Masaryk University, together with CTU and BUT, established a new institute focused on cybersecurity

Three leading Czech higher education institutions - Masaryk University, Czech Technical University in Prague and Brno University of Technology - agreed to strengthen their existing co-operation in the area of cybersecurity and established a registered institute called the CyberSecurity Hub. Apart from strengthening joint professional activities, they will also focus on supporting industry, companies and European certification of state-of-the-art technologies in the area of cybersecurity. Representatives of the higher education institutions signed the foundation deed of the institute on 18 November.

"This one-of-a-kind co-operation of three higher education institutions, who are leaders in the field of cyber security research both on national and international levels, will significantly strengthen the position and competitiveness of Czech research and education, as well as co-operation with the industry in the area of cyber security," says Radim Polčák, Vice-Rector of the Masaryk University for Development, Legislation and IT.

The new institute will continue joint activities of its founders at the National Competence Centre for Cybersecurity, which hosts co-operation between leading Czech research institutions and private companies. First activities of the institute include establishing of a European digital innovation hub or creation of a special certification authority in the area of cyber security.

"As a part of the European Digital Innovation Hub, a network of European hubs for digital innovation, the institute intends to co-operate with its partners on providing support for safe development of digitalisation and implementation of innovations in Czech industry by creating a comprehensive system for sharing information and experience, ensuring availability of know-how, technologies and infrastructure, education and supporting investments," states Radek Holý, Vice-Rector of CTU for the Information System.

On behalf of the Brno University of Technology, the document was signed by Miroslav Doupovec (on the far right), Vice-Rector for Study Affairs | Author: Archive of the Faculty of Informatics of Masaryk University

Another goal of the institute will be to evaluate compliance of new state-of-the-art technologies with security requirements and certify them. The CyberSecurity Hub will thus become a certification authority under the control of independent public higher education institutions which will have the required accreditation and will be responsible for the entire certification process. Certification authority will operate under the new European legal regulation, meaning that its certificates will be valid in the entire European Economic Area. Thanks to co-operation of leading experts from the participating higher education institutions, the institute wants to compete against certification authorities from large member states of the European Union.

"Close co-operation with Czech companies in the area of cybersecurity will lead to improvement of utility properties of their products and services and hence to improving competitiveness of Czech industry at an international level," adds Pavel Zemčík, Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology of BUT. 

The institute will achieve these ambitious goals through its activities which will be strategically managed by an administrative board comprised of representatives of the founding institutions as well as the expert community. It will co-operate with external research institutions, public administration, private companies, expert associations, industry clusters and other organisation both in the Czech Republic and abroad.