Cyber threats, artificial intelligence and the future of democracy dominated discussions in Dublin today as Ireland prepares to take over the EU Presidency. Senior figures from government, security, technology and civil society gathered at Trinity College Dublin to assess the growing risks to Europe’s digital stability — and the role Ireland could play in shaping the response at a critical juncture.
This timely discussion, hosted by the Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience in partnership with the Trinity Long Room Hub, comes as related issues such as hybrid interference, disinformation, critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and public trust are increasingly shaping Europe’s political and security agenda.
And who better to speak to some of the key issues that Ireland must address than senior Cypriot policymakers who have advanced EU digital security and resilience priorities during that island nation’s presidency? Both Louis Telemachou, Cyprus’s Ambassador to Ireland, and Anna Koukkides-Procopiou, former Minister for Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus, delivered keynote speeches to put invaluable insights up in lights.
Ireland’s EU Presidency will place renewed focus on the relationship between security, competitiveness and democratic values. For a highly connected economy such as Ireland, the importance of digital security and societal resilience will form a central priority for Ireland’s EU Presidency as they affect public services, undersea cables, data infrastructure, business resilience, elections, rights and citizens’ trust in digital systems.
Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Neale Richmond TD, said: “As Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, digital security sits at the heart of our priorities on competitiveness, values and security. As a highly connected country, Ireland has a real contribution to make. We have strong research expertise, a vibrant technology sector and a long-standing commitment to European cooperation. The Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience can play an important role in connecting expertise, informing debate and supporting Ireland’s contribution to a secure and trusted digital Europe.”
The event also featured an address from Ambassador Louis Telemachou, Cyprus’s Ambassador to Ireland, who reflected on the digital security and resilience priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union as Cyprus hands over the Presidency to Ireland. His contribution drew a connection between two island nations that understand the strategic importance of maritime security, secure connectivity, multilateral cooperation and resilience.
Ambassador Telemachou said: “For Cyprus, security is not an abstract concept, but a lived reality. As two island nations, Cyprus and Ireland understand the importance of secure connectivity, maritime resilience and multilateral cooperation. As Ireland assumes the Presidency, there is an opportunity to carry forward a European agenda, that was also a top priority for the current Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, that is more capable of responding to cyber threats, hybrid interference and the protection of critical infrastructure on which our societies depend.”
The event is being held convened by the Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience, in partnership with the Trinity Long Room Hub and the Research Ireland ADAPT Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content.
Director of the Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience, Professor Hitesh Tewari, commented: “Digital security is no longer a challenge that any one discipline, sector or institution can address alone. The purpose of this Centre is to connect the expertise Ireland already has across technology, law, business, society and public engagement, and to turn that expertise into a practical asset for Ireland and Europe.
“As Ireland assumes the EU Presidency, we want the Centre to be a place where researchers, policymakers, industry, civil society and the public can come together to understand the risks, develop solutions and build the trust and resilience our digital future requires.”
The keynote address was delivered by Anna Koukkides-Procopiou, former Minister for Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus and now Peace Fellow at the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University. Her talk demonstrated how technological change, cyber and hybrid threats, and pressure on democratic institutions are increasingly connected.
The event also included a panel discussion, Research, Resilience and Responsibility: Ireland’s Contribution to Europe’s Digital Security, chaired by Director of the Trinity Long Room Hub, Professor Patrick Geoghegan. Panellists included Richard Browne, Director of the National Cyber Security Centre; Professor Maria Grazia Porcedda, Deputy Director of the Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience; and Dr Johnny Ryan of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.
The panel considered how research can become a practical asset for Ireland and Europe at a time when digital infrastructure, AI systems, democratic trust and national resilience are increasingly connected. It examined how Ireland can contribute to Europe’s digital security agenda during its EU Presidency, through policy, research excellence, public dialogue, industry collaboration, skills development and rights-based governance.
Naoise Ó Cearúil TD, the new Chair of the Oireachtas AI Committee closed the event with his reflections on the challenges and opportunities ahead.
The Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience was established earlier this year to bring together expertise from across computer science, engineering, law, business, social sciences, humanities and public engagement. Its work spans areas including applied cryptography, trustworthy software and AI systems, critical infrastructure resilience, digital law and governance, economic risk, societal trust and human factors.
The Centre will run a series of events throughout Ireland’s EU Presidency, creating space for public discussion, policy engagement and European collaboration on digital security and societal resilience. Further details will be available on the Centre’s website: www.tcd.ie/digital-security-resilience
