The Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) joins IMC²

Press release
For immediate release


The Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) joins the Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (IMC2)

A new partnership to strengthen university collaboration in cybersecurity is born

[Montréal, January 29, 2025] – The Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (IMC2) is proud to welcome the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) as a new partner institution. UQO joins Polytechnique Montréal, the Université de Montréal, and HEC Montréal to expand the expertise and geographical reach of IMC2, while consolidating its role as an academic leader in cybersecurity in Canada.

The strength of IMC2 already lies in its ability to design and conduct multidisciplinary projects, where the crucial integration of technological and human issues is emphasized. The arrival of UQO’s dynamic forces within the Institute will strengthen this dynamic, allowing for the acceleration and amplification of its strategic deployment. This partnership will also consolidate the network of collaborations between IMC2 members and strategic ecosystem partners, particularly in our nation’s capital region.

Widely acknowledged for interdisciplinary expertise in cybersecurity

The addition of UQO enhances the organization’s expertise in cybersecurity, thanks to the Computer Security Research Laboratory (LRSI), which has been active in the field for over 25 years. This laboratory stands out for its research on cybersecurity applied to artificial intelligence (AI), AI-driven defense, software security and reliability, as well as critical cybersecurity issues related to digital identity, the Internet of Things (IoT), and transportation.

In addition, expertise is being developed on organizational and human aspects, including the psychological dimension, related to cybersecurity and digital trust issues. This expertise is organized around several initiatives such as the INRS-UQO Joint Research Unit (UMR) and the Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation Center in Cybersecurity and Society (CIRICS).

These areas of expertise align perfectly with those already present within IMC2, thus strengthening its existing strengths and paving the way for significant advances in the development of a cyber-resilient society.

A strategic collaboration to propel innovative initiatives

In addition to existing projects, this alliance will promote the development of new initiatives, such as the creation of a distributed simulation platform for collaborative cybersecurity research and training, as well as the deployment of the Cyber-citizen Assistance Network (CcAN) project, notably with the establishment of a branch in the city of Gatineau.

The pooling of expertise will further strengthen the thematic axes prioritized by the Institute. Transportation and supply chain cybersecurity have been identified as specific critical areas, representing major challenges that this new collaboration aims to address in the short term.

Education is also a key theme of this partnership. Already at work, the new partners are indeed cooperating to develop joint programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, thus enriching the student experience and aiming to better align training paths with the needs of the ecosystem.

An event will be organized soon at the Gatineau campus of the Université du Québec en Outaouais to highlight this partnership and showcase the expected impacts of this new and promising collaboration.

Quotes

« IMC2 and UQO have both recognized the importance of joining forces to address increasingly complex cybersecurity issues. This new alliance is based on complementary expertise. It will strengthen and expand existing collaborations through the creation of ambitious projects and new joint training programs. »

Frédéric Cuppens, Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal and IMC2 Director

 

« We are delighted to join IMC2, a dynamic and visionary network that will allow us to build a strategic partnership in cybersecurity. We are committed to actively participating in collaborative training and research projects and, together, to addressing current challenges and anticipating future cybersecurity issues. »

Kamel Adi, Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Université du Québec en Outaouais

 

« Joining IMC2 marks a significant step for UQO in its mission to actively contribute to the advancement of knowledge and solutions in cybersecurity. This partnership will not only highlight our interdisciplinary expertise but also strengthen collaborations with prestigious institutions to address complex cybersecurity challenges. Together, we are laying the foundations for a more resilient and secure society. »

Murielle Laberge, Rector of the Université du Québec en Outaouais

 

About the Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience – IMC2

The Multidisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (IMC2) provides governments, citizens, and businesses in Québec and Canada with leading expertise through its research activities, the training of a relevantly skilled workforce, innovation and knowledge sharing, and its support in public policy matters. Among the organization’s collaborators are more than fifty professors and their research teams. IMC2 is the result of an initial collaboration between Polytechnique Montréal, the initiator of the project, in partnership with the Université de Montréal and HEC Montréal, joined by the Université du Québec en Outaouais.

https://i-mc2.ca/

About the Université du Québec en Outaouais

A member of the Université du Québec network, UQO proudly celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021. In reality, this represents a journey spanning over 50 years, as university activities began in the Outaouais and Laurentides regions in 1971. Ten years later, in 1981, the Université du Québec à Hull (UQAH) was officially established, later becoming the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) in 2002. Today, UQO offers more than a hundred study options across its campuses in Gatineau and Saint-Jérôme, where nearly 7,100 students and over 550 regular staff members, including 251 professors, work alongside approximately 372 lecturers. Together, they contribute to making our university one of the main drivers of economic, social, and cultural development in the Outaouais and Laurentides regions.

About Polytechnique Montréal

Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s largest engineering education and research institutions. It is located on the Université de Montréal campus, the largest French-language university campus in the Americas. With more than 61,500 graduates to date, Polytechnique has educated over 22% of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec’s current membership. Polytechnique offers more than 120 programs taught by over 300 professors, and welcomes in excess of 10,000 students yearly.


Interview requests and other media inquiries
Martin Primeau
Conseiller relations médias – vulgarisation scientifique
Polytechnique Montréal
514 805-0797
[email protected]

Louis Lafortune
Agent d’information
Université du Québec en Outaouais
819 595-3900, poste 3956
[email protected]