Press Release
For Immediate Release
Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (IMC2) and the CyberWal Consortium Join forces for a Cyber-Resilient and Innovative Society
[Louvain-la-Neuve, October 1, 2025] – Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (IMC2) and Wallonia’s Strategic Innovation Initiative (SII) CyberWal have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at structuring and strengthening their collaboration.
One year after a delegation of Walloon researchers, led by Wallonie-Bruxelles International, visited Montreal for the Forum InCyber, this agreement consolidates the exchanges initiated at that time and provides a clear direction for future collaborations. The signing ceremony, held at Université catholique de Louvain, marked the beginning of a visit program carried out as part of a mission involving several IMC2 researchers, including members of its leadership team and Scientific Advisory Committee. Over the following three days, scientific presentations, collaborative project workshops, infrastructure visits and networking activities helped strengthen cooperation ties between the two organizations.
The presence of representatives from the Délégation générale du Québec à Bruxelles and the Wallonia-Brussels scientific liaison office in Canada (Montreal) during the signing ceremony highlights the importance of this milestone in establishing joint research, training and knowledge-transfer initiatives between Quebec and Wallonia.
A Shared Mission
Driven by common objectives within their respective territories, IMC2 and CyberWal aim to combine their expertise to address major societal cybersecurity challenges in line with their strategic priorities and the realities of their local ecosystems.
More specifically, this agreement will support several areas of collaboration, including the joint development and management of multidisciplinary research projects on key topics such as immersive simulation platforms, transportation cybersecurity and malware prevention.
The agreement also includes collaboration in training and education to enhance the student experience and ensure stronger alignment between workforce qualifications and the needs of industry and institutional partners, while jointly showcasing the outcomes of their work.
By cooperating on these strategic issues, the two organizations aim to stimulate the cybersecurity ecosystem in Wallonia and Canada while generating high-impact benefits for civil society as well as public and private organizations.
Quotes
“This marks IMC2’s first international partnership, and we are pleased to share common objectives with CyberWal that will help promote cybersecurity beyond borders. This mission has been highly enriching, particularly with regard to the development of cyber ranges, which could also be implemented in Quebec.”
- Frédéric Cuppens, Director of IMC2
“This alliance demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in a field where threats evolve rapidly and transcend borders. Together, we aim to build innovative solutions to strengthen the resilience of our societies.”
- Marc Gervais, Executive Director of IMC2
“The establishment of this international partnership between CyberWal and IMC2 opens a new phase in accelerating scientific collaboration in cybersecurity between Wallonia and Quebec. Together, we will address shared challenges and strengthen the societal impact of our research.”
- Samuel Jude, Manager of Wallonia’s Strategic Innovation Initiative (SII), “CyberWal”
About the Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience – IMC2
Drawing on a network of approximately sixty professors and their research teams, IMC2 provides governments, citizens and businesses across Quebec and Canada with leading expertise through research activities, workforce training, innovation, knowledge sharing and support for public policy development. The Institute is the result of a partnership between Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Montréal, HEC Montréal and Université du Québec en Outaouais.
About Wallonia’s Strategic Innovation Initiative (SII), “CyberWal”
The Strategic Innovation Initiative (SII) “CyberWal” is a consortium bringing together all French-speaking universities in Belgium, accredited cybersecurity research centres, and IDELUX, the economic development agency of Luxembourg Province. Its mission is to pool expertise and infrastructure in order to strengthen cybersecurity and cyber resilience in Wallonia.
https://www.digitalwallonia.be/cyber/
Media Contacts
Caroline Villemure
Communications Advisor
Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience
[email protected]
Ségolène Misselyn
Project Manager
CyberWal SII
+32 494 26 30 48
http://s3.wallonie.be