On 7 October 2026, the Cyber Security Cluster of Excellence – CYSCOE took part in the FACTORY 4.0 Conference 2026, Central and Eastern Europe’s Industry 4.0 conference. As the event’s Cyber Security Partner, CYSCOE was represented by four people from member organisations of the cluster: on stage, at the CYSCOE presentation point and at the evening gala.
Date: 7 October 2026
Venue: NORD Events Center by Globalworth, Bucharest
CYSCOE role: Cyber Security Partner
On stage: IoT & Cybersecurity for Smart Industry
Mădălin Staniu, Cybersecurity Executive and Co-Founder of Black Bullet (Innovation Needs), joined the panel “IoT & Cybersecurity for Smart Industry – Securing the Nervous System of Modern Manufacturing”, moderated by Julia Nagy. The discussion covered the security of IoT ecosystems in connected factories: threats to industrial devices, real-time monitoring, zero-trust architectures, OT/IT convergence and resilience against cyber-physical attacks.
On stage, Mădălin presented CYSCOE and its projects, together with the cluster’s case for cooperation: manufacturers, security companies, universities and public institutions get further when they work as a network.
As co-founder of Black Bullet and coordinator of the CYSCOE working group on ecosystem, partnerships and market development, Mădălin brought the cluster’s perspective to a discussion that brought together technology vendors, industry and public institutions.
No organisation defends itself alone any more.
CYSCOE at FACTORY 4.0 Conference 2026
The cluster and attack scenarios, presented to participants
At the CYSCOE presentation point, Gabriel Puiu of Zamolxis (Hackout) contributed to presenting the cluster and walked participants through cyberattack scenarios relevant to industrial environments.
The presentation explained why the cluster matters now, and showed the organisations that make up the CYSCOE community.
- Regulation: NIS2, transposed through GEO 155/2024 and Law 124/2025, brings new obligations for many more entities.
- Funding: Digital Europe and Horizon Europe reward strong consortia, not isolated organisations.
- Skills: specialists are scarce, so training, exercises and shared expertise become a competitive advantage.
Networking at the FACTORY 4.0 Awards & Gala 2026
In the evening, Daniel Leu (Factide) and Daniel Pitiș (Stinoctis) represented CYSCOE at the FACTORY 4.0 Awards & Gala 2026, the Digital Excellence Awards evening of the event.
They met representatives of manufacturers, technology providers and institutions, building new contacts and partnerships for the cluster.
CYSCOE representatives at FACTORY 4.0 Conference 2026
- Mădălin Staniu – Black Bullet (Innovation Needs): speaker, Panel 4 – IoT & Cybersecurity for Smart Industry
- Gabriel Puiu – Zamolxis (Hackout): presentation of the cluster and cyberattack scenarios
- Daniel Leu – Factide: networking at the Awards & Gala
- Daniel Pitiș – Stinoctis: networking at the Awards & Gala
All four represent CYSCOE member organisations.
Why events like FACTORY 4.0 matter
Industry is where digital risk becomes physical. As factories connect machines, sensors and suppliers, a cyber incident can stop production, damage equipment or disrupt entire supply chains. Yet cybersecurity is still often discussed separately from production, investment and innovation. Conferences such as FACTORY 4.0 bring these conversations together, and the cybersecurity community needs to be in the room where decisions about the factories of the future are made.
For CYSCOE, being present as Cyber Security Partner means more than visibility. It is a chance to meet manufacturers and technology providers directly, to understand their real needs, to show what Romanian cybersecurity expertise can offer and to turn first conversations into joint projects.
CYSCOE’s role in Romania and in Europe
CYSCOE aims to be a reference actor in Romania’s cybersecurity ecosystem and a reliable partner at European level. The cluster brings together companies, universities, research organisations and experts who believe that cyber resilience is built together, not in isolation. Our work focuses on:
- Cooperation across the ecosystem: connecting industry, academia, research and public institutions, so that knowledge and capabilities reach the organisations that need them.
- European projects and consortia: helping members join strong consortia under programmes such as Digital Europe and Horizon Europe.
- Skills and awareness: training, exercises and the exchange of expertise, at a time when cybersecurity specialists are scarce.
- A voice in public policy: contributing the experience of our members to national and European discussions on cybersecurity, including the implementation of NIS2.
Every event where CYSCOE members take the stage, present the cluster or build new partnerships moves this mission forward, and makes Romania’s voice in European cybersecurity stronger.
What comes next
The conversations started at FACTORY 4.0 continue in the cluster’s working groups and projects. Industrial companies and organisations that want to strengthen their cyber resilience, or to join projects and consortia with CYSCOE members, can contact us or apply to join the cluster online. Together we work for Romania’s and Europe’s cyber resilience.
Thanks to the FACTORY X.0 Global Forum team for the partnership and to everyone who joined us in Bucharest. Conference photos: FACTORY X.0 Global Forum.
