The Cybersecurity Skills Academy aims at tackling the skills gap in cybersecurity across Europe.
The second promotion of the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy is now published. This network strengthens the links between industry and academia to boost cybersecurity skills, ensuring the European cyber workforce is adequately equipped to meet growing demands in the sector.
This 2026 class count 47 “academia” members representing higher education institutions, vocational education and training providers and European Universities alliances. On the “industry” side 20 companies are committed to narrowing the skills gap in the European workforce.
Following the steps of the First Promotion, launched in June 2025, members of the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy will strive to build concrete collaborations and set up partnerships amongst them.
New pledge and partnership
At the Forum InCyber 2026 in Lille featured the agreement of two new commitments to develop cybersecurity skills across Europe bringing a total of 21 pledgers and 10 partnerships:
- Mastercard and Recorded Future have joined the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, pledging to deliver free, online and in-person, hands-on cybersecurity learning experiences, including masterclasses, training licenses and expert-led workshops, to over 650 SME professionals, university students and faculty, in partnership with Recorded Future’s Education Program, across the EU by end of 2028. Additionally, Mastercard has pledged to equip 100 European SMEs with cyber-hygiene training, across the EU by end of 2028.
- Stormshield and CS VISOR have a formed a new partnership under the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy. With this partnerships, students will gain hands-on experience with Next-Generation Firewalls and industrial security environments while combining theoretical knowledge with operational security operation centres exposure.
Further information
Are you a business, a higher education institution, a European Universities alliance, or a training provider? Get inspired, involved - and play an active role in bridging the cyber skills and talent gap in Europe!