A cybersecurity training programme for women in the technology sector, led by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU), has been backed by European Commission funding.
Trust4Future has been selected as one of the winners of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Deep Tech Talent Initiative training proposals for 2024.
The project is led by Professor Bill Buchanan OBE (pictured) from ENU’s School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, a world-renowned expert digital trust and cryptography.
Presented in partnership with ENU, Turkish-based digital innovation organisation TAGES RDI and Istanbul Blockchain Women Association, Trust4Future will focus on empowering women in technology by developing their skills in cybersecurity and blockchain.
As one of 15 winning projects selected from nearly 100 submissions, it has received funding of €146,578.75 to create and deliver this training. The project, which is open to all learners, is already underway and aims to train 600 people by November 2025.
Professor Bill Buchanan said: “This is an exciting project and we are delighted to have been named among the winners of the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative.
“It is important that technology has a skilled, inlcusive workforce, and we believe this training for women in the sectory will help contribute to this.
“Trust4Future is another great example of Edinburgh Napier expertise helping to make a difference to wider professional communities.”
Professor Buchanan has been repeatedly recognised for his outstanding work in cybersecurity and cryptography. Earlier this year he was awarded a Fellowship with the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and he was named Most Innovative Teacher of the Year at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards last December.
Funded by the European Commission, the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative is a pioneering programme with an ambitious goal to equip 1 million people with deep tech skills by 2025. It aims to help tackle the world’s most pressing challenges through advanced technological solutions which blend science and engineering across physical, biological, and digital spheres.