Cybersecurity in Rennes, a leading sector!
Rennes Métropole (Greater Rennes) is a bastion of European cybersecurity with its laboratories,
institutions of higher education, startups, SMEs, multinationals and state entities.
Brittany, a land of cybersecurity
As the second most important cybersecurity region in France after Paris, Brittany is one of the most advanced territories in addressing digital security challenges and structuring the sector. This strategic position, on a European scale, ensures visibility for Breton businesses in the international cybersecurity market.
The Pôle d’excellence Cyber (PEC), a French Ministry of Armed Forces and Brittany Regional Council initiative, has naturally taken root in Rennes. As a PEC member, Rennes Métropole is highly committed to increasing the number of cybersecurity experts in the region (Destination Rennes).
Cybersecurity in Rennes
The city’s robust military and civilian specialisations, and its transition to an intelligent city, make it a unique ecosystem which furthers the growth of the cybersecurity sector on a European level. Boasting internationally acclaimed talent, research facilities with close ties to industry, and a host of startups, Rennes is becoming an attractive hub for cybersecurity – and for recruiting the people the field needs.
Rennes Métropole (Greater Rennes) has long-standing expertise in the information and communications technologies sphere with 4,200 businesses employing 38,100 people (2018 figures). Since 2014, the French Ministry of Armed Forces’ cybersecurity activities have grown to such an extent that Rennes Métropole has become the cybersecurity reference in Europe.
The Information Control Defence Agency (DGA-MI) now has a workforce of 1500, including 500 experts in cybersecurity and cyberdefence. Rennes is also home to ComCyber, France’s Cyber Defence Command, which was inaugurated by the French Defence Minister on 3 October 2019.
Rennes boasts an industrial and academic ecosystem which has been expanding for many years.
businesses
jobs
startups
training programmes
students taught every year
cybersecurity researchers
students
Five joint cybersecurity research units (UMR) in Rennes
IRISA
The Research Institute of Computer Science and Random Systems is now France’s largest computer science and information technology laboratory (850+ employees).
IRMAR
Rennes Institute of Mathematical Research 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), Université de Rennes, Rennes National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), CentraleSupélec, and Nantes University.
LabSticc
The Laboratory for Information, Communication, and Knowledge Science and Technology, located in the cities of Brest, Quimper, Lorient, and Vannes.
IODE
Western France Institute: Law and Europe – (Institut de l’Ouest: Droit et Europe) is a law research laboratory which is jointly overseen by Université de Rennes and by the French National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS).
Key cybersecurity events in Rennes
Rennes is a major cybersecurity hub, hosting several key events:
- European Cyber Week – Organised by the Pôle d’excellence cyber (PEC) and its members, this event gathers over 8,000 participants from 23 countries annually at the Couvent des Jacobins. The 2024 edition included an AI-focused segment exploring the intersection of Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence.
- Forum InCyber (FIC) in Lille – Rennes Métropole is represented alongside 20 Breton companies and five research centres.
- BreizhCTF – France’s largest in-person hacking competition, held at the Couvent des Jacobins. With over 600 participants, the event includes a job fair offering training, career transition, and employment opportunities.
- SSTIC (Symposium on the Security of Information and Communication Technologies) – Every June, 800 experts from academia, industry, and government attend this prestigious event.
Key sites
Cyberdéfense Factory
Set up and run by the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), Cyberdéfense Factory is the only incubator of its kind in France, with startups, SMEs, and academics working on cybersecurity issues alongside DGA experts and military personnel.
Cyberplace
Cyberplace hosts innovative companies in a fully secured environment conducive to collaborative projects. Specialising in cybersecurity, it includes 170 m² of “confidential defence” facilities within a 1,200 m² area. This incubator ideally complements the offering already provided in recent years by Digital Square.
Digital Square
This incubator welcomes emerging digital tech and cybersecurity businesses by offering them access to secure units (15, 17, or 23m2) that can be granted Defence security certification. It currently hosts nearly 25 startups, including around 10 specialising in cybersecurity.
Pôle d’Excellence Cyber (PEC)
The Pôle d’Excellence Cyber (PEC) brings together over 130 stakeholders from research, education, and industry. Rennes Métropole is actively involved in strengthening the presence of cybersecurity experts in the area.
French Cyber Booster within Le Poool
Its aim is to accelerate the emergence of cybersecurity startups, with the goal of creating and supporting 50 such companies over a five-year period.
A professional network (CyberSchool’s role in this ecosystem)
CyberSchool is a project offering specialised cybersecurity training, covering mathematics-cryptography, law, IT, electronics, telecommunications, and political science. This project is led by the University of Rennes, in partnership with other stakeholders from the Rennes site and the Pôle d’Excellence Cyber (PEC).
On a wider scale, the vast array of partnerships with sector leaders (institutions, leading business schools, businesses, the DGA) within the Pôle d’Excellence Cyber make Rennes Métropole the ideal starting point for students, PhD students and researchers who are interested in cybersecurity.
The available University courses are taught by professors who are also leading researchers within the sector on a national and international level.
At the core of Rennes’ ecosystem, CyberSchool’s students, PhD students and researchers are able to collaborate with various academic and soci-economic actors within the framework of the Pôle d’excellence cyber:
- French Ministry of Armed Forces units (ComCyber – France’s Cyber Defence Command, DGA-MI – Information Control Defence Agency)
- Multinationals (Orange, Airbus, and Thales, etc.)
- SME-SMI (Amossys, Quarkslab and Secure-Ic, etc.)
Sources: Destination Rennes/Rennes Business: https://www.rennes-business.com/fr/pourquoi-rennes/secteurs-excellence/cybersecurite/