During October 2-4, we were present in The Hague, Netherlands, to firsthand witness the technological advancements in cybersecurity at the European level. The reason for our trip was to attend the One Conference as part of the Spanish Delegation organized by ICEX.
One Conference is Europe’s leading cybersecurity event. A premier platform for sharing knowledge, best practices, and research findings. This year’s edition took place on October 3 and 4. Both days featured a plenary program, as well as optional sessions in smaller groups. A wide variety of topics were covered during the event: from highly technical issues like malware detection, incident response, and law enforcement applications to less technical topics such as public-private partnerships, governance, and recent research in cybersecurity.
Monday, October 2
The day before the event began, we attended various talks and competitions, highlighting the following:
- From 09:15 to 10:30, we had a presentation at TNO, an independent Dutch research center. This presentation focused on the model of collaboration and technology transfer, public-private collaboration, and TNO’s position in European institutions regarding cybersecurity.
- 11:00: we visited The Hague Security Delta (HSD), the Dutch security cluster. The official opening of the event was led by Marjin Fraaje, head of the Economic Department of the City of The Hague.
- 11:15: Martijin Van Hoogenhuize and Philip Meijer, Account Managers at Cyber Security InnovationQuarter, spoke about doing business in the Netherlands and the cybersecurity landscape.
- 11:40: Joris den Bruinen gave an introduction to Security Delta HSD. A collaboration of more than 275 companies, government organizations, and knowledge institutions working together since 2013 to protect our digital society.
- At 12:00: we had a networking break, where we had the opportunity to converse with colleagues from the sector, mainly from the Netherlands.
- From 13:00 to 14:00: optional sessions were held, where we participated in networking activities and attended a session on doing business in the Netherlands.
- At 15:35: we visited Europol, headquartered in The Hague, which aims to prevent and combat serious and organized crime, cybercrime, and terrorism internationally. At Europol, the department head and two officers explained their work in cybersecurity.
- From 18:30 to 19:30: we had the opportunity to meet with the Spanish Ambassador in The Hague. It was a positive experience to better understand the embassy’s work in the Netherlands and the opportunities in this country.
Tuesday, October 3
Tuesday, October 3, formally marked the start of the One Conference. The event began at 09:00, at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Den Haag Promenade, with an introduction to the organizers and the objective of the event.
During the first day of the event, we had the opportunity for networking with some companies in the sector. We took the opportunity to talk with different cybersecurity companies, businesses from other sectors, and public sector workers. In this networking break, we also attended some training sessions in sector knowledge. At the end of the day, we participated in a cocktail event where we continued our discussions with professionals from the sector.
In the afternoon, the One International Cyber Business Event took place, organized by the Municipality of The Hague and InnovationQuarter. This event was held within the framework of the One Conference and focused on creating networks and connections between the business world and cybersecurity. During the event, participants enjoyed drinks, snacks, games, and networking opportunities in a playful atmosphere. It was an excellent occasion to meet new people and explore business opportunities.
Wednesday, October 4
The second day of the One Conference was very similar to the first. We used the day to establish contacts with companies. That day we had meetings with potential partners and also participated in presentations.
In the morning, we met with the focal points of the Swedish government who attract foreign companies to do business in Sweden. It was an excellent conversation to understand the opportunities in the nodes and how to create contacts.
As a general impression, the direct mission organized by ICEX was a good opportunity to get to know the Dutch market, present our company, expand our international presence, learn about business opportunities in the country, network, acquire potential leads and partners, and also interact with other Spanish companies that were part of the delegation.