“By working together, the UK and our allies can turn cyber resilience into an economic advantage”
30 March, 2025
His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe, Chris Barton at the CyberTech Global Summit: “Cybersecurity isn’t just about protection- it's about keeping our economies competitive and resilient"
His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe, (UK’s Department for Business and Trade), Chris Barton spoke last week (Tuesday, 25 March) on the national and global cyber challenges: Advancing Cybersecurity Through International Collaboration panel.
Asked how the UK and European nations can work together to better protect critical industries and maintain economic resilience against cyber threats, he responded: “To better protect critical industries and strengthen economic resilience, the UK and European nations need to align their approaches to cybersecurity. Harmonising regulations, such as with the EU’s NIS2 Directive, can reduce complexity, improve supply chain security, and make it easier for businesses to operate across borders. Alongside regulations, closer intelligence sharing and joint innovation will help us detect and respond to threats more effectively and build a future-ready workforce”.
He added: “The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) already works closely with European partners, and deepening these ties will enhance collective security. Investing together in cyber skills will also ensure we build a workforce that’s ready for the challenges ahead”.
Regarding the future of Cyber Cooperation, Barton said, “In the next five years, several initiatives and policies could enhance global cyber collaboration. Establishing International Cyber Norms will help develop keep common approaches to responsible cyber behaviour and ‘Stabilise’ cyberspace to make it safe and predictable. Managing AI and Quantum Technologies is also crucial – ensuring these technologies are forces for good by collectively agreeing on guidelines for their interaction with cybersecurity”
“Furthermore, one of the most exciting developments in cyber in the UK is Golden Valley, which will be the largest security focused technology park in the UK, featuring over 1 million sq. ft of commercial space clustering companies from cyber, AI and more. These initiatives will drive innovation, enhance security, and foster international collaboration in the cyber domain”.
The panel was moderated by Amir Sagie, Director of the Cybersecurity and emerging Technologies Policy Department, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel. And featured: Edward Mermelstein, Commissioner, NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, USA; Dr David Zcharia, Chief of Branch, Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), United Nations Security Council, USA; Luigi Rebuffi, Secretary General, European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO) & W4C, Belgium; Rahav Shalom-Revivo, Head of Financial-Cyber Strategy, Innovation, International Engagements, Ministry of Finance, Israel;Dr Emmanuel Navon, CEO, ELNET-Israel ;Amit A Shukla, Joint Secretary, E-governance, Information, Technology and Cyber, Ministry of External Affairs, India.
The UK and Israel share a strong and growing cybersecurity partnership, built on deep collaboration in innovation, investment, and intelligence-sharing. As two of the world’s leading cybersecurity hubs, both nations work closely to strengthen cyber resilience and support the development of cutting-edge technologies.
The UK is a key market for Israeli Cybersecurity companies, with many establishing operations and partnerships across the UK’s financial, defence and critical infrastructure sectors. Meanwhile, UK firms and research institutions engage with Israel’s world-class cyber ecosystem to drive joint R&D and investment.
Over 400 Israeli tech firms operate in the UK, contributing approx. £1B in gross value to the UK economy and creating around 16,000 jobs over the past eight years. Around 80 of these firms operate in the Cybersecurity sector, contributing to the UK’s efforts to strengthen cyber resilience across industries.
Note to editors:
The Department of Business and Trade (DBT( at the British Embassy in Israel supports Israeli companies to enter the UK market and supports UK exporters to sell their goods and services into Israel. The Embassy also focusses on public policy, resolving market access barriers and supporting work towards a new FTA agreement between the UK and Israel to open opportunities in Israel for UK companies.
As His majesty Trade Commissioner for Europe and Israel, Chris Barton, CMG, works to encourage a thriving trade and investment relationship between the UK and European partners. Israel views the UK as its 4th largest source of FDI with $1.13B invested in 2023. Per capita, Israel is ranked among the top ten countries for foreign direct investment projects in the UK in 2023-2024 among European countries.
Photo credit: Gilad Kavalerchik]
Posted in: Cyber
