Rennes a cyber city
Rennes Métropole has a long-established reputation in the field of information and communications technology, with 4,200 firms employing 38,100 people (2018 figures). Since 2014, the French Armed Forces Ministry has expanded its cyber security operations in Rennes Métropole, making it the place to be in Europe for cyber security.
The Information Control Defence Agency (DGA Maitrise de l’information, DGA-MI) now has a workforce of 1500, including 500 experts in cyber security and cyber defence. Rennes is also home to ComCyber, France’s Cyber Defence Command, inaugurated by the Minister of Defence on October 3, 2019.
Key figures
- 3,400 jobs
- 70 private-sector companies
- + 15 startups
- 90 specialist PhD students in Europe : CyberSchool
- 30 trainings at all levels, from University Institutes of Technology (IUT) to grande école graduate schools
- 200 students specialising in cybersecurity (including 110 Masters students)
- 1,000 students benefit from
- cyber security awareness training every year
- 150 cyber security researchers
The city boasts an industrial and academic ecosystem that has seen constant growth for many years now. Today, it includes over 75 SMEs and 150 researchers covering most of the technical and scientific aspects of cyber security. Rennes is also a focus for cyber security research, with 200 students and 90 PhD students specialising in the topic; a further 1,000 students receive specific cyber security awareness training each year. These figures will double in 2020 with the creation of CyberSchool, a Cyber Security Research Graduate School unlike any other in Europe.
Source : AUDIAR survey – Cyber security excellence in Rennes Métropole
Rennes where research means cyber
5 cyber security joint research units:
IRISA – Research Institute of Computer Science and Random Systems (Institut de Recherche en Informatique et Systèmes Aléatoires) is now France’s largest research laboratory in the field of computer science and information technology, with a staff of over 850.
IRMAR – Mathematical Research Institute of Rennes (Institut de Recherche Mathématique de Rennes) conducts research in the fields of modelling and digital analysis, probability, statistics, and cryptography.
IETR – Rennes Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications (Institut d’Electronique et de Télécommunications de Rennes) is a state-funded laboratory bringing together research teams from the French National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS) Institute of Engineering and Systems Science (INSIS),Rennes 1 University, Rennes National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), CentraleSupélec, and Nantes University.
LabSticc is the Laboratory for Information, Communication, and Knowledge Science and Technology, located in the cities of Brest, Quimper, Lorient, and Vannes.
IODE Western France Institute of Law and European Affairs (Institut de l’Ouest: Droit et Europe)is a law research laboratory with the status of joint research unit (unité mixte de recherche, UMR 6262). As such, it is overseen both by Rennes 1 University and by France’s National Scientific Research Centre (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS).
The business story
Frederic Remi – Amossys
- After studying maths, Frédéric Remi started his career in industry
- In 2007, he set up Amossys, provider of expert consultancy services in IT security
- The firm is a pure player in cyber security – with annual growth of 25%
- R&D is their core business
- Amossys is present in France, and increasingly so across Europe.
- “Rennes is very much a cyber hub”
Rennes Métropole is keen to support the industrial development of this sector locally – not least because societal issues such as sovereignty and privacy highlight the need for a trusted cyber security industry. Rennes Métropole is also keen to work in partnership with the stakeholders in question, both to help manage cyber security-related risks and to nurture resources that can benefit smart cities.
Major events held in Rennes
One upshot of this is that Rennes Métropole is now a partner of the Industry Strategy Committee (Comité Stratégique de Filière, CSF) for the security industry, more particularly for two major projects, “Cyber security and IoT security” and “Trusted Territory”. This includes the joint organisation of a “Cyber & Smart City” session at European Cyber Week, one of the three major events held in Rennes, together with SSTIC and le BreizhCTF.
The key place
CYBERDÉFENSE FACTORY
Set up and run by DGA, Cyberdéfense Factory is theonly incubator of its kind in France, with startups, SMEs, and academics working on cyber security issues in close contact with experts from DGA and military personnel.
DIGITAL SQUARE
This incubator welcomes emerging companies working in digital tech and cybersecurity. The facility allows companies to have access to secure units (15, 17, or 23 sqm) that can be granted Defence security certification.
