation to market readiness
Michalis Bletsas, Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority, focused on the implementation of Europe's evolving cybersecurity and AI regulatory framework.
He explained that Greece is already preparing the technological capabilities required to support compliance with the European AI legislation, highlighting healthcare as one of the first sectors where these efforts will be implemented.
Beyond regulation, Mr. Bletsas drew attention to one of the most important challenges facing the national cybersecurity sector: transforming technical excellence into internationally competitive products and services. While Greek companies have strong technological capabilities, he noted that successfully expanding into international markets remains much more challenging than developing innovative solutions on their own.
His remarks echoed one of the key challenges facing CyberHubs across Europe: connecting technical skills with entrepreneurship, innovation capacity and international market readiness.
Innovation as a national capability
Pantelis Tzortzakis, President and CEO of the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation (HCDI), argued that the greatest challenge for modern states is no longer the production of innovation but its successful absorption, scaling and deployment.
As defense increasingly relies on software, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, advanced sensors and data-driven technologies, he explained, national security depends on a dynamic innovation ecosystem capable of continuously generating new capabilities.
His intervention reinforced the importance of creating stronger links between research, education, start-ups, industry and public institutions — an approach fully aligned with the collaborative model promoted by CyberHubs across Europe.
Strengthening Greece's technological sovereignty
Closing the discussion, Vasilis Orfanos, Vice President of SEPE, highlighted the strategic role that cybersecurity now plays in national resilience.
He stressed that future competitiveness and security will increasingly depend on software, artificial intelligence, computer vision, data and cyber resilience rather than on traditional industrial capabilities. He also encouraged Greek technology companies to evolve from technology adopters to international producers and exporters of cybersecurity solutions, positioning innovation as both an economic opportunity and a strategic national goal.
His message reflected the broader vision shared throughout the conference: developing a stronger national cybersecurity ecosystem requires not only advanced technologies but also highly skilled professionals capable of designing, implementing and commercialising innovative digital solutions.
Promoting CyberHubs' mission in Greece
Throughout the conference, several common themes emerged.
The shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, the growing demand for continuous upskilling and reskilling, stronger collaboration between academia and industry, as well as the need to transform research excellence into market-ready innovation were consistently identified as strategic priorities for Greece's digital future.
These challenges mirror those facing Europe and reinforce the importance of initiatives such as CyberHubs, which aim to strengthen cybersecurity capacity through education, collaboration and knowledge exchange.
By bringing together representatives from the Ministry of Digital Governance, the National Cybersecurity Authority, the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation, academia and the ICT industry, the Greek National Conference demonstrated how effective collaboration between public bodies, industry and higher education can accelerate the development of a sustainable cybersecurity skills ecosystem.
Looking ahead
The Greek National Conference of the CyberHubs represented more than one event within the framework of Beyond 2026. It was an important milestone in strengthening the national dialogue on cybersecurity skills, innovation and resilience, while reinforcing the value of European cooperation in addressing common digital challenges.
As cybersecurity continues to evolve into a strategic priority for governments, businesses and society, initiatives such as CyberHubs play an increasingly important role in preparing Europe's workforce, strengthening cross-sector collaboration and supporting the development of secure, innovative and competitive digital economies.
Through the National Conference, the Greek Cybersecurity Skills Hub confirmed its commitment to contributing to these European ambitions by promoting knowledge exchange, supporting skills development and helping to shape a resilient cybersecurity ecosystem for Greece and for Europe.
