Under this guiding theme, the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) co-organised a pilot course on maritime cybersecurity together with the Constanța Maritime University in Romania.

The course was opened by Gabriel Raicu, Rector of the Maritime University of Constanța and President of MARCYSCOE, Niculae Iancu, Vice-President of MARCYSCOE, and Giuseppe Zuffanti, ESDC Coordinator for Cyber Issues and the Cyber ETEE Platform.

European Union, 2024

One significant milestone, thanks to the recent valuable cooperation between the ESDC and EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, was the delivery of the important speech, directly from the field of the CSDP operation, by Cdr. Elia Cuoco, Chief of Staff on board ITS Caio Duilio, and Lt. Col. Clemente Casoria.

The aim of the course was to foster a better understanding of cybersecurity in the maritime sector, with a focus on the EU context. It tackled current geopolitical and technological challenges in this domain and offered practical solutions. Topics included the impact of EU cybersecurity policies and strategies and international cooperation, and the use of advanced cybersecurity technologies in maritime operations.

Special thanks go to the course directors for the good organisation of the ESDC activity, to the lecturers, to Elia Cuoco and of course to all the participants for their active participation and commitment.

European Union, 2024

Constanța Maritime University offers an extensive range of academic programmes at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, with a special focus on maritime cybersecurity. It is the second-largest maritime university in the EU, and brings together students from the Black Sea region, Asia and Africa. The university’s participation in numerous EU-funded projects and collaboration with the ESDC have significantly enhanced its capabilities in addressing maritime cybersecurity challenges. It is actively involved in European maritime initiatives, focusing on cybersecurity and playing a pivotal role in ensuring a secure maritime future for Europe.

EUNAVFOR ASPIDES was launched in February 2024 by the EU Foreign Affairs Council. It is an EU military operation contributing to the protection of freedom of navigation and to safeguarding maritime security, especially for merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf, under the EU CSDP.