The CYD Campus is incorporated in the Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse Science and Technology and has been active for three years. It pursues strategic goals which have been defined as part of the Cyber-Defence Action Plan, the DDPS’s Cyber Strategy and the National Strategy for the Protection of Switzerland against Cyber Risks (NCS). Within this context, the CYD Campus assumes the following key tasks: Early identification of trends in the cyber area, research and innovation of cyber technologies and training of cyber specialists.

As part of the early identification of cyber technologies, systematic scouting of new technologies and startups was expanded to six additional countries in 2021. Technology scouting refers to the targeted observation and early identification of changes, potentials and relevant knowledge about technological developments. In addition to the already established technology and market monitoring in Switzerland, the United States and Singapore, the cyber developments and trends in the UK, Germany, Austria, France, Israel and Estonia are now also being actively pursued with an international partner network. As a result, the latest developments from these regions are analysed at an early stage and examined as part of studies and proofs of concept with the relevant agencies in the federal government. In 2021, a dozen proofs of concept could thus be implemented with consumers.

Regarding the research and innovation of cyber technologies, cooperation with universities such as ETH Zurich, EPF Lausanne, the ZHAW and the University of Lausanne was further intensified in 2021 and extended to new fields of technology such as post-quantum cryptography, the battle against disinformation and the protection of critical infrastructures, in line with defence requirements.

In the area of cyber talent promotion, the CYD Campus, together with EPFL Lausanne, was able to award ten fellowships to talented students in 2021. These students were given the opportunity to strengthen their competencies in the area of cyber defence. Another 35 students were able to complete a university internship or write a master's or bachelor's thesis as part of the talent development program at the CYD Campus.

In addition, CYD Campus 2021 events such as the lunch seminars, the hackathons, the conferences and the Cyber Startup Challenge further advanced the networking of the Swiss cyberdefence community. For example, the CYD Campus organised a car hackathon in October 2021. Altogether, 20 participants from ETH Zurich, the University of Oxford, fedpol, the Swiss Armed Forces and armasuisse examined potential security vulnerabilities in seven different vehicles (various different manufacturers, military/civilian, electric/non-electric) during the one-week hackathon and took first steps in this security area.

Further information on the activities, partners and implemented projects can now be read as a PDF or in print form.