Cybersecurity has become a defining challenge for Europe. France and Ireland, with their contrasting yet complementary strengths, are building a shared approach to digital trust, resilience, and strategic autonomy.
Introduction
Cybersecurity has evolved from a specialised technical concern into one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. As societies, economies, and governments become increasingly digital, the threats they face have multiplied in scale, sophistication, and impact. Cyberattacks today can paralyse hospitals, disrupt energy networks, destabilise financial systems, and interfere with democratic processes. They are no longer isolated incidents but systemic risks with global consequences.
At the same time, the acceleration of digital transformation—driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and soon quantum technologies—has expanded both opportunities and vulnerabilities. The line between civilian and military, public and private, national and international is increasingly blurred. In this context, cybersecurity is not only about protecting data or systems; it is about safeguarding sovereignty, ensuring trust, and enabling the continuity of modern life.
For Europe, cybersecurity is also a question of strategic autonomy. The European Union has introduced ambitious regulatory frameworks such as NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act, and the Cyber Solidarity Act. Yet implementation ultimately depends on Member States, each with its own institutions, capabilities, and ecosystems. Among these, France and Ireland represent two contrasting yet complementary models.
France has developed a sovereignty-oriented model, structured around a strong national authority (ANSSI), reinforced by industrial champions and a well-established academic community.
Ireland, meanwhile, has shaped a more agile approach, reflecting its position as the European hub for major international tech companies, while also fostering a growing local startup ecosystem and coordinated through the Cyber Ireland cluster.
This paper explores the cybersecurity landscape through four lenses:
- The global and European challenges shaping the field.
- France’s national strategy, institutions, and ecosystem.
- Ireland’s national strategy, institutions, and ecosystem.
- The complementarities between the two countries and the opportunities for bilateral and European cooperation.
By examining these dimensions, we aim to highlight how France and Ireland, despite their differences in size, tradition, and approach, can together contribute to a stronger and more resilient European cybersecurity architecture.
1. The Key Challenges of Cybersecurity
1.1 Global Challenges
Cybersecurity today stands as one of the defining issues of our era. What was once a highly technical domain confined to IT departments has become a strategic priority for governments, multinational corporations, and individuals alike. The rapid digitisation of societies, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has heightened dependence on digital infrastructure and, in parallel, created new vulnerabilities.
The global challenge of cybersecurity can be understood through three major lenses:
Explosion of cyberattacks
The scale of cyberattacks has grown exponentially. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, a ransomware attack is expected to occur every two seconds by 2031, compared with one every 11 seconds in 2021. The rise of “ransomware-as-a-service” platforms has lowered the entry barrier for cybercriminals. Attackers can now purchase ready-made kits and exploit global networks anonymously using cryptocurrencies.
Hybridisation of threats
Cybersecurity has also become a geopolitical weapon. State-sponsored groups have been implicated in attacks ranging from the SolarWinds hack (affecting U.S. federal agencies in 2020) to the NotPetya malware (originally targeting Ukraine in 2017, but which spread globally and caused billions in damages). Cyberspace has become the fifth domain of warfare, alongside land, sea, air, and space. Disinformation campaigns during elections (such as those in the U.S. in 2016 or France in 2017) illustrate the hybrid use of cyber tools to destabilise societies.
Constant technological transformation
Emerging technologies present a double-edged sword. Artificial intelligence enhances defence capabilities (e.g., anomaly detection, predictive analytics) but also arms attackers with tools for deepfakes, automated phishing, and large-scale disinformation. The Internet of Things has brought billions of devices online, many of them insecure, creating vast attack surfaces. Quantum computing—while still in its infancy—threatens to render today’s cryptographic protocols obsolete, raising the urgency of developing quantum-safe cryptography.
The economic dimension of cybercrime is staggering. The World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report places cybersecurity among the top-tier global risks highlighted for the short term in 2024. Cybercrime costs are projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015. These costs include ransom payments, business interruption, reputational damage, legal penalties, and the erosion of trust in digital systems.
In other words, cybersecurity is no longer a technical detail—it is a systemic risk for the global economy and international stability.
1.2 European Challenges
The European Union faces a dual challenge: protecting its citizens and businesses while asserting its digital sovereignty. Europe is home to many critical infrastructures and industries, from aerospace to energy and healthcare, that are prime targets for cyberattacks.
Regulatory initiatives
Over the past decade, the EU has sought to establish a coherent cybersecurity framework:
- NIS Directive (2016) and NIS2, which entered into force in January 2023 and must be transposed by October 17, 2024 – The original NIS directive was the EU’s first comprehensive cybersecurity law. Its successor, NIS2, significantly broadens the scope to cover more sectors and introduces stricter supervisory measures and penalties for non-compliance.
- Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which entered into force on December 10, 2024, with main obligations starting on December 11, 2027 – The CRA represents a paradigm shift by imposing mandatory security requirements on connected products and software throughout their lifecycle. This aims to tackle the problem of insecure consumer devices flooding the market.
- Cyber Solidarity Act, which entered into force on February 4, 2025 – This initiative creates an EU “cyber shield,” consisting of Security Operations Centres (SOCs) across the Union that will share intelligence and respond collectively to major incidents.
Institutions and capacities
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) has seen its mandate reinforced. Based in Athens, ENISA supports Member States in implementing EU legislation, conducting risk assessments, and managing crises. The agency also spearheads the development of the EU cybersecurity certification framework, aiming to build trust in ICT products and services.
At the political level, the EU has integrated cybersecurity into its broader Digital Strategy and its vision of strategic autonomy. The concern is clear: Europe’s digital infrastructure is heavily reliant on non-European providers. For instance, U.S. hyperscalers (Amazon, Microsoft, Google) dominate the European cloud market. The EU’s response has been initiatives like Gaia-X, which aim to foster European alternatives.
European solidarity and resilience
Cyberattacks on one Member State can ripple across the continent. For example, the 2021 ransomware attack on Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) affected cross-border healthcare services. Recognising this interconnectedness, the EU has promoted collective cyber exercises such as Cyber Europe, involving thousands of participants across Member States to simulate large-scale crises.
In short, the EU’s cybersecurity challenge is both internal—harmonising fragmented national efforts—and external—asserting itself as a global digital power.
1.3 Sectoral Challenges
Cyber threats cut across sectors, but certain domains carry particularly high stakes for both national security and everyday life.
Energy
The energy sector is central to economic stability. Smart grids, renewable energy systems, and interlinked distribution networks create complex vulnerabilities. In 2022, ENISA reported that energy was among the top three targeted sectors in Europe. The 2021 Colonial Pipeline attack in the U.S. served as a wake-up call for operators worldwide.
Healthcare
Hospitals and health services are lucrative targets. Unlike other sectors, healthcare institutions often cannot afford downtime, making them more likely to pay ransoms. The Irish HSE attack (2021) remains one of the most significant in Europe: patient records were stolen, hospital systems shut down, and treatment schedules disrupted. The estimated recovery cost exceeded €100 million. This incident underscored the vulnerability of public health systems, particularly when underfunded or reliant on legacy IT systems.
Finance
The financial sector is both heavily digitised and highly regulated. Cybercrime in this area includes theft of funds, fraud, phishing attacks, and disruption of trading platforms. The EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), adopted in 2022, obliges banks, insurance companies, and investment firms to ensure their IT systems can withstand cyberattacks. This regulation is part of a broader recognition that financial stability and cybersecurity are inseparable.
Transport
Airports, airlines, ports, and rail networks are increasingly digitised. In 2017, the ransomware NotPetya crippled Maersk, the Danish shipping giant, causing losses of $250–300 million and temporarily disrupting global trade flows. The case demonstrated how a single cyber incident could have systemic effects on international supply chains.
Defence and security
Finally, cybersecurity is now a fundamental component of national defence. NATO recognises cyberspace as an operational domain. Military exercises routinely include cyberwarfare scenarios. Beyond direct attacks on military systems, adversaries often seek to destabilise civilian infrastructure—energy grids, water supplies, or communication networks—as part of hybrid warfare strategies.
1.4 Societal and Human Dimension
While cybersecurity is often discussed in technical or geopolitical terms, its human dimension is equally critical.
- Impact on citizens – Individuals are increasingly exposed to phishing, identity theft, and online fraud. The rise of deepfakes and AI-driven disinformation threatens democratic processes and undermines trust in institutions.
- Skills gap – The shortage of cybersecurity professionals is acute. The International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC²) estimated in 2023 a global shortfall of 3.4 million cybersecurity workers. Europe alone faces a gap of hundreds of thousands of skilled professionals.
- Psychological impact – Cyberattacks on hospitals, schools, or municipal services erode public confidence and generate stress and uncertainty.
This societal dimension reminds us that cybersecurity is not purely technical: it is about trust in the digital world, without which digital transformation cannot succeed.
1.5 A Defining Challenge for the 21st Century
Taken together, these global, European, sectoral, and societal factors demonstrate that cybersecurity has become one of the defining challenges of the 21st century. It intersects with economic resilience, democratic stability, and national sovereignty. It requires a whole-of-society approach, involving governments, industry, academia, and citizens.
The next sections of this article will explore how France and Ireland, each with their own unique ecosystems, are responding to these challenges—and how they might collaborate to strengthen Europe’s digital resilience.
2. France’s Cybersecurity Strategy
2.1 Institutional Framework
France has built one of the most structured and centralised cybersecurity architectures in Europe, reflecting its tradition of a strong state role in security matters.
The French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI)
At the core of the French system stands the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information (ANSSI), created in 2009. ANSSI operates under the authority of the Prime Minister, via the General Secretariat for Defence and National Security (SGDSN). Its missions include:
- Protecting state information systems and critical infrastructures.
- Advising public institutions and private operators of vital importance (OIVs).
- Responding to major cyber incidents through its CERT-FR team.
- Developing and promoting security standards and certifications.
- Supporting the growth of the French cybersecurity industry.
ANSSI has gained recognition as one of the most influential cybersecurity agencies in Europe, with an authority comparable to Germany’s BSI or the UK’s NCSC.
Other state actors
- The Ministry of the Armed Forces, through the Commandement de la cyberdéfense (COMCYBER), leads military cyber operations and coordinates with NATO and the EU on defence-related cyber matters.
- Intelligence services such as the DGSE (General Directorate for External Security) and DGSI (General Directorate for Internal Security) maintain significant cyber capabilities.
- Law enforcement bodies, including the Gendarmerie’s Centre for Fight against Digital Crime (C3N) and the National Police’s Cybercrime Office (OCLCTIC), address cybercrime and online fraud.
Together, these actors form a comprehensive and layered system addressing cyber threats from multiple angles: defence, intelligence, law enforcement, and civilian protection.
2.2 National Roadmap
France has placed cybersecurity at the heart of its national strategies for digital sovereignty.
The National Cybersecurity Strategy (2021), backed by a €1 billion plan announced by President Emmanuel Macron, remains the reference framework and has since been reinforced through the France 2030 programme and new initiatives such as the Campus Cyber and the national cyber crisis coordination centre (C4).
Its objectives include:
- Strengthening sovereignty – reducing dependence on foreign technologies and developing French and European alternatives.
- Boosting innovation – supporting startups and SMEs in cybersecurity, notably in cloud security, post-quantum cryptography, and the use of AI for cyber defence.
- Building skills – training 40,000 cybersecurity professionals by 2027, through universities, engineering schools, and specialised institutes.
- Securing critical sectors – healthcare, energy, transport, and public administration are identified as top priorities for protection.
This plan is fully integrated into France 2030, the €54 billion national investment strategy for strategic technologies, and is complemented by the PEPR Cybersécurité research programme, which channels long-term funding into academic–industrial partnerships.
Cyber Campus
A flagship initiative of the French strategy is the Campus Cyber, inaugurated in Paris La Défense in 2022. It brings together large companies, startups, research institutions, and public actors in one location to foster collaboration, training, and innovation. The model is designed to be replicated in regional hubs across France.
France Relance and European funding
France strategically leverages EU recovery funds and Horizon Europe to co-finance cybersecurity initiatives. Many French players are active in European cybersecurity projects, particularly within the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) and related networks.
2.3 Economic and Academic Ecosystem
France has developed a diverse and growing cybersecurity ecosystem, combining large industrial champions, dynamic startups, and strong research institutions.
Industrial leaders
- Thales – a global leader in defence electronics, Thales Cyber Solutions offers services ranging from security operations centres to cryptography.
- Orange Cyberdefense – a leading provider of managed security services, operating across Europe.
- Atos Eviden – active in supercomputing and cyber services, with strong positioning in critical infrastructure protection.
- Capgemini – provides consulting and integration services, increasingly active in cybersecurity.
- Airbus Cybersecurity – develops solutions for defence, aerospace, and critical industries.
These large groups play a dual role: protecting their own vast infrastructures and acting as service providers to governments and businesses.
Startups and scale-ups
France has seen the rise of innovative companies that are gaining international recognition:
- YesWeHack – a leader in bug bounty and crowdsourced security testing.
- HarfangLab – specialised in endpoint detection and response (EDR).
- Tehtris – provides an “XDR” platform (extended detection and response) with global ambitions.
- Vade – focused on email security and phishing prevention.
- Wallix – a specialist in privileged access management (PAM).
The French ecosystem is supported by strong venture capital and state-backed funds (Bpifrance, France 2030) that prioritise cybersecurity as a strategic sector.
Research and academia
French universities, engineering schools, and research centres play a central role in cybersecurity training and R&D:
- Inria (National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology) – works on cryptography, formal verification, and secure software.
- CNRS – coordinates cybersecurity research across multiple laboratories.
- Télécom Paris, ENS, Polytechnique, Université de Rennes 1, Université de Lorraine – all run specialised research groups and degree programmes.
- Label “SecNumEdu” – created by ANSSI to certify high-quality cybersecurity training programmes in higher education.
France also participates actively in international research on post-quantum cryptography, AI for cyber defence, and resilient cloud infrastructures.
2.4 Strengths and Areas for continued improvement of the French Approach
Strengths
- A centralised and coherent institutional framework, with ANSSI as a powerful agency.
- A robust industrial base, with global champions and specialised SMEs.
- A national cyber strategy backed by significant public investment.
- A strong research and academic network producing world-class experts.
Areas for continued improvement
- Ongoing efforts to expand the pool of skilled professionals, despite training initiatives.
- Fragmentation between actors outside the Paris region, even though the Cyber Campus model seeks to address this.
- Heavy reliance on European and international collaboration to achieve scale, especially compared to the U.S. or China.
2.5 France in the European and International Context
France positions itself as a leader of European digital sovereignty. It advocates for a strong EU role in cybersecurity, often aligning with Germany and other partners on regulation and industrial policy.
Internationally, France is active in:
- NATO cyber defence initiatives.
- Bilateral cooperation, e.g., with the United States, Israel, and increasingly with Indo-Pacific partners.
- Multilateral forums, such as the UN Group of Governmental Experts on Cybersecurity.
France has established a comprehensive cybersecurity framework that combines national investment, industrial capacity, and academic expertise.
The strategy emphasises sovereignty and resilience, positioning cybersecurity as both a national security requirement and an area of economic development.
This framework also creates opportunities for strengthened international cooperation, including with Ireland, which addresses similar challenges through a different ecosystem approach.
3. Ireland’s Cybersecurity Strategy
3.1 Institutional Framework
Ireland’s approach to cybersecurity reflects both its unique position as a European digital hub and its efficient and focused in scale state apparatus. Unlike France, which has a highly centralised model, Ireland’s framework is leaner, but increasingly sophisticated as the country grapples with its role as host to global tech giants.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
The central authority is the National Cyber Security Centre, established in 2011 and operating under the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC). Its key functions include:
- Protecting critical national infrastructure (CNI) and government networks.
- Coordinating responses to major cyber incidents.
- Serving as Ireland’s National Competent Authority for the NIS2 directive.
- Running Ireland’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT-IE).
- Supporting awareness, training, and policy development.
The NCSC gained global attention after the 2021 ransomware attack on Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE), which was one of the largest and most disruptive cyber incidents in European history. This event highlighted the urgent need to scale up Ireland’s national cyber capabilities.
Other institutions and stakeholders
- The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) investigates cybercrime and digital forensics.
- The Defence Forces have created a Cyber Defence Unit, although still modest compared to larger EU states.
- The Central Bank of Ireland is a critical player, enforcing cyber resilience requirements in the financial sector.
- The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) enforces GDPR, often in high-profile cases involving U.S. tech companies based in Dublin.
Ireland’s framework is thus a hybrid ecosystem, combining state agencies, regulators, and sector-specific bodies with the private sector.
3.2 National Cybersecurity Strategy (2019–2024)
Ireland’s current framework is anchored in the National Cyber Security Strategy 2019–2024, later extended and aligned with evolving EU requirements. The strategy is structured around three overarching goals:
- Protect the State – securing government systems, public services, and critical infrastructures through stronger coordination between ministries, agencies, and operators of essential services.
- Protect citizens and businesses – building national resilience via awareness campaigns, public–private partnerships, and enhanced incident response capabilities.
- Promote skills, research, and innovation – investing in education, training, and research to reduce the cybersecurity skills gap and link academic expertise with industry needs.
Since its adoption, several initiatives have reinforced and updated the strategy:
- The Cyber Skills programme, led by Munster Technological University (Cork) and launched nationally in 2021 with EU and national support, provides flexible, industry-aligned training pathways. Additional programmes have been rolled out in partnership with University College Dublin (UCD) and MTU, combining academic excellence with hands-on training.
- A dedicated National Security Operations Centre (SOC) was announced in 2022, designed to strengthen detection and response capacity at national level.
- In May 2024, Ireland published a National Cyber Emergency Plan (NCEP), setting out procedures for national coordination in the event of a major cyber incident.
- The proposed National Cyber Security Bill 2024 (general scheme published in August 2024) aims to transpose the EU’s NIS2 Directive, place the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on a statutory footing, and clarify roles, obligations, supervision, and enforcement.
- The NCSC is also developing a Cybersecurity Industrial Strategy to support the growth of Ireland’s indigenous cyber industry.
- In parallel, the NCSC is preparing an Irish Cyber Security Measures certification scheme, aligned with NIS2, to help SMEs progressively achieve compliance.
- The Cyber Ireland cluster launched its 2024–2027 strategy, aiming to strengthen industry–academia collaboration, foster exports, and consolidate Ireland’s cybersecurity ecosystem.
- The Mid-Term Review of the national strategy (2023) introduced 18 additional actions across innovation, skills, and industry support, further adapting the strategy to evolving challenges.
Ireland’s model is therefore both national and European in scope: it reflects domestic needs while ensuring alignment with EU legislation such as NIS2, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), and the Cyber Resilience Act. This dual orientation is particularly important given Ireland’s position as a European hub for multinational technology firms, alongside a growing indigenous startup ecosystem.
3.3 Economic and Academic Ecosystem
Ireland’s cyber ecosystem is distinctive for its combination of foreign multinationals, local startups, and a growing academic research base.
Foreign multinationals
Ireland hosts the European headquarters of many of the world’s largest tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Apple, and TikTok. These companies invest heavily in cybersecurity to protect their global operations. Their presence also creates demand for local cybersecurity services, making Ireland a critical node in the global digital economy.
Indigenous startups and scale-ups
Despite its small size, Ireland has developed several innovative cybersecurity startups with international reach:
- Tines – an automation platform for security operations, now valued as a unicorn.
- Edgescan – provides vulnerability management and penetration testing.
- Vaultree – pioneers fully homomorphic encryption solutions, enabling computation on encrypted data.
- Cybersmarties – focuses on online safety for children, reflecting Ireland’s strong emphasis on digital ethics.
These companies often emerge from the country’s university ecosystem or from former employees of multinationals, illustrating the spillover effect of Ireland’s tech hub status.
Academic and research institutions
- University College Dublin (UCD) – home to the Centre for Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Investigation (CCI).
- Trinity College Dublin (TCD) – conducts research in cryptography, network security, and AI-driven cyber defence.
- Munster Technological University (MTU) – coordinates the Cyber Skills initiative.
- Dublin City University (DCU) and University of Limerick (UL) – contribute research in data protection and information systems security.
Ireland also participates in European research networks, with active roles in Horizon Europe projects and the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC).
Cyber Ireland cluster
A pivotal organisation is Cyber Ireland, the national industry cluster founded in 2019. Based in Cork and supported by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and Research Ireland (formerly Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council), Cyber Ireland connects over 150 members from industry, academia, and government. It acts as the primary coordination mechanism for Ireland’s cybersecurity ecosystem, comparable in ambition (though smaller in scale) to France’s Cyber Campus.
3.4 Strengths and Areas for continued improvement of the Irish Approach
Strengths
- Ireland is a global digital hub, hosting the European headquarters of Big Tech companies. This generates resources, expertise, and global visibility.
- A dynamic startup scene, with companies like Tines and Vaultree gaining international recognition.
- Strong alignment with EU legislation and funding opportunities.
- A collaborative cluster model through Cyber Ireland.
Areas for continued improvement
- Limited state capacity compared to larger countries. The NCSC is efficient and focused in scale (around 70–80 staff in 2024), raising concerns about resourcing.
- Heavy dependence on foreign multinationals for expertise and investment. This raises questions of sovereignty, as Ireland’s cyber resilience is tied to the priorities of global corporations.
- Persistent a continuing need to strengthen talent pipelines, despite initiatives such as the Cyber Skills programme.
- Fragmentation between academic, public, and private actors, although Cyber Ireland has begun addressing this gap.
3.5 Ireland in the European and International Context
Ireland’s role in cybersecurity is closely tied to its position as both a gateway for U.S. companies into Europe and a committed EU Member State.
At the European level:
- Ireland participates in ENISA initiatives and the ECCC.
- It contributes to EU-wide cyber exercises such as Cyber Europe.
- Its financial sector is central to EU resilience, making alignment with DORA particularly important.
At the international level:
- Ireland works closely with the United States, given the concentration of American companies on its soil.
- It participates in NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence exercises, though not a NATO member, it contributes via the Partnership for Peace framework.
- Ireland promotes a human-centric approach to cybersecurity, linking digital trust, data protection, and ethics. Its Data Protection Commission (DPC) has become one of the most powerful regulators in the world due to its jurisdiction over Big Tech.
Voici une version adaptée et plus diplomatique de ton paragraphe, en intégrant la cyberattaque récente à l’aéroport de Dublin comme illustration, et en ne gardant que des formulations constructives :
Ireland’s cybersecurity strategy reflects its unique position as a small state with significant global influence in the digital economy. While institutional resources remain comparatively lean, the country benefits greatly from hosting the European headquarters of major international technology companies, alongside a growing base of innovative startups and an expanding academic sector. Coordination is increasingly supported through the Cyber Ireland cluster, which fosters collaboration across stakeholders.
Building sovereign resilience remains a national priority, particularly in light of recent incidents such as the ransomware attack on the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2021 and the cyberattack affecting Dublin Airport in september 2025, both of which highlighted the potential impact of large-scale disruptions. These events have reinforced the importance of sustained investment, stronger coordination mechanisms, and alignment with European frameworks such as NIS2, DORA, and the Cyber Resilience Act.
Ireland is therefore moving towards a more mature and structured cybersecurity posture — one that balances international integration with the development of domestic capabilities, creating new opportunities for cooperation at both European and bilateral levels.
4. Complementarities and Opportunities for Franco-Irish Collaboration
4.1 Structural Complementarities
France and Ireland approach cybersecurity from very different starting points, yet these differences create natural complementarities.
- France: Sovereignty and industrial strength
France has a highly centralised state-led model with ANSSI at the centre. It boasts strong national champions (Thales, Orange Cyberdefense, Atos Eviden) and a research ecosystem anchored by Inria, CNRS, and grandes écoles. Its strategy emphasises sovereignty, autonomy, and control over critical technologies. - Ireland: Hub economy and multinational presence
Ireland’s ecosystem is leaner, but amplified by its role as a European headquarters for U.S. Big Tech. The Irish model relies on agility, startup culture (Tines, Vaultree), and integration with global value chains. Its strategy emphasises collaboration, compliance, and integration with EU and transatlantic frameworks.
Together, these profiles are complementary rather than competitive. France provides scale, sovereignty, and industrial depth, while Ireland offers agility, multinational leverage, and a gateway to U.S. actors.
4.2 Areas of Collaboration
Several domains stand out where Franco-Irish collaboration could deliver mutual benefit and contribute to Europe’s overall resilience.
a) Research and Innovation
- Joint participation in Horizon Europe projects under the Digital, Industry and Space cluster.
- Collaboration in the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), where both countries are active.
- Shared projects in quantum-safe cryptography, an area where France has deep academic expertise and Ireland is building a niche through startups like Vaultree.
- AI for cybersecurity: linking Inria (France) with UCD’s research centres (Ireland).
b) Skills and Education
- Exchange programmes between Irish and French universities, aligning ANSSI’s SecNumEdu-labelled courses with Ireland’s Cyber Skills initiative.
- Joint summer schools and PhD programmes in cybersecurity, focusing on cryptography, AI, and cloud security.
- Addressing the European-wide skills shortage through dual training pipelines.
c) Startup and Industry Cooperation
- Linking Campus Cyber (Paris) with Cyber Ireland (Cork) to create a Franco-Irish Cyber Hub Connection.
- Facilitating access for French startups to multinational clients based in Ireland.
- Supporting Irish scale-ups in accessing the French and wider EU public sector markets.
- Organising joint trade missions, accelerator programmes, and events via French Tech Dublin and Enterprise Ireland.
d) Policy and Regulation
- Sharing best practices between ANSSI (France) and NCSC (Ireland) in implementing NIS2 and DORA.
- Joint input into EU regulatory debates, ensuring both sovereignty (French perspective) and global integration (Irish perspective) are reflected.
- Coordinating positions in multilateral forums such as ENISA working groups and the ECCC.
e) Defence and Security Cooperation
- While Ireland is militarily neutral, both countries participate in EU cyber defence initiatives and could cooperate in joint exercises.
- Collaboration on resilience of critical infrastructures (health, energy, finance) that span across borders.
- Knowledge exchange on responding to hybrid threats and state-sponsored cyber campaigns.
4.3 Opportunities for Concrete Action
1. Creation of a Franco-Irish Cybersecurity Innovation Hub
A joint initiative could connect French and Irish clusters, facilitating R&D partnerships, startup acceleration, and joint EU projects.
2. Franco-Irish Task Force on Quantum-Safe Security
As quantum computing threatens current cryptographic standards, a bilateral task force could align research and industry efforts on post-quantum cryptography.
3. Joint Training and Certification Programmes
Building mutual recognition of cybersecurity training standards (SecNumEdu in France, Cyber Skills in Ireland) to create an EU model.
4. Bilateral Cybersecurity Forum
Annual event alternating between Dublin and Paris, bringing together policymakers, researchers, startups, and multinationals.
5. Health Sector Pilot Project
Following the HSE attack in Ireland and the growing ransomware threat in France, a bilateral pilot project could focus on healthcare cybersecurity resilience.
6. Leveraging EU Calls for Joint Consortia
France and Ireland could build Franco-Irish “noyaux durs” in European calls (Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, CEF). For instance:
- Cybersecurity for financial services (aligned with DORA).
- Critical infrastructure resilience under NIS2.
- Quantum-safe solutions for the EU Cybersecurity Shield.
4.4 Added Value for Europe
Franco-Irish cooperation would not be just bilateral; it would contribute to European strategic autonomy.
- France contributes industrial depth, strategic thinking, and military cyber capabilities.
- Ireland contributes agility, multinational presence, and regulatory experience as Europe’s Big Tech regulator.
Together, they can bridge Europe and the United States, ensuring transatlantic cooperation while reinforcing EU sovereignty.
This dual positioning makes the Franco-Irish partnership unique in Europe: a model of how large continental states and smaller globalised economies can collaborate to strengthen Europe’s cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity has become a defining challenge for nations and societies. France and Ireland, while different in scale and approach, share the same vulnerabilities and the same European obligations. Their complementarity—industrial sovereignty on one side, global digital hub on the other—offers an opportunity to forge a strategic alliance in cybersecurity.
By aligning research, education, industry, and policy, France and Ireland can not only strengthen their own resilience but also help shape the future of European digital sovereignty.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity has become a defining test of resilience for nations and societies. It is not a narrow technical issue but a matter of economic continuity, democratic trust, and national sovereignty. For Europe, it is also central to the project of digital strategic autonomy, ensuring that the continent is not overly dependent on foreign technologies and can withstand global threats.
France and Ireland embody two distinct but complementary pathways within this European landscape. France offers scale, sovereignty, and industrial depth, with a state-driven model and strong national champions. Ireland offers agility, multinational leverage, and regulatory influence, as Europe’s digital hub and home to the world’s largest technology companies.
Such cooperation would not only enhance bilateral resilience but also strengthen Europe’s collective capacity to protect itself in an era of accelerating digital risk. It would demonstrate how large continental powers and smaller, globally integrated states can work together to balance sovereignty and openness.
Ultimately, the Franco-Irish partnership in cybersecurity is more than a bilateral opportunity: it is a model for European collaboration. By leveraging their complementarities, France and Ireland can help Europe become a leader not only in protecting its digital assets but also in shaping the global norms and technologies that will define the future of cybersecurity.
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