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EU-HYBNET 4th Gaps and Needs Event

Open for EU-HYBNET Partners and Network Members!

Support us in defining pan-European practitioners’ and other relevant actors’ (industry, academia, NGOs) gaps and needs to counter hybrid threats!

We are pleased to announce that EU-HYBNET’s 4th Gaps and Needs Event will take place on 12 June 2024 in Madrid, Spain. This will be an in-person event only and will be hosted by Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) at its premises in Madrid.

EU-HYBNET is continuing its third project cycle with a Gaps and Needs Event in order to discuss and define pan-European practitioners’ and other relevant actors’ (industry, academia, NGOs) gaps and needs to counter hybrid threats.

The Gaps and Needs Event is at the core of EU-HYBNET since it will determine the priority gaps and needs on which the project will focus in the forthcoming months by identifying most promising innovations to fill the gaps and needs and recommending innovations uptake and standardisation. The event will also define the project’s research and training focus that will benefit EU-HYBNET network members. Thanks to your contributions, the project will deliver results matching your needs!

You can find the draft agenda for the event here. More information regarding the methodology will be communicated to participants 2 weeks before the event.

The forthcoming Gaps and Needs Event is organised by the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC).

For more information, please contact:

EU-HYBNET Event organiser: Maxime Lebrun maxime.lebrun@hybridcoe.fi & Hanne Dumur-Laanila hanne.dumur-laanila@hybridcoe.fi (Hybrid CoE)

EU-HYBNET Network Manager: Jari Räsänen (Laurea) jari.rasanen@laurea.fi

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EU-HYBNET 4th Future Trends Workshop #FTW2024

We are pleased to announce that the EU-HYBNET consortium will hold its fourth Future Trends Workshop, #FTW2024, on 23 April 2024 at the Valencia Local Police Headquarters in Valencia, Spain. Please save the date in your calendars!

Four years into the EU-HYBNET project, this workshop will build on the project findings and provide a platform of interaction for various stakeholders to discuss scenarios related to future manifestations of hybrid threats, looking into solutions and innovations not only for today but also for tomorrow. The purpose of the workshop is to support stakeholders’ everyday work by providing a future outlook for strategic planning and consider the consequences of today’s policy choices in long-term.

More information will be shared in due course. The agenda can be found here and will be updated regularly. The workshop will be open to project partners and external participants upon registration.

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EU-HYBNET 4th Annual Workshop #AW2024

We are pleased to announce that the EU-HYBNET consortium will hold its fourth Annual Workshop, #AW, on 24 April 2024 at the Valencia Local Police Headquarters in Valencia, Spain. Please save the date in your calendars and share the event with your networks!

This workshop will present the results and findings of the EU-HYBNET project during the past year. The consortium aims to ensure vivid interaction with all hybrid threats stakeholders to assess the feasibility of the project findings and possible recommendations to innovations uptake and standardisation.

As part of the event, EU-HYBNET will also be inviting providers of innovative solutions on security-related topics to present research and/or innovations which could contribute to countering hybrid threats. Please find the call for pitches further below.

The workshop will be open to project partners, network members and external participants upon registration. Please find the event agenda here, which will be updated regularly.

As part of the 4th Annual WorkshopEU-HYBNET is inviting organizations and projects that work with security-related topics to present innovations (technological and non-technological e.g. SOPs, training) which contribute to countering hybrid threats in following areas: 

* Future trends in hybrid threats: detection of the weak signals and vulnerabilities to improve foresight capability in the areas of:

  • Political deficiency (Political volatility – structural threat / Lack of policy foresight)
  • New agit-prop (Disinformation spread through encrypted and multiple private messaging apps / Anti-system movements)
  • Substitutive reality (Conspiracy theories spread to European realities / Alternativisation of reality)

* Cyber and Future Technologies: monitor and analyse attempts to manipulate civil societies in digital environment (combat information manipulation) such as:

  • Stealing data attacking individuals (Theft of work or employee data in politically exposed institution / Doxxing civil society organization (CSO) activists / Leak of hospital patient data / Social engineering (impersonation, taming with billing systems and obligations))
  • Online manipulation attacking democracy (AI generated content – structural threat / Content moderation weaponization / Artificial amplification (CIB)
  • Attack on services (Denial-of-service/DDOS / Physical attack on infrastructures critical to population livelihood (cyber-physical))

* Resilient civilians, local level and national administration: increase trust among government and people e.g.

  • Spreading violence (Increasing tolerance for violence as a mode of political dissent– structural threat / Online political harassment and “SLAPP”)
  • Attack on social structures (Vulnerability of higher education institutions to interference / Collapse of the hospital system under massive patient afflux)
  • Undermining institutions’ internal organisation (Personnel tensions in critical areas – structural threat / Obsolete hierarchies in national security agency)

* Information and strategic communication, incl. foreign information manipulation and interference, e.g.

  • Media conundrum (Difficult sustainability of quality journalistic media)
  • Victimization narratives in the informational space (Generalization of narratives based on victimized identities)
  • Attack on information (Pressures onto independent fact checkers / Increased use of visual misinformation)

Innovations related to hybrid threats but not linked to the topics abovementioned can be submitted. For the technological solutions we encourage you to submit your application only if your solution has a TRL >7.  If you are interested in presenting your innovation in-person during the Annual Workshop, please fill out the template which you can download below. Kindly send your description of an innovation by the 29th of February 2024 to Laurea University of Applied Sciences (LAUREA), EU-HYBNET Project Manager Ms. Tiina Haapanen tiina.haapanen@laurea.fi

Once we have received all inputs, EU-HYBNET will select 3-4 most promising innovation to be presented during the workshop on 24/4/2024 in Valencia, Spain (venue: Valencia Local Police Head Quarters). Travel cost of presenters will be covered by the project to reasonable extend.

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EU-HYBNET 2nd Innovation Standardisation Workshop/2º Taller de Estandarización de la Innovación  #ISW2023

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We are pleased to announce that EU-HYBNET’s 2nd “Innovation Standardisation Workshop” will take place on 8th November 2023 in Valencia, Spain. Registration is now closed!

EU-HYBNET’s Innovation Standardisation Workshop (ISW) will bring together EU-HYBNET consortium partners and hybrid threats stakeholders to map the current status of standardisation efforts in the field and identify needs and possibilities for the future.

This workshop will explore the issue fo standardisation in two parallel tracks of work:

  1. Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI)
  2. Protection of critical infrastructure

The final event agenda is now available here.

If you require any further information, please contact event organiser – EU-HYBNET partner – Polish Platform for Homeland Security (Malgorzata Wolbach malgorzata.wolbach@ppbw.pl)


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2º Taller de Estandarización de la Innovación de EU-HYBNET #ISW2023

Nos complace anunciar que el 2º “Taller de estandarización de la innovación” de EU-HYBNET tendrá lugar el 8 de noviembre de 2023 en Valencia, España.

El Taller de Estandarización de la Innovación (ISW, por sus siglas en inglés) de EU-HYBNET reunirá a los socios del consorcio EU-HYBNET y a las partes interesadas en las amenazas híbridas para llevar a cabo un análisis del estado actual de los esfuerzos de estandarización en este campo e identificar las necesidades y posibilidades para el futuro.

Este taller explorará la cuestión de la estandarización en dos líneas de trabajo paralelas:

  1. Manipulación de Información e Interferencias Extranjeras (FIMI, por sus siglas en inglés)
  2. Protección de infraestructura crítica

El programa ya está disponible (aquí link).

Si desea más información, póngase en contacto con el organizador del evento – socio de EU-HYBNET – Polish Platform for Homeland Security (Malgorzata Wolbach malgorzata.wolbach@ppbw.pl)

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EU-HYBNET 3rd Innovation and Knowledge Exchange Workshop/3er Taller de Innovación e Intercambio de Conocimiento #IKEW2023

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We are pleased to invite you to the EU-HYBNET consortium’s 3rd Innovation Knowledge Exchange Workshop (#IKEW), which will take place on 7 November 2023 at the Headquarters of the Valencia Local Police in Valencia, Spain! Registration is now closed!

The event will also be streamed online for registered participants that cannot attend in person!

This third and final edition of EU-HYBNET’s IKEW will present innovations identified during the project’s ongoing third cycle which correspond to the gaps and needs pan-European security practitioners face when countering hybrid threats. One innovation per project core theme will be presented:

  1. Future trends of Hybrid Threats
  2. Cyber and future technologies
  3. Resilient civilians, local level, and administration
  4. Information and strategic communications

The workshop will serve as a forum where practitioners can engage with innovation providers. It will ensure the exchange of knowledge and information about innovations to increase the likelihood of future uptake. The workshop agenda is available here.

The IKEW is open to project partners and external participants upon registration.


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EU-HYBNET 3er Taller de Innovación e Intercambio de Conocimiento #IKEW2023

Nos complace invitarles al 3er Taller de Intercambio de Conocimientos sobre Innovación (#IKEW, por sus siglas en inglés) del consorcio EU-HYBNET, que tendrá lugar el 7 de noviembre de 2023 en la Central de la Policía Local de Valencia.

Por favor, apunten la fecha en sus agendas y compartan el evento entre sus redes.

Esta tercera y última edición del IKEW de EU-HYBNET presentará innovaciones identificadas/detectadas/descubiertas durante el tercer ciclo del proyecto en curso, que corresponden a las lagunas/carencias y necesidades a las que se enfrentan los profesionales de la seguridad paneuropeos a la hora de contrarrestar las amenazas híbridas. Se presentará una innovación por tema central del proyecto:

  1. Tendencias futuras de las amenazas híbridas
  2. Tecnologías cibernéticas y futuras
  3. Civiles resilientes, nivel local y administración
  4. Información y comunicaciones estratégicas

El taller actuará como un foro en el que los profesionales podrán interactuar con los proveedores de innovación. Garantizará el intercambio de conocimientos e información sobre innovaciones para aumentar la probabilidad de que se adopten en el futuro.  El programa del taller está disponible (aquí link).

El IKEW está abierto a socios del proyecto y a participantes externos previa inscripción.

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EU-HYBNET 3rd Annual Workshop #AW

We are pleased to announced that the EU-HYBNET consortium will hold its third Annual Workshop, #AW, on 20 April 2023 in Bucharest, Romania.

Please save the date in your calendars and share the event with your relevant networks!

This workshop will present the results and findings of the EU-HYBNET project during the past year. The consortium aims to ensure vivid interaction with all hybrid threats stakeholders to assess the feasibility of the project findings and possible recommendations to innovations uptake and standardisation.

As part of the event, EU-HYBNET will also be inviting providers of innovative solutions on security-related topics to present research and/or innovations which could contribute to countering hybrid threats.

Please find here the full draft agenda. The workshop is open to project partners and external participants upon registration.

Call for Innovations – Pitches

As part of the 3rd Annual WorkshopEU-HYBNET is inviting organizations and projects that work with security-related topics to present innovations (technological and non-technological) which contribute to countering hybrid threats in following areas: 

* Future trends in hybrid threats: detection of the weak signals and vulnerabilities to improve foresight capability in the areas of 

  • Data analytics for social network intelligence
  • Individual profiling based on algorithmic predictions enabled by AI
  • NBIC: neurological, biological, information and cognitive sciences innovations and findings

* Cyber and Future Technologies: monitor and analyse attempts to manipulate civil societies in digital environment (combat information manipulation) such as

  • Interference practices during crisis
  • Building resilience to Fake News
  • Sentiments monitoring among population
  • Collaborative resilience (cyber and information environment) 

* Resilient civilians, local level and national administration: increase trust among government and people  

  • increasing civilian engagement in crisis management
  • methods/techniques to understand impacts of protest actions and movements on national politics and geopolitics

* Information and strategic communication  

  • Education and training for building resilience to disinformation and FIMI (Foreign information manipulation and interference)
  • Enhancing fact-checking and argument checking with AI technologies online (from pre-bunking to criminalization)
  • Anticipatory, Strategic, and warning intelligence against hostile influencing in the information environment

Innovations related to hybrid threats but not linked to the topics abovementioned can be submitted. For the technological solutions we encourage you to submit your application only if your solution has a TRL >7. 

If you are interested in presenting your innovation in-person during the Annual Workshop, please fill out the template which you can download below. Kindly send your description of an innovation by 17 March 2023 to the event organizer The “Mihai Viteazul” National Intelligence Academy (MVNIA), MS Ileana Surdu ileana.surdu@animv.ro

Once we have received all inputs, EU-HYBNET will select 3-4 most promising innovation to be presented during the workshop on 20/4/2023 in Bucharest, Romania (venue: Ramada Plaza Hotel). Travel cost of presenters will be covered by the project to reasonable extend.

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EU-HYBNET 3rd Future Trends Workshop #FTW

We are pleased to announce that the EU-HYBNET consortium will hold its third Future Trends Workshop, #FTW2023, on 19 April 2023 in Bucharest, Romania.

The third EU-HYBNET Future Trends Workshop’s topic is “Hybrid Threats in the EU Neighbourhood – Implications for the future of EU security”. Please register and share the event with your relevant networks!

Three years into the EU-HYBNET project, this workshop will build on the project findings and provide a platform of interaction for various stakeholders to discuss hybrid threats in the EU’s neighbourhood, implications for the future of EU security and innovations to counter them.

Since the landscape of hybrid threats is continuously evolving, foresight and creative thinking is central for understanding, detecting and responding to emerging threats. It focuses on a more anticipatory and prospective outlook, highlighting the weak signals and outliers of disruptive and paradigmatic change to the European security environment.

Recent events in the EU neighbourhood have brought into attention a complex dynamic of adversarial tools and strategies involving weaponization of information, technology, cyberspace, critical infrastructure, energy, in an intricate pattern aimed to weaken cohesion and generate polarisation across the EU and its neighbourhood.

The purpose of the workshop is to support stakeholders’ everyday work by providing a future outlook for strategic planning and consider the consequences of today’s policy choices in long-term.

Please find the full draft agenda here. Further information will be provided shortly.

The workshop is open to project partners and external participants upon registration.

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EU-HYBNET Innovation Standardisation Workshop #ISW

We are pleased to announce EU-HYBNET’s “Innovation Standardization Workshop” on 15th June 2022 at the Babylon Hotel, The Hague, NL.

The event is open to EU-HYBNET consortium partners. Registrations are now closed.

The Innovation Standardization Workshop (ISW) focuses on EU-HYBNET’s identified most promising technological and non-technological innovative solutions and tools to counter Hybrid Threats and their standardization landscape in two fields:

  • Countering disinformation and fake news, increasing the level of media literacy and social resilience.
  • Critical infrastructure protection and information sharing.

The ISW will start with a keynote speech on “Countering Russian Disinformation during the war against Ukraine” given by Maria Avdeeva, Research Director at the European Expert Association from Kharkiv, Ukraine. A second keynote speech will focus on “Innovation standardization landscape in the context of critical infrastructure protection and need for enhanced information sharing” provided by EU-Vri – Steinbeis European Risk & Resilience Institute.

Keynote speeches will be followed by parallel sessions for two working groups (WG) with the participation of expert speakers, invited guests and EU-HYBNET consortium and network members. The WGs are:

WG1. on “Standardization measures in the context of critical infrastructure protection and innovations to enhance information sharing”

This WG will focus on standardization experts and pan-European security practitioners’ views on present standards, needs and possibilities for standardization in the future noticing the challenges deriving form hybrid threats.

WG2. on “Standardisation and innovations in disinformation and media literacy”

This WG is dedicated on standardization best practices and innovative solutions answering security practitioners’ needs to counter information manipulation and interference, disinformation and media literacy.

In the context of Hybrid Threats and focus areas of the WGs, the WGs aim to formulate recommendations concerning standardization and present standards. The WGs’ goal is also to support EU-HYBNET’s most promising proposed innovations uptake for pan-European security practitioners to counter Hybrid Threats.

Please find below the full agenda.

Participants are encouraged to attend the event in-person and join the discussions in the Hague. The sessions will also be broadcasted online; however, discussions in the parallel sessions will only be held in-person.

The event is invitation based. However, if you are interested in joining ISW due to your expertise in the focus areas of the workshop, please contact event organizer EU-HYBNET partner Polish Platform for Homeland Security Mr. Bartłomiej Ostrowski at bartlomiej.ostrowski@ppbw.pl.

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EU-HYBNET 2nd Innovation and Knowledge Exchange Workshop #IKEW

We are pleased to invite you to the EU-HYBNET consortium’s second hybrid Innovation Knowledge Exchange Workshop (#IKEW), which will take place on 14 June 2022 in the Hague and online!

Registrations are now closed.

The objective of this second workshop is to provide security practitioners, industry, SMEs, and academia with an opportunity to exchange information on challenges in countering hybrid threats and possible innovations to answer them.

IKEW 2022 will start with a plenary session with a keynote speech by Gwenda Nielen (TILT) on ‘Disinformation; The BadNews and resilience’. Presentations from EU-HYBNET on its latest results and future views and from the Dutch Ministry of Defence on hybrid threats in the Netherlands will follow. The plenary will be live-streamed to participants attending digitally.

Two tracks of break-out sessions will be organised in two rounds: live in the Hague or online for participants attending remotely. In each round, participants can express their preference between two live or online sessions.

In the four live break-out sessions, SMEs and innovation solution providers are encouraged to participate and discuss how several innovations to counter hybrid threats could be further improved and what new innovations may be needed. The sessions are grouped thematically: online dilemma gaming, cyber threats, societal resilience and strategic communication.

The four online sessions will discuss issues that have arisen from the gaps and needs analysis conducted during the current working cycle of the project: critical infrastructure disruption, emerging technologies and political cleavages. The fourth one will be an open brainstorm session in the format of an online game with a focus on hybrid threats.

At the end of the day, all participants (live and online) will return to the plenary session to receive presentations on the outcomes of all break-out sessions and follow a concluding keynote speech (TBD).

Please find below the full agenda

The workshop is open to project partners and external participants upon registration.

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EU-HYBNET 2nd Future Trends Workshop #FTW – Democracies on the edge?

The EU-HYBNET consortium will hold its second EU-HYBNET Future Trends Workshop, #FTW, on 5 of April 2022 in Rome and in hybrid format/telco. This workshop will address expected future manifestations of hybrid threats, and their evolving nature coupled with the different points of view that may be expressed as to how current innovations and solutions may or may not apply in tomorrow’s world.

The purpose of the workshop is to support the stakeholders’ everyday work by providing a future outlook for strategic planning and consider consequences of today’s policy choices in long-term.

The second EU-HYBNET Future Trends Workshop’s topic is “Democracies on the edge? Populism, Social networks, and international groups” including following topics:

* Trend 1 – Changing populism: what are the forms of populism? How will populism evolve and will it be a determining political movement in the future?

* Trend 2 – Instrumentalization of social networks: what are current social networks? How will the galaxy of social networks look like in the future? Will information virality models give and deepen social networks’ future harm potential at systemic levels?

* Trend 3 – Constitution of international groups: what narratives and topics unite and create movements transnationally? How this can be used as a tool by outside actors? Are these likely to grow into political force or are they more a disruption?