Review of the “go-cluster” 2023 conference: Clusters as the key to enterprise cyber resilience

Dr Daniela Brönstrup from BMWK during her opening speech

© BMWK/Photographer: Peter-Paul Weiler

In her opening speech, Dr Daniela Brönstrup, Head of the Digital and Innovation Policy Department at the BMWK, welcomed the guests to the annual “go-cluster” conference. In her speech, she emphasised the topicality of the issue of cyber security: Digital technologies offer not only great opportunities and solutions, but also gateways for cyber attacks if security is not sufficiently taken into account. In order to overcome the resulting challenges, a joint strategy and measures such as the National Coordination Centre for Cyber Security in Industry, Technology and Research (NKCS) as well as the BMWK programmes "IT Security in Business", the network "SME Digital Centres" and "go-digital" are needed. Website "What is Mittelstand-Digital?"

At the same time, Dr Brönstrup emphasised the key role of cluster managers both in terms of protecting organisations from cyber threats and in raising awareness among members as well as pooling knowledge in the network. By creating different formats and measures, resilience can be increased on the one hand and the ability to react in the event of an attack on the other.

Exciting live hack, keynote and informative technical sessions

Thomas Michalski, Managing Director of inmodis GmbH, provided an exciting introduction to the topic of the conference with his presentation on cyber dangers and an exemplary live hack. This made clear to the participants how easy it can be for third parties to obtain personal data on the internet and to damage possible competitor companies through a cyber attack.

In order to shed light on the complex topic of cyber security from different perspectives, there were two short presentations in the morning on the topics of “Cyber Security Awareness in Companies” and “Cyber Security Directive NIS 2 - Why You Should Know the New EU Directive”.

Participants had the opportunity to get an overview of both focal points in pitches by Prof. Dr. Tino Schuppan, Stein-Hardenberg Institute, as well as Sebastian Barchnicki from the Competence Centre for Cyber Security in Business in NRW, which could be deepened in the afternoon sessions.

The importance of cyber security was underlined by the expert Simran Mann, security policy officer at Bitkom e. V., in her keynote address in the early afternoon.

Central results of the conference day:

• No digitisation without cyber security.
• The BMWK support services primarily reach #SMEs and can help to preventively protect against cyber attacks and to bring companies into the "stable side position" in the event of an attack.
• Clusters are multipliers that can sensitise their member companies and bundle know-how.

The BMWK's "go-cluster" programme will therefore offer its members various additional services this year on the central theme of #cybersecurity. The need and demand are enormous.

Honouring the ClusterERFOLGS 2023 and matchmaking

In addition to conveying important and exciting content, there was also something to celebrate at the "go-cluster" conference: the Cluster Cyberforum was chosen as the winner of this year's ClusterERFOLGS 2023 for its pilot project "Cyberwehr", which is unique in Germany, by live voting of the participants. Cyberwehr Baden-Württemberg supports small and medium-sized enterprises as a central point of contact in the event of an IT security incident.

Personal networking in presence was also not neglected: Via matchmaking, the participants could continue the exchange among each other and establish new contacts.