Connect4Cyber – Brokerage and Info Day, Helsinki 29.9.2026

Connect4Cyber – Brokerage and Info Day

When? Tuesday 29 September 2026

Where? Team Finland House (Porkkalankatu 1, 00180 Helsinki). Please find instructions on how to get there on the website of Business Finland. Ulkoinen verkkopalvelu.

Language of the event: English

What?

Connect4Cyber – Brokerage and Info Day brings together cybersecurity actors from Finland and across Europe to discuss current calls under the Digital Europe (DEP) and Horizon Europe (HE) programmes, share project ideas, and build international consortia. The event focuses on Digital Europe (DEP) autumn 2026 calls and other funding opportunities for SMEs.

Preliminary list of funding calls the event will focus on (to be updated as calls open):

• Cybersecure tools, technologies and services relying on AI
• Strengthening cybersecurity capacities of European SMEs with cybersecure AI-powered solutions
• Coordinated preparedness testing and other preparedness actions
• Strengthening EU cybersecurity capacities & capabilities in line with legislative requirements
• Dual-use technologies

The event is organised by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom and its National Coordination Centre (NCC-FI) Ulkoinen verkkopalvelu., in collaboration with Business Finland, the Finnish Information Security Cluster (FISC), Estonian Information System Authority (RIA, NCC-EE), the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF, NCC-SE), and Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM, NCC-NO).

The event offers:

• up-to-date information on EU funding calls
• expert presentations from the field of cybersecurity
• an opportunity to present and hear project ideas
• a chance to find partners for future projects

Registration

The event is free of charge, but requires registration in advance. Register here by 21st of September: 

Programme (subject to change)

Time: 10.00-10.30

Registration, Networking & Coffee

Time: 10.30-10.45

Welcome Remarks 

• Anssi Kärkkäinen, Director General of NCSC-FI
• Elina Holmberg, Director, International Affairs, Business Finland

Time: 10.45-11.00

Strategic-Level Keynote: The big picture – Perspectives on the development of the MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework) and ECF (European Competitiveness Fund)

• Luca Tagliaretti, Executive Director, ECCC

Time: 11.00-11.15

Practical-Level Keynote (NN): A Success Story; a SME that has successfully leveraged EU funding  

Time: 11.15-11.30

Coffee Break & Networking

Time: 11.30-12.45

Cybersecurity Actualities & Funding Opportunities

Updates from the Defence and Digital Resilience Program: Kirsi Kokko, Business Finland

Overview of relevant ECCC administered cybersecurity calls: 

• Autumn 2026 DEP calls: NN, Project Officer, ECCC
• Spring 2027 Horizon Europe calls - high-level overview: NN, Project Officer, ECCC

Overview of the NCC-FI and NCC-EE FSTP cascade funding schemes :

• NCC-EE FSTP funding instruments: Anni Aleksandrov, NCC-EE
• Case example of NCC-EE FSTP funding: Urmo Keskel, Phishbite
• NCC-FI FSTP autumn 2026 funding call: Nanni Tuominen, NCC-FI

Time: 12.45-13.45

Lunch & networking

Time: 13.45-14.15

Panel Discussion: Sharing Best Practices for Successful Cybersecurity Funding Consortia

Moderator: Markus Miettinen, Jyväskylän yliopisto

Panelists:

• Simone Fischer-Hübner, Karlstad University
• Mike Mekkanen, University of Vaasa
• Maijastiina Arvola, CSC
• Entrepreneur(s) from FI / EE
• NN, Project Officer, ECCC

Time: 14.15-15.45

Pitching Session

• Related to forthcoming autumn DEP calls 

Time: 15.45-16.00

Coffee Break & Networking

Time: 16.00-16.45

Breakout Rooms by Selected DEP Calls, Proposal Clinics & Networking  

Time: 16.45

Closing Remarks 

Networking event

To be announced.

Information about the pitching session

Interested participants have the possibility to present their project ideas in the pitching session.

Instructions are as follows:

• Participants are requested to submit their pitch slides by 14 September 2026 at the latest to ncc-fi@traficom.fi. A confirmation of receipt will be sent within a few business days. 
• If the number of submitted pitches exceeds the available time reserved for the pitching session, the organisers will select presentations based on their relevance to the themes and objectives of the event. All those who have submitted pitch slides will be informed of the outcome prior to the event.
• Participants may use their own slide design, but the slides are recommended to include at least the following information:
  • Name of the presenter and the organisation
  • Summary of the project idea, objectives, expected outcomes and impacts, and/or the organisation’s expertise and potential role in the project
  • Description of desired consortium partners
  • Calls in which your organisation is interested
• Each presentation is up to four minutes.
• Slides limited to three.
• One separate slide set is requested per pitch. If a participant has multiple project ideas, please submit a separate slide set for each.
• Presentations received after the deadline may be considered if there is still time available during the pitching session.
• All pitching presentations (including those not presented during the event due to time constraints) will be shared as PDF files with the other participants, unless the contributors request otherwise. If you prefer not to share your presentation, please let us know when submitting it.

For more information about the event, please contact ncc-fi@traficom.fi.

A warm welcome to the event!