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Bridging the Cyber Skills Gap: WB3C at the World Economic Forum

03.07.2024

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Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre participated in the World Economic Forum (WEF) community members meeting in Geneva on 2-3 July, titled „Bridging the Cyber Skills Gap“, which brought together private and public sector leaders from around the world.

Our team from the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), represented by Tadej Rupel, Digital and Cyber Ambassador at MFEA Slovenia, and Vanja Madzgalj, Senior Project Manager at WB3C, contributed to discussions on developing actionable strategies to create, attract, recruit and retain cybersecurity talent. The meeting explored the ways of putting

Strategic Cybersecurity Talent Framework (https://lnkd.in/eZ9mFTyt) into motion, identifying barriers and setting future workstreams.

On Day 1, dynamic discussions among the group were prompted by key presentations on the Future Of Jobs Report 2023, highlighting the impact of technological advancements and green transition on the labor market, and ILO Perspectives on Employment and Skills, addressing challenges in skills development for cybersecurity roles.

On Day 2, discussions focused on the impact of AI on cybersecurity jobs and strategies for leveraging public-private partnerships (PPP) to build a sustainable talent pipeline. WB3C's team contributions included sharing our methodology for creating relevant training programs, leveraging partnerships, the role of diplomacy in fighting cybercrime, and best practices in cybersecurity education.

The WEF meeting was a significant step towards addressing the cybersecurity skills gap, and we look forward to implementing these strategies within the Western Balkans region and working in partnership with our global allies.


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Upcoming
CyberPulse 2025: A Regional RCC Cybersecurity Conference

The Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) is pleased to co-host WB CyberPulse 2025, a high-level regional cybersecurity conference taking place on 2 July 2025 in Podgorica. Organised in partnership with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the European Commission (EC), the event will bring together key actors from across the Western Balkans and the EU to advance the region’s cyber resilience.

The conference will gather ministers, CERT/CIRT/CSIRT teams, EU institutions, international organisations, financial institutions, private sector leaders and civil society to engage in a structured and forward-looking dialogue.

WB CyberPulse 2025 will focus on:

  • Addressing current gaps in regional cyber capacities
  • Exploring the role of emerging technologies
  • Operationalising joint initiatives and partnerships

As a regional platform for cooperation and knowledge exchange, this conference represents an important step forward in aligning cybersecurity efforts with EU standards and building a more secure digital future for the Western Balkans.

Digital skills for cadets of the Montenegro Police Academy

This week, WB3C is delivering a tailored training on Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) for the second group of 10 cadets from the Police Academy in Danilovgrad, Montenegro. The training follows a recent WB3C visit to the Academy to better understand its curriculum and infrastructure needs.

With limited coverage of digital investigation methods in the Academy’s existing curriculum, WB3C has launched a series of hands-on sessions to build critical skills in cyber-enabled policing. A third group is already scheduled for training in December.

The training was opened by Academy Director Nenad Vojinovic and Head of WB3C Gilles Schwoerer, who explained the importance of digital skills in criminal investigation today and encouraged the cadets to embrace the digital dimension of modern law enforcement.

The course is highly practical and interactive and provides the cadets with techniques to find, extract and preserve open-source evidence in lawful ways. The training is led by WB3C in-house trainers Yannick Casse of the French Gendarmerie and Cyril C. of the French National Police who have substantial experience in the field. 

WB3C is very pleased to be able to develop this relationship with the Montenegro Police Academy and contribute to the development of national capacities in tackling cyber crime.

WB3C Mission to Sarajevo

As part of its ongoing commitment to strengthening regional cooperation in cybersecurity, the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) conducted a two-day mission to Sarajevo on 19–20 June.

The visit focused on engaging key national stakeholders who are already benefiting from WB3C training programmes, as well as identifying opportunities for deeper collaboration.

WB3C met with the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Delegation of the European Union, and the Directorate for European Integration to discuss the Centre’s strategic role in supporting regional capacity building and BiH’s participation in EU-aligned cyber initiatives. These discussions emphasized the importance of shared ownership, sustainability, and the active involvement of beneficiary institutions in shaping the Centre’s future direction.

As a follow-up to our May dialogue, WB3C also held a productive meeting with the Centre for Judicial and Prosecutorial Education of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to assess ongoing training needs and explore tailored programme development for judicial actors.


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Disclaimer: Translations of the original content written in English into other languages are AI generated by Weglot.