We were honoured to welcome esteemed External Advisory Board members Martina Dragičević (A1 Croatia), Tamara Tafra (Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs), Vlatka Marčan (CARNET NKS), and Marjan Kavčič (NCC Slovenija), alongside project representatives and hosts Tomislav Dominković and Zlatan Morić from Algebra Bernays University.

Funded under the Digital Europe Programme, IQ Defence aims to strengthen cybersecurity resilience across EU Member States by supporting the implementation of the NIS2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), while also advancing harmonised cybersecurity skills aligned with the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework (ECSF).

Led by Algebra Bernays University in partnership with Millenium Promocija, the project focuses on improving organisational preparedness, strengthening cybersecurity competencies, and supporting cooperation between public and private sector stakeholders across Europe.

The first External Advisory Board meeting focused on the project’s strategic direction, planned activities, educational initiatives, and long-term impact on regional and European cybersecurity resilience. Discussions highlighted the growing importance of translating EU cybersecurity regulation into practical operational capabilities, particularly for organisations classified as essential and important entities under NIS2.

The consortium also presented key project activities planned throughout the implementation period, including the development of multilingual e-learning modules, train-the-trainer programmes, coordination seminars, cross-border cybersecurity exercises, awareness campaigns, and occupational standards aligned with ENISA frameworks.

Particular attention was given to the importance of regional cooperation and knowledge exchange between EU Member States, especially in strengthening incident response readiness, regulatory literacy, and cybersecurity workforce development.