Guillaume Tissier, Director of the International Cybersecurity Forum

The forum, originally dedicated to cybercrime, was born in Lille in 2007. “The forum was born in Lille, supported by the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Gendarmerie (at the time). I discovered it in 2009 as a speaker on geopolitical issues,” recalls Guillaume Tissier. In 2013, after the Gendarmerie and private partners joined forces, the forum expanded to include cybersecurity.

When you consider that every 11 seconds a ransomware attack is carried out worldwide, this gives you an idea of the importance of the subject…

Although the event for the cybersecurity professional ecosystem is based in Lille, it is becoming increasingly international in scope. And for this, its Lille location is a major asset. “We’re getting more and more visitors from Northern Europe, so it’s essential for us that the forum is held in a city that’s easily accessible and welcoming,” explains Guillaume Tissier.
The forum takes place over 3 days, and 65% of visitors stay for 2 days. “It’s therefore important for the event to be located in a friendly, human-sized city that’s pleasant to live in for our visitors, who are often quite young, which is a recognized asset of the Lille European Metropolis.” And let’s not forget the event and hotel infrastructures that allow us to combine conferences with a trade show.
“The format of the FIC is restrictive: we need a large space for exhibitors, and multiple adjoining rooms for workshops and conferences. Lille Grand Palais lends itself perfectly to this,” emphasizes the organizer.

The Fic was born in Lille, and has been running here for over 10 years, and, according to Guillaume Tissier, it’s flourishing here. “We have a lot of support from the Region and the Metropolis, and the economic fabric is made up of both demand in terms of cybersecurity (retail, e-commerce, health, etc.) and supply, with leading companies in these fields. The metropolis is also home to a large number of schools training tomorrow’s resources in places like Euratechnologies, which contribute to the development of the ecosystem. And let’s not forget the Regional Cybersecurity Campus which is opening its doors in Lille,” argues the forum director. “I can only promote this region, which is so well-equipped, welcoming and involved in this type of event,” he concludes.